25. Paul further declares that God is not merely a father, but the
true Father, "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is
named." Earthly fathers are so called because in a flesh and blood
way they have begotten us, or on account of their age and their claim
to honor. It is the universal custom to apply the term "father" to an
old master. In Second Kings 5, 13, for instance, the servants of
Naaman called their lord "father." Paul's thought is: "All fatherhood
on earth is but a semblance, a shadow, a painted image, in comparison
with the divine Fatherhood of God."
26. But reason can never see it so. And only by the Spirit's work can
the heart recognize the fact. Reason may go so far as to regard God
an angry and terrible judge, one who makes the world, even hell
itself, too narrow for it and leaves it without a foothold. But it is
impossible for natural reason to call God a father in sincerity; much
less to regard him the divine Father, preeminent over all who bear
the name of "father" in heaven or on earth, of whom all other fathers
are as mirror reflections.
27. Think of the attitude of an earthly father toward his child, and
of the child toward his father. Even where actual parenthood is
lacking, the name engenders a confidence affectionate and pleasing
enough to kindle the brightest anticipations of great good to be
received. Now, if the sincere, loyal designs of earthly fathers for
their children are mere pretense compared to the blessed purposes of
our heavenly Father, what must we look for from this heavenly Father,
this Father above all others? Paul would teach us to look at the
proportions, and from the confidence we repose in our natural fathers
estimate the character of God as a Father and what we may expect from
him.
28. He who can put his trust in God, who can confidently rely upon
him and sincerely cry, "Thou art my beloved Father!" need not fear to
ask anything of God, or that God will at all deny him. His own heart
will tell him that his petitions will be granted. Because of the
strength of his confidence, he cannot fail to secure his heart's
desires. Thus God himself teaches us to break open heaven and lay him
bare before our eyes that we may see who this Father is.
[Thus Paul is confident what he asks is pleasing to God and will be
granted. If we did the same we would, doubtless, have a like
experience. There are still people who pray. It would be a blessing
if there were many more. Then the Gospel would make greater progress
and impart to us greater power. It is evident, God be praised, that
all who rage against the Gospel must be put to shame. The more they
rage, the more the Gospel spreads, and all without our help or
counsel, only because God awakens hearts to pray that it may prosper,
even without our help. The more fervently we pray, the greater is
God's pleasure to hear.]
29. What is the nature of the prayer Paul here presents? It is the
same as the Lord's Prayer, being particularly identical with the
first, second and third petitions. In words of different sound but
implying the very same thing, Paul briefly embraces these
petitions--the hallowing of God's name and Word in our midst, and the
destruction of the devil's kingdom and all evil--whatever is opposed
to the Word and will of God. He says:
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that
ye may be strengthened with power."