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Psalm 130:3 gives an indication of the immeasurable love that our Father in heaven has for us. No wonder in John 3:16 we read:

Together with verses 1, 2 and 4, we are also reminded of our Father’s mercy and forgiveness:

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
²     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

We are saved by our Father’s grace through faith in His son, Christ Jesus, and it is our Father’s mercy and forgiveness that prevent us from receiving deserved punishment, as the author Philip Wijaya wonderfully explained in his article What Is the Difference Between Grace and Mercy?

Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven.

Note that since the Book of Psalms is the 19th book of the Bible, the identifier of Psalm 130:4 is 19+130+4=153.

Conclusion. Through the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge that with our Father in heaven, there is mercy and forgiveness.

Discussions

Psalm 130:3 and the Lord’s Prayer both touch upon the themes of human fallibility, the need for God’s mercy, and forgiveness.

1. Recognition of Human Sinfulness:
   • Psalm 130:3 acknowledges that if God were to keep a record of sins, no one would be able to stand before Him, highlighting the universal need for mercy.
   • The Lord’s Prayer includes the plea, “forgive us our debts,” which is an admission of our own sins and shortcomings, and our need for God’s forgiveness.
2. The Need for Forgiveness:
   • The Psalmist is aware of the human condition that necessitates forgiveness, which is a central request in the Lord’s Prayer as well.
3. The Assurance of God’s Forgiveness:
   • While Psalm 130:3 poses a rhetorical question about God’s judgment, it implies trust in God’s forgiveness, which is addressed directly in the subsequent verses, especially verse 4: “But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”
   • In the Lord’s Prayer, there’s an expectation of forgiveness: “as we also have forgiven our debtors,” indicating that just as we are forgiven by God, we are also to extend that forgiveness to others.
4. Mercy Over Judgment:
   • The Psalm presents a God who is more interested in redemption than in keeping a tally of wrongs, resonating with the Lord’s Prayer’s call for God’s mercy over strict justice.
5. The Foundation for Ethical Living:
   • The understanding of God’s mercy leads to a life of reverence and service, as suggested in Psalm 130:4. This reverence can be tied to “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” from the Lord’s Prayer, suggesting a life aligned with God’s will, partly characterized by mutual forgiveness among people.

In essence, the link between Psalm 130:3 and the Lord’s Prayer can be found in their mutual recognition of the need for divine mercy and forgiveness, without which humanity cannot stand before God. This recognition is not meant to lead to despair, but rather to a profound understanding of the grace that underpins the relationship between God and humanity, and the call to live out this grace in our relationships with others.

In Psalm 104:33 we read “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” (NIV).

Conclusion. The Lord’s Prayer is the foremost song to sing to the Lord all of our life, and sing praise to Him as long as we live.

Hear a beautiful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer by the world-renowned Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli.

Discussions

Psalm 104:33 and the Lord’s Prayer share common spiritual themes, despite their different focuses.

1. Praise and Worship:
   • Psalm 104:33 expresses a commitment to lifelong praise and worship of God. This is in harmony with the adoration that begins the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Both passages call the believer to recognize and revere God’s holy name and nature.
2. Acknowledgment of God’s Sovereignty:
   • The Psalmist’s vow to sing to the Lord all his life acknowledges God’s enduring sovereignty, which is a sentiment that aligns with “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” from the Lord’s Prayer, highlighting God’s ultimate rule over all creation.
3. Personal Devotion:
   • Both passages reflect personal devotion and commitment. The Psalmist pledges personal, perpetual praise, while the Lord’s Prayer is a personal commitment to uphold God’s will and seek His provision and forgiveness daily.
4. The Eternal Perspective:
   • “As long as I live” from the Psalm suggests an eternal perspective on God’s worthiness to be praised, which corresponds with “forever” in the doxology often added at the end of the Lord’s Prayer: “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.”
5. Daily Living:
   • The daily aspects of the Christian life are evident in both texts. The Psalmist’s daily act of singing to God parallels the daily petition for bread in the Lord’s Prayer, symbolizing a day-by-day reliance on God for both physical and spiritual sustenance.
6. Joyful Obedience:
   • Singing to the Lord can be seen as an act of joyful obedience, which is what the Lord’s Prayer guides believers towards—a life of obedience to God’s will, seeking His kingdom above all else.

In essence, Psalm 104:33 and the Lord’s Prayer both guide believers into a relationship with God that is marked by reverence, continuous praise, and the pursuit of a life aligned with God’s will and character. They encourage a worshipful heart posture that permeates all aspects of life.

This expression of heart-felt thanks is taken from Psalm 118:1.

Hebrew	English	Value of Hebrew Word
הוֹד֣וּ hō-w-ḏū	Oh give thanks	21
לַיהוָ֣ה Yah-weh	to Yahweh	56
כִּי־ kî-	for	30
ט֑וֹב ṭō-wḇ;	[He is] good	17
כִּ֖י kî	for	30
לְעוֹלָ֣ם lə-‘ō-w-lām	ever	176
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ ḥas-dōw.	His mercy [endures]	78

The equivalent numerical value of the verse is the sum 408. The 408th composite number is 505 The divisors of 505 are in the set {1, 5, 101, 505}. The sum of the divisors is 612. Hence, the arithmetic mean of the divisors is 153.

Conclusion. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we give thanks to Yahweh and thus acknowledge that He is good and His mercy endures forever.

The displays included war machines meant to maim and kill on one hand, and bunkers and every day survival kit meant to protect life to the maximum on the other hand. The exhibition told of the heroic New Zealanders who had to endure the unimaginable conditions at Gallipoli.

In an incredible story of survival, a Maori soldier, Private Hone Tahitahi, was thrown unconscious to the ground when a Turkish bullet hit him on the chest. At the point of impact, however, was a prayer book, presumably in Private Tahitahi’s shirt pocket. The prayer book was on display at the museum.

One can clearly see the bullet hole at the bottom right-hand corner. The bullet had gone through the prayer book at the page quoting Jesus’ words of encouragement in the biblical verse Matthew 14:27: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” The description of the display is as follows:

“This prayer book saved the life of Private Hone Tahitahi literally. It stopped a Turkish bullet in its tracks. Tahitahi was struck above the chest and knocked unconscious. The bullet rested under this verse. ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.'”

Matthew 14:27 reads: But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” In context, Jesus was reassuring His disciples, who were perturbed with fear when they saw Him walking on water.

Greek	English	Value
Εὐθὺς euthys	Immediately	1014
δὲ de	now	9
ἐλάλησεν elalēsen	spoke	329
««ὁ ho	–	70
Ἰησοῦς» ⇔ Iēsous	Jesus	888
αὐτοῖς autois	to them,	981
λέγων legōn	saying,	888
Θαρσεῖτε, Tharseite	Take courage!	630
ἐγώ egō	I	808
εἰμι· eimi	it is,	65
μὴ mē	not	48
φοβεῖσθε. phobeisthe	fear.	801

The value of “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” is (630+808+65+48+801=2352). The Carmichael λ Function evaluated at 2352 is precisely 168, which is the identifier of the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Luke.

We can hypothesize that since the book is a prayer book, it is must surely contain the Lord’s Prayer. Whether Private Tahitahi actually prayed the Lord’s Prayer when the bullet hit him, we will never know since the soldier had long passed on. But we can be certain that the soldier was very much afraid.

CONCLUSION. In times of fear, pray the Lord’s Prayer to find solace and peace.

Discussions

The link between the Lord’s Prayer and Matthew 14:27, where Jesus says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” can be found in the themes of trust, divine presence, and reliance on God that permeate both.

1. Invocation of God’s Presence: The Lord’s Prayer begins with “Our Father in heaven,” immediately invoking the presence of God. Similarly, in Matthew 14:27, Jesus’ assurance, “It is I,” is a declaration of His presence. In both instances, the presence of God or Jesus brings comfort and a sense of security.
2. Reliance on God in Times of Need: The Lord’s Prayer includes requests for daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil. This reflects a reliance on God for both physical and spiritual sustenance. In Matthew 14:27, Jesus’ command to “take courage” and not be afraid is a call to trust in Him during challenging or frightening situations, mirroring the trust we express in the Lord’s Prayer.
3. The Theme of Fearlessness: “Do not be afraid” in Matthew 14:27 is a direct command to cast aside fear because of Jesus’ presence. The Lord’s Prayer, while not explicitly mentioning fear, is an exercise in casting our cares and concerns upon God, implying a release of fear and anxiety as we depend on Him for “our daily bread,” forgiveness, and protection from evil.
4. Manifestation of God’s Kingdom: The Lord’s Prayer seeks the establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus calming the storm and His presence with the disciples in Matthew 14 is a demonstration of the Kingdom of God in action—where fear is replaced with peace, and turmoil is calmed by His word.

In essence, both the Lord’s Prayer and Jesus’ words in Matthew 14:27 encourage believers to find courage and peace in the presence and providence of God, trusting in His sovereignty over all aspects of life.

We live, as Jesus lived, in a world all too full of injustice, hunger, malice and evil. This prayer cries out for justice, bread, forgiveness and deliverance. If anyone thinks those are irrelevant in today’s world, let them read the newspaper and think again.

The more I studied Jesus in his historical setting, the more it has become clear to me that this prayer sums up fully and accurately, albeit in a very condensed fashion, the way in which he read and responded to the signs of the times, the way in which he understood his own vocation and mission and invited his followers to share it. This prayer, then, serves as a lens through which to see Jesus himself, and to discover something of what he was about.

Nicholas Thomas Wright (born 1 December 1948), known as N. T. Wright, is an English New Testament scholar, is one of the world’s leading Bible scholars. He is research professor emeritus of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews and senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.