Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Comeنموونە

God’s kingdom pervades the Bible. Some say it’s the central theme. Jesus’s ministry was all about God’s kingdom. Today, let’s just look into what that Old Testament hope was all about.

Here’s the gist. Though creator and ruler over all, God’s creation, God’s will, and God’s way went off the rails with the fall in the garden of Adam and Eve. Despite counter-efforts, Genesis 4-11 show God’s good and wonderful creation spiraling further out of control. So God establishes a special rule through a chosen people. They came to be called Israel. They were meant to be a “kingdom of priests” through whom God would enact His rescue operation of the world. Everything from God’s presence among them, the Promised Land, and the Mosaic law, to the very character of these people themselves, not to mention their prophets and patriarchs, priests, judges, and kings, was meant to be an instrument and expression of God’s reign and intention for the world. Through Israel, God’s kingdom and reign would eventually extend to the ends of the earth.

Here’s the problem. Israel didn’t measure up. In fact, they were often worse than the kingdoms of darkness around them. The very people through whom God’s kingdom was supposed to show itself frustrated, usurped, and derailed it.

Here’s where the Old Testament prophets come in. They looked forward to a day when God would return to visit His people and correct the misrule, bringing judgment, grace, and vindication. They called this the “Day of the Lord,” or oftentimes more simply, “The Day.”

Here’s what they saw. Imagine God dwelling with His people again like He once did in the Garden. Imagine God’s forgiveness wiping away all sins once and for all and His Spirit poured out. Imagine God’s people changed, healed, and even raised from the dead. Imagine creation restored. Imagine wrongs made right, evil and suffering rooted out, with justice and vindication for all people, especially the downtrodden and oppressed. Imagine the safety and security of a just and wise king seeking God, bringing His blessing, and bringing His people back to a place of blessing (a promised land). Imagine the wholeness, peace, and prosperity of what the Bible calls shalom. Imagine it as an ever-present reality for God’s people that’s big enough for everyone!

If you can imagine that, you can grasp what Jesus tells you to pray for. “Father, Thy kingdom come!”

Consider this today…

What’s one thing in this list do you desperately want God to bring about? Pray for it boldly today.