ii. Pntrinrrhnl Religion. — Leaving these pre- fatory matters, we come to prayer as it appears in i).itriarchal religion. ' Then began men to call u|Jon the name of the Lord' (0114-"). This lirst notice is of real importance. There had been abundant consciousness of God before, but tradi- tion fixed the commencement of habitual prayer at tlie beginning of the third generation. "Thence we pass over a long interval to Abraham, and enter with him into the fullest and freest exercise of prayer. (1) His prayer is dialogue. It C(msistB not merely in man drawing near to God, but God
to man, inviting it and disclosing His purposes. The same thing occurs in the case of Moses, and something of the kind is supposed in certain psalms, where God Himself sjicaks, e.g. Ps 91. (2) Intercession is prominent in patriarchal prayer, Gn 17'* IS'-^"^- 20' ; cf. below on proiiliets as inter- cessors. (3) There are also personal prayers : Gn 15'^, a prayer for a son ; Gn 24'-, Eliezer's on his journey ; more prominent still in J.acob's life. Jacob's first prayer was a vow, Gn 2S-" : his jirayer in Gn 32""''^ is in fear of Esau ; his wrestling with the angel (32'-") is described in Hos 12 (' made suppli- cation ') as involving prayer. (4) Patriarchal bless- ings are prayers. Wlieri man blesses man, it is (a) primarily a vision of the Divine purpose for the jierson blessed and a declaration of it ; it is pro- ]jhetic (e.g. Gn 49'), but it is (6) also a prayer. This is especially clear in a blessing attributed to the next period, Dt 33, e.g. v.". As blessing is partlj' prayer, so also is cursing, as will be seen in considering the imprecatory jisalms j cf. aiso Neh 13^; Sir 4'', where the cur.se is called a supplica- tion. (5) The oath in Gn 14-- (' I have lift up mine hand ') is a kind of prayer, being an imprecation, not on another, but on the speaker in case of his failing in his intention. The phra.se becomes so fixed in common use that without regard to its original meaning it is even used of God Himself, Ezk 30'. (6) The vow. See art. Vow.
iii. The Law. — The evidence of the Law as to prayer is negative. AVith one exception (Dt '20'"'°), there is nothing about prayer in the Law. There is no ordinance as to the employment of the formulai (or charms) common in the ritual of other n.ations. This did not tend to the undervaluing of prayer, but rather kept it in its proper place. It is not recognized as a means of cioing service, but it is left to be a spontaneous expression of human needs. The lasting efi'ect of this negative teaching may be seen in Berakhoth iv. 4. If prayers are said only to fulfil a duty (as a charge), they will not be heard by God. Kut to return to the exception, the formulae of worship in Dt 20. Even these are not strictly prayers, vv.'-" are a thanksgiving, vv."- " a profession of past obedi- ence, and v.'° alone contains supplication. Vv.'"- " are strangely like the so-called prayer of the Pharisee in Lk 18"-''. There also is the claim of past obedience, and in respect to the same point, viz. the payment of tithe (the hallowed things). But we cannot doubt that private prayer was habitually connected with sacrifice from early times. Instances are spread over the OT, e.g. Abraham (Gn 12"), Solomon (1 K S-*- »), Job (42»). There remains for consideration the typical char- acter of incense. Incense (see iNCENSE) was taken up into Hebrew usage from the stock of primitive religious customs among the nations around, and was originally an anthiopomorjihic form of pro- pitiation liy sweet odours (cf. Dn 2^"). Hut as time went on it was regarded as typical of prayer and associated with it. See Ps 141-, and in NT Lk 1'°, Kev 5" 8*. But if the Law teaches nothing about prayer, the lawgiver teaches much. No biblical life is fuller of prayer than that of Mose?. The history of his call (Ex 3. 4) gives pr.ayer in tlie form of ' colloquy ' with God as noticed above. There are his jirivate prayers in times of difliculty (Ex 5-, Nu II"""), and, above all, his frequent intercessory prayers (1) for Pharaoh to ol>tain relief from plagues ; (2) for Israel in all the times of the murmuring and rebellion, e.g. Ex 32""". What Moses did not lay on Israel as a precept he taught them by example, though it may be doubted whether access to God in prayer was not lookeil upon as the prerogative of a prophet.
iv. Tlic Period o/ the Kingdom. — This may be taken next, though in the intermediate time Jos
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PEAYER
PEAYER
7«-» iQi* and Jg 6 are to be noted, and the raising up of judges is almost always introduced by the phrase, ' the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.' Samuel next appears to carry on the great inter- cessory tradition. In Jer 15' Moses and Samuel stand together as chief representatives of this form of prayer. And the narrative justifies the Divine words. Twice over Samuel maKes great eflbrts of intercession for the nation (1 S 7°''°) ; and again in regard to their desire for a king throughout chs. 8 and 12. He testifies himself to his continuous pleading for them, and expresses his sense that it is part of the obligation of his prophetic office, ' God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you' (1 S 12^). Besides his national, there is also his personal intercession. The rejec- tion of Saul grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night, 15". And something of prayer is implied in the mourning for Saul, recorded in 15** and 16'. David, being himself regarded as a pro- phet, is represented as praying without an inter- cessor. This appears in 2 S T's-^^. It is hardly necessary to prove that both the lesser and the greater prophets of the kindly period are regarded as intercessors. It is mainly in this character, as intercessor for a nation perishing by famine, that Elijah stands before us in the great drama of 1 K 18. And the test which is there applied to decide between Jehovah and Baal is, which of the two hears prayer. Intercession, as part of the pro- phetic function, will come out more clearly stUl when we deal with the prophets who have left writings ; but there is a special interest in finding it in men of action, such as Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and another leader who was not a pro- phet, namely, Nehemiah. Their prayer is not merely to put the matter in the Lord's hand, but to strengthen themselves for action.