Pastor/Teacher,
Jim Rickard
Grace Fellowship Church
The Doctrine of the Ten Commandments Related to the Church Age,
Part VIII.
The
3rd Commandment, Ex 20:7, “You shall not take the name
of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who
takes His name in vain.”
“Taking His name in vain,” is speaking of Him unworthily,
portraying Him as anything less than absolutely holy, using Him for our own
ends, and/or causing the world to see Him as less than He is.
Comparing Jer 18:15, it
also has a connotation of false pagan god worship. In addition, it is a lack of
faith, not believing in your prayers or worship of God, or a works for
salvation program.
Therefore, as the 1st
Commandment states, God was and is the One true and only God, who brought them
out of the land of Egypt and entered into a personal covenant relationship with
the Israelites, Ex 20:1-3. As such,
they were not to enter into a relationship with other false gods, the 2nd
Commandment, vs. 4-6. This meant
that they were to have a very personal commitment of heart, soul, and life
style to God Himself. We find the essence of the Covenant of grace expressed in
Lev 26:12, “I will also walk among you
and be your God, and you shall be my people.” Cf. 2 Cor 6:16. As such, to
misuse or speak flippantly the name of the Almighty YHWH, the covenant-keeping
God, manifested an impious disrespect toward the Lord Himself, Cf. Lev 18:21; 19:12; 20:3.
Lev
19:12, “And you shall not swear falsely by My name,
so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.”
Lev
18:21, “Neither shall you give any of your
offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your
God; I am the LORD.”
“Walking
with God,” and “being His people,” involves more than affirming a proposition
in theology or a matter of mere theory. It implies a personal heart commitment
between the Redeemer and His redeemed. More than living to please the Lord and
measure up to his standards of conduct, this Covenant includes a very personal
commitment of heart, soul, and life style to God Himself.
Therefore,
the Israelites were not to use His name for any idle, frivolous, or insincere
purpose, cf. Lev 19:12. This is a
directive against using God’s name in a manipulative way, (e.g., His name is
not to be used in vulgarity, profanity, magic, or incantations). For example,
the Moabite King Balak attempted to hire Balaam to magically curse the
Israelites in the name of the Lord, Num
22-24. People should not use His name for selfish or evil purposes, cf. Psa 139:20, thereby seeking to usurp
His authority. Therefore, in ancient, as well as in modern times, God’s name
was not to be invoked for some purely selfish human purpose.
Psa
139:20, “For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your
name in vain.”
J. Vernon McGee noted in, “Thru The Bible,” “Many people cannot express themselves
without using profanity. A man who was wonderfully converted several years ago
in Texas once told me, "When I was converted, I lost over half of my
vocabulary!"
To say it another way, your name stands for your
character and reputation, what you are and what you do, John 17:6, 26.
When you say that someone has “a bad name,” you are not criticizing what is
written on his birth certificate. You are warning me that the man cannot be
trusted. If God is the greatest being in the universe, then His name is the
greatest name and must be honored as such. In fact, the first petition in the
Lord’s template prayer is, “Hallowed be Your name,” Mat 6:9.
Therefore, we blaspheme God’s name by using vulgar
language, making a promise, or taking an oath when we know we will not fulfill
the commitment. All of this is making worthless or cheapening His name and
blaspheming God, see Lev 19:12, once again.
On the positive side is the requirement that our
speech of God should fit our thought of God, and our thought of Him should fit
His Name; that our words should mirror our affections, and our affection be a
true reflection of His beauty, love, and glory; that cleansed lips shall
reverently utter the Name above every name.
In
addition, this command is designed to keep people free from being falsely
accused or convicted, or erroneously coerced into some action by bringing in
God’s name. God’s name is rightly and legitimately used in our prayer, praise,
thanksgiving, love towards God, doctrinal communication, and worship. It is a
name of power, strength, reverence, and refuge.
Prov
18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and
is safe.”
Then
we have the warning of discipline for committing this sin, “for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This
is the warning of Divine discipline towards the one or one(s) that break this commandment.
“For the Lord” is the Conjunction KI,
with the Noun YHWH; His proper name. “Will
not hold him guiltless,” is the negative Particle LO, and Verb NAQAH, נקָה
that means, “to be free, to exempt, to
be innocent, or acquit.” In other words, He won’t let them off the hook! They
will fall under His sovereign Divine judgment / discipline. That is, God will
not leave him unpunished. “Who takes” is the Qal Imperfect of NASA,
“lifts up.” “His name,” is SHEM, and “vain,” is LE SHAW.
Therefore, this warning of discipline is for anyone who profanes, trivializes,
or abuses the name of God, as we have noted above.
Given the linkage to the 1st and 2nd
Commandments, this too means having a negative relationship or more strongly an
antagonistic relationship with God. It is a symptom of having other gods before
Him, worshipping, and serving them.
After the heart, comes the soul, and then comes the
lips. The lips speak what is in the soul, and what is in the soul comes from
the heart. If sin is there, then sinful words come from the lips. As such, both
mental and verbal sins are now in the life of this sinner, along with their
antagonism towards God. The covenant sinner will be discipline by God to get
him back on the high road of righteousness and a relationship with God.
In the relationship of love, prayer provides a right
and proper form of communication with God, always expressing gratitude, praise,
and thanksgiving. The person whose prayers are concentrated on their own
advantage, and invokes God’s name as a means to an end, is subject to the
solemn warning.
The
sinner may hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it, and that
God will never call him to an account for it, yet God will not hold him
guiltless, as he hopes He will. God Himself will be the avenger of those that
take His name in vain; and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God. Likewise, when a maximum number of people in a
national entity habitually take the name of the Lord in vain, national disintegration
follows and results in Divine Judgment on the nation.
New
Testament Usage:
As
noted previously, God is the greatest
being in the universe, His name is the greatest name and must be honored as
such. That is why the first petition in the Lord’s template prayer is, “Hallowed
be Your name,” Mat 6:9.
Our
Lord reminded the Pharisees about one aspect of this commandment in Mat 5:33-37. The legalistic Pharisees
were interpreting Ex 20:7, and Lev 19:12, cf. Num 30:3; Deut 23:22, in such a way that they distinguished between
taking an oath by the name of God or by created things, cf. Mat 23:16-22. The first was considered
binding, while the second allowed for withdrawal. But God is Lord over all His
creation; thus any breaking of an oath insults His name.
The
fact that the old time rabbis made a difference between oaths, making it more
serious to break some of them than others, led to evasions of the truth and to
less and less faith in each other. This is similar to how certain denominations
make some sins more egregious than others by classifying them “mortal” and
“venial.” Yet, in God’s eyes, a sin is a
sin, is a sin.
Therefore,
this does not exclude legitimate oaths,
e.g., Rom 1:9; 9:1; 1 Cor 15:31; Phil 1:8; Rev 10:5-6, but instead
of swearing all these oaths, especially the ones you do not intend to keep,
believers are to be simple, honest, and sincere where your “yes,” means “yes,”
and your “no,” means “no,” Mat 5:37.
There is no need for legalistic swearing; just down right Biblical honesty is
all that is necessary.
The
followers of Jesus should be known as men and women of their word. If they are
known to have an honorable regard for truth, then what they say will be
accepted without the support of any oath. The idea that a man or woman can be
trusted to speak the truth only when under oath (if then) springs from
dishonesty and suspicion, and tends to weaken mutual confidence in the
exchanges of everyday life. No one demands an oath from those whose word is
known to be their bond; even a solemn oath on the lips of others tends to be
taken with a grain of salt.
By
debunking this one aspect of “taking the
Name of YHWH in vain,” Jesus also points to the intent of the Commandment.
To think, act, and speak in righteousness. When you do, you are a witness
through your life of the righteousness of God and lift up His name on high. But
when you do not walk in righteousness, you are lifting up His name in vain, as
your life reflects sin and Satan’s cosmic system rather than God.
2
Tim 2:19, “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal,
"The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names
the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness".”
For the Church Age, God the Father has revealed
Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, KURIOS IESOUS CHRISTOS. Having
the name “Lord,” which is KURIOS in the Greek that is equivalent to YHWH in the
Hebrew, tells us that Jesus is YHWH. Therefore, His name Jesus meaning, “YHWH
is salvation,” or Christ meaning, “Anointed One,” should NOT be taken in vain.
Cf. Phil 2:9; Eph 1:21.
Phil
2:9, “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which
is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD
BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.”
Eph
1:21, “Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.”
The
NT tells us that those who rely on the Law to save them or even to live the Christian
way of life take the Lord’s name in vain,
Rom 2:24, “For "THE NAME OF
GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is
written.”
In
fact, the anti-Christ of the Tribulation will be “taking the Lord’s name in
vain,” Rev 13:6, “And he (the Beast – anit-Christ)
opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His
tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”
Paul’s apostolic authority and power was based on
the “Name” of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor 1:10; 5:4.
1 Cor
1:10, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made
complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
1
Cor 5:4, “In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you
in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5I have decided to
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
All
that we do in the Christian life should be done unto the Lord. Therefore, we
are to live it so as to glorify Him and not defame, slander, or blaspheme His
name, Col 3:17; 2 Thes 1:12; Heb 6:10;
13:15; Rev 2:13; 3:8.
Col
3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the
Father.”
2
Thes 1:12. “In order that the name of our Lord Jesus may
be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the
Lord Jesus Christ”
Heb
6:10, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your
work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered
and in still ministering to the saints.”
Heb
13:15, “Through Him then, let us continually offer
up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to
His name.”
Heb 2:12, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY
BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”
Rev
2:13, “I know where you dwell, where Satan's
throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the
days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where
Satan dwells.”
Rev
3:8, “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before
you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and
have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
In
the eternal state, we will be sealed with and recognized by the Name of Jesus
Christ, Rev 22:4.
Rev
22:4, “They will see His face, and His name will
be on their foreheads.”
The
warning aspect of the 3rd Commandment is not directly reiterated in
the NT, but we do have the doctrine of Divine Discipline stated throughout, for
those who fall into carnality, reversionism, and apostasy, cf. 1 Cor 11:30; Heb 12:5-11; Rev 3:19.
This includes the doctrine of compound Divine discipline, where we understand
that for verbal sins there first had to be mental attitude sins. If either or
both are persistent in our lives, God will discipline each and the doubling
effect occurs when we have both mental attitude and verbal sins in our lives.
Therefore,
James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in
the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you, (lift you up).”
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell
you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you.
God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son
for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place.
Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our
sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held
against us.
Right
where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in
your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly
believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day
as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and
reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:
"Yes Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus
Christ, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."
If you have done that, I welcome you to the eternal
Family of God!
Grace
Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Copyright
© 2001 - 2017.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
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