3rd Commandment
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
*opening Prayer*
The third commandment deals with God’s name, his character, His office, His position as the great sovereign Ruler of the universe. in biblical terms, personal names have a meaning, for the usually describe some aspect of the person’s character. So it was with God’s name. The bible reveals Him under different names, each given with a purpose: to set forth some distant virtue or characteristic of His nature. To bring this particular point to light for a better understanding, I will do a quick review of a part of my Prophecy Series concerning the name of God.
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The significance of the name of God given in this verse, I AM THAT I AM, constitutes the idea that the “ I AM “ in Exodus 3 reveals God as the Being who is absolutely self-existent, and who, in Himself, possesses essential life and permanent existance. To the Hebrew, to be does not just mean to exist, but to be active, to express one’s self in active being. God is the One who acts. The imperfect tense of the verb becomes clear. God’s manifestation to Israel is yet future at the time of the burning bush incident.
The “ I AM “ or “ I WILL BE “ is God’s promise that He will redeem the children of Israel. The people wanted to be reassured that this God would meet them in their time of need, proving His character and promises.
There are three primary names of God:
Elohim ( which means God)
Jehovah or Yahweh ( usually printed as Lord in the King James Version)
Adonai ( which means Lord)
Each of these names emphasizes a different aspect of the nature of God.
The name Elohim occurs thirty one times in Genesis 1, where it emphasizes His strength and creative power. The name Yahweh is most often used to express God’s self-existance, particularly in relation to humanity. Adonai means “ Master” and underscores the authority of God.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
In this next verse, God will also identify Himself using the term “ YHWH “, a Hebrew word which was considered so holy that it was not spoken aloud. This appears in most English translations of the Bible using small capitol letters; “ The LORD “. It is also transliterated as “ Yahweh “ or “ Jehovah “. Since the word “ e’heyah “ is related to the word “ YHWH “, this is probably a deliberate play on words. Using the word “ YHWH “ invokes the concept of “ I AM “. Now that i have brushed everyone up with that knowledge , let’s continue to examine this commandment.
In this commandment, the Hebrews word rendered “ guiltless “ may also be translated “ clean “. A person is clean or unclean according to how he uses the name of God, whether in truth or in vanity. A person who continually talks about God but denies Him in his daily life is unclean; he is guilty of breaking the law of God, a sinner. If we use God’s name in a way that denies the true meaning and character of God, we break the third commandment. As we can easily see, God is greatly concerned about how we use His name.
This commandment requires serious reflection. Like the second commandment, it includes a warning that God will not hold us guiltless. It seems that sometimes God deliberately understates things for subtle emphasis and to ultimately magnify the meaning.
To understand this commandment better, we need to explain four words:
Take, throughout the Old Testament, is translated into English from seventy-four different Hebrew words. This one means “to lift up”, “ bear “, “carry “, “ use “, and “appropriate “.
Vain, has the sense of “ desolating “; “ that which lacks reality, purpose, value, or truth “. It may also be translated “ lying “, “ false “, “ worthless “, “ profane “, “ foolish “, “ reproachful “, “ curse “, “ blaspheme “, or “ useless “.
Guiltless, means “ free “, “ clear “, “ innocent “, “ clean “, “ blameless “, and/or “ unpunished “.
Name, means “ a mark or sign standing out “; “ a word by which a person, place, or thing is distinctively known “. It’s Hebrew root denotes “ high “, “ elevated “, “ a monument “. It indicates majesty or excellence. A name identifies, signifies, and specifies.
The commandment has nothing to do with the proper pronunciation of God’s name, which no one knows anyways since it was lost in antiquity. It has nothing to do with superstition or magical uses of a name. Its application is far broader
The third commandment regulates the quality of our worship. It involves glorifying God in every aspect of life. Most people regard the third commandment very lightly. The Jews, however, have a saying: “ When God gave the third commandment, the whole world trembled.” They even warned witnesses at a trial with this statement. Why do you ask? The Jews believe that because it reads, “ the Lord will not hold him guiltless, “ there is no forgiveness for transgressing it. If it is this important, perhaps we should pay closer attention to it.
God asks two questions in these verses:
18 To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Obviously, the second commandment expressly forbids making any representation of Him. God is unique; nothing can compare with Him. We are without a point of contact or physical reference to make any comparison. This ought to show us the absolute folly of making images. On its face, every image is a lie. But should we not try to understand, to learn, what God is like? God does not want us to be concerned with what He looks like because it emphasizes the wrong area. He supplies us with enough information to know that He generally looks like a man. To Him, that is enough!
But He does want us to know what He is. He wants us to know Him. The entire Bible reveals His mind, character, attributes, offices, power, will, promises, plan, and relationship with us. The third commandment concerns this kind of knowledge and how well we apply it in our lives.
In our culture, one’s name means little, most often merely as a way of identifying and distinguishing people. We can glimpse how significant it was to people in biblical times when we realize that we link reputation or prestige to a person”s name. We use phrases like “ He ruined the family name “ or “ his name is mud “ to express that someone is of low repute or character.
An individual’s name meant far more than that in ancient times. Then, a person and his or her name were bound together, the name representing the person’s essence. In the Old Testament, certain persons’ names defined them. For example, Jacob means “ heel-catcher “, characterizing his underhanded, deceptive nature, but God renames him Israel, “ one who prevails with God “, after his conversion.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Christ Himself is named Jesus, “ Savior”.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
God’s names likewise identify His character traits: He is Eternal, Creator, Almighty, our Banner, our Healer, our Sanctifier, our Peace, our Righteousness, our Shepard, our Master, etc.
Thus , the request in Matthew 6:9
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
and God’s command in the third commandment means more than just how we use or pronounce God’s names. It implies that we revere what God’s names stand for. He desires that we regard His names and thus Him and His character reverently, taking the pursuit of Him and His way of life seriously as a matter of profound aspiration.
The third commandment is certainly against common swearing, including using euphemisms so common in society. many commonly used are “ gee “, “ gosh “, “ golly “, “ got all muddy “, “ cheese and rice “, “ Jimmy Cricket “ and “ doggone “ to substitute for more offensive words some carelessly spew forth. This commandment also covers the light and disrespectful use of any of God’s attributes or character.
It is this commandment more than any other that shows how much God should be a part of our every word , deed, and attitude. It shows that the test of our spiritual cleanliness how we use the name of God , whether in truth or vanity. It indicates that a man is better off being sincerely wrong than to be a professing Christian and deny His name by the conduct of his life.
It pays dividends in insight and understanding to take notice of biblical names. In biblical thought, a name is not merely a label of indentification but also an expression of the bearers essential nature. As I explained earlier, it includes its bearers reputation, character, and distinctiveness from others. For example, in all probability, Adam named the beasts based on his observations of the distinctiveness of their natures. Similarly, to know the name of God is to know God as He has revealed Himself, that is, to know some of His nature.
This same thought is true of many biblical characters, providing insight into understanding them within the events recorded about them. To illustrate, Jacob supplants his brother Esau twice. A supplanter is one who by skill, decent, or force takes the place of another. When this happens the second time, this is Esau’s response:
36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Regarding the birthright and blessing, Jacob takes Esau’s place using his supplanting nature. Another clear example occurs when Abigail pleads with David for Nabal’s life:
25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
Nabal means “ a dolt, a vile person “ . Thus, the Bible shows that a name tends to exercise constraint on a person to confirm to its nature.
In Hebrew thought, then, a name is inevitably bound with the named thing’s existence. Nothing exists unless it has a name , and its essence is concentrated in its name. Hence, creation is not complete until Adam names all the creatures. To cut off a person’s name is to end the bearer’s existence, or to change a person’s name is to indicate a shift in his character and standing before God.
To speak or act in another’s name is to act as that person’s agent and to participate in his authority. To be called by another’s name implies that person’s ownership, and one bearing that name falls under the authority and protection of the one whose name is called upon.
The third commandment sets the standard of the spiritual cleanliness in a person using the name of God because it is so weighty. It must be used or borne in truth, without hypocrisy or vanity but in purity of conduct. Again I stress this point, a person is better off being sincerely wrong than being a professing Christian and denying God’s name by the conduct of his life.
Consider that to help us to know David, the Bible shows him as shepard, warrior, king, prophet, poet, husband, father, musician, sinner, and penitent - each part of a rich and varied nature. Yet, God is manifold times greater than David. The Bible reveals Him, His nature, in a similar way, by adding names to aid us in identifying His many glorious characteristics. God names Himself what he is, just as He names people what they are. Thus, Jacob is at first a supplanter, yet when he changes, God names him more appropriately for his new life. Israel is “ one who prevails with God”.
In Herbert Lockyer’s book, “All the Divine Names and Titles”, he lists three hundred sixty four names and titles for Jesus Christ alone. Through His names and titles, God has chosen to reveal a great deal about His attributes, offices, authority, prerogatives, and will. Each name designates some distinct virtue or characteristic of God’s nature. Thus, God has made known the glory of His nature through His names. They are not to be abused!
The third commandment emphasizes the holy quality of His character and offices as identified by His names. His names reveal what He is. It is the Christian”s responsibility to adorn and uphold the reputation and glory of all that these names imply. When we are regenerated, His family name - God - became our Family name! We were baptized by the Spirit of God into that name. The third commandment therefore covers the quality of our witness in bearing that name.
Conclusion of self refection
When Pastor Justin gave me this assignment, I knew this would be interesting to research. The first thing I said was, “ I like this assignment because it ties into a book I am currently reading.” Now that I have researched this commandment, I got even more reassurance that my initial thought was correct. What I discovered initially about the third commandment when I was working on my Prophecy Series was just a starting point as i dived deeper into this. The book I am currently reading is called “The Christian atheist” by Craig Groeschel. It is about examples of people who believe in God but live their lives as He does not exist. I find it fascinating that I found that book right when I was given this assignment. It amazes me to see God steer me in directions to teach me lessons that I need to learn. The way God allows me to grow towards a stronger Christian faith is always an amazing process when i sit back and think about it.
Doing this study has taught me that i still need to go miles in growth to stop the sins I commit each day. I am personally thankful for my salvation and for the gifts that God has given me. I am thankful for finding the right church to fellowship and grow at. I find myself feeling lucky for my salvation provided by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As I did this study, I realized I probably violate this commandment on a daily basis. But through God, I know I will continue to grow; through fellowship I will always be steered in the right direction. I personally encourage everyone to read that book I am currently reading. It really opens your eyes to do some self examination. Just like doing this study, I am always asking where can I improve to be a better servant of God. I hope you enjoyed this presentation. God Bless. Amen
