Exodus 20:7
~16 min read
TRANSCRIPT
This evening, we have come to Exodus 20, verse 7, which is about the third commandment. Let me read for you Exodus 20:7: "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."
Most Christians would think that they have not broken this third commandment. But think again. They may not have blatantly used God's name in vain, but what about indirectly? For example, a boy was watching a movie on the television. The actor cracked a very sensuous and wicked joke, and then he ended the joke by exclaiming the name ‘Jesus!’ We see this happening all the time in the media, right?
The boy giggled and laughed. His father saw him doing that and said,
‘Why did you profane the name of God?’
‘No,’ he answered, ‘I didn't.’
‘Yes, you did.’
‘No, I didn't. He did’, pointing to the actor on the television.
‘But you laughed.’
The boy replied, ‘No, that doesn't count.’
Do you think God will not take that into account? Yes, He will.
Another example: a group of people were cracking some nasty jokes. Everyone was laughing, and all of a sudden someone exclaimed the name of God. There was a Christian who was within the group, and as a Christian, she thought she had to say something. So, she smiled and said, ‘Oh, that is wicked.’ But deep down in her heart, she didn't mean what she said. In fact, she enjoyed the joke just like everyone else. Again, it happens all the time. Do you think God does not know? Yes, He does.
You see, very often, people think that this third commandment is only a prohibition against profaning the name of God by speech. But it is not only in speech that one is capable of profaning the name of God. Just like all the other commandments, this third commandment is spiritual. And if it is spiritual, it begins with the heart. So, this commandment can first be broken or violated in the heart. It is a heart issue.
Another common misconception about this commandment is that, ‘As long as I do not use the name of God or Jesus Christ in vain, it is all right.’ Well, there's more to this commandment than just misusing the name of God or Jesus Christ. And this is what we want to learn in tonight's message. The title of our message is "Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God's Name."
I. What Does This Command Mean?
Firstly, we want to understand what it means to take God's name in vain. What does this command mean? The word "take" means to lift up or to bear something. People would lift up their eyes to look up. People would lift up their voices to sing. People would lift up their clothes and put them on. When we take up something, we take something that bears weight, and we support it. And we do that with names too.
We take up names. For example, when a couple gets married, the wife takes up the husband's name. We are very familiar with that. When she takes up the husband's name, it brings with it new responsibilities connected to her new name. She has to be faithful to him. She has to submit to him as the leader. And of course, there are benefits as well. Her name will be added into his bank account, and everything he has belongs to her. Isn't it true that when we take up a name, we receive whatever benefits that are connected to that name? But at the same time, we also take on responsibilities.
When you and I take up the name of God, we are not only paying lip services. When we bear the name Christians, when we are identified as Christians, we are taking up the name of Jesus Christ. It comes with all the spiritual blessings as well as the responsibilities that we have to be faithful to Him, we have to pledge our allegiance to Him and Him alone. And we must never do it in vain.
The word "vain" means empty or worthless, something that has no substance or no support. If a person suffers vanity or suffers from vanity, he boasts but there's nothing really there to support his claims. It is empty, it is worthless, it is foolishness. But not only foolishness, there are also consequences.
Just like you take the name of a product and you misuse that name, you produce something that is of less substance, and you apply the name to your product, you are taking that name in vain. There will be consequences, legal consequences. You will be sued and you will be found guilty. The Bible says when we take God's name in vain, He will not hold us guiltless. So, there will be serious consequences. God will hold us accountable. He will deal with us accordingly. And therefore, you and I must be very careful how we take up and use the name of God.
All of us know how important names are. Our name represents us. It identifies us. Our name is very much who we are. For the Hebrews, the name is even more important because the name cannot be separated from the person. In fact, it is a reference to the person's inward character. In a similar fashion, God's name identifies and represents who He is. It represents His character, His nature. So essentially, this third commandment protects and defends the honour of God's great name. All of us would agree that God's name is great and He ought to be protected and defended at all costs.
II. What Does This Command Forbid?
Next, let us consider what this command forbids. Throughout the Bible, God reveals His name to His people. In the Garden of Eden, God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve as the LORD God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In Genesis 17, God reminded Abraham that He is the Lord Almighty, the omnipotent, all-powerful God. In Genesis 22, God came to Abraham after commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac, and He provided the substitute ram. Abraham recognised that He was Jehovah Jireh—God the Provider. In Exodus chapter 3, God appeared to Moses at the burning bush. When Moses asked for His name, the Lord responded, "I AM THAT I AM," which means the all-sufficient, all-supreme, and all-sovereign God.
These are just some examples, but notice one thing: all these names not only show who God is but also what He does. He is the God who is all-powerful, He is the God who creates, He is the God who provides, He is the God who saves.
Remember, God revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, His Son. Matthew 1:21 says, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Jesus came into this world, lived a perfect life, fulfilling all righteousness, and ultimately died on the cross, shedding His precious blood for the penalty of our sins. Towards the end of His life on this Earth, Jesus said to the Father in John 17:6, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world". In other words, ‘Through what I have done, I have revealed Your name to all these people.’ So, the names of God communicate His glory in creation and redemption, and they deserve our utmost reverence and respect.
Today, there are people who use words like "gosh," "jeez," and so forth. Basically, they are using these words to refer to God and Jesus Christ. As Christians, we need to watch our language. Most Christians try not to curse, but it is not uncommon for Christians to say, "Oh my God" or "I swear to God." Using such phrases in a careless manner is equal to taking the name of God in vain because it detracts from the glory of God. You and I not only should not take God's name in vain, but we also have the responsibility to defend His name, to remind others not to use His name in vain.
There was once a pastor who was on an airplane, and sitting behind him were two men having a conversation. One of them was blaspheming the name of God in a terrible way. After some time, the pastor could not take it anymore. He went up to this man, smiled, and said, ‘Are you a minister?’ The man was surprised and replied, ‘No, of course not.’ ‘Are you a pastor?’ The man answered, ‘No, why do you ask?’ The pastor said to him, ‘Well, I'm amazed at your communication skills, because you managed to use these words: God, damn, heaven, hell, Jesus Christ, all in one sentence. I'm a minister, and those things are so serious I can hardly get them in one sermon.’ The man blushed, and the pastor did not hear another word from him for the remainder of the flight.
Dear friend, it takes understanding on our part not to take the name of God in vain, but it takes a deep love and respect for God to defend His great name. And those believers who love Him and reverence Him highly, they would defend His great name. So fundamentally, God's name represents who He is and what He does. That is the reason why Westminster Catechism question number 54 says this: ‘What is required in the third commandment?’ The answer is: ‘The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's name, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.’ In other words, God's name, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works represent who He is and what He has done.
We understand not to take God's name in vain, but what about His titles? God has given us many titles which describe the magnificence of His being. He's the King, He's the Lawgiver, He's the Judge, He's the Rock, He's the Fortress, He's the Deliverer, the Saviour, the Shepherd, the Husbandman, the Father. These are only a few examples of the many titles of God in the scriptures. How do we profane the titles of God?
Allow me to give you an example. When someone says, ‘To hell with you,’ or ‘Go to hell,’ he has profaned the title of God. Why? Because there's only one who has the authority to condemn men and women to hell, and that is God Himself. He is the ultimate Judge of all. You and I have no right to assume upon His power and prerogative as the ultimate Judge to say to someone, ‘To hell with you.’ We are profaning God's title; He's the Judge. We are putting ourselves on the same level as God. God forbids. We must not profane God's titles.
Next, how do we profane the attributes of God? An attribute is a quality or character of someone. What are some of the attributes of God? His holiness, His righteousness, His justice, His goodness, His grace, His mercy, His love, etc. It is interesting how we often use the attributes of God in our everyday speech so casually. Do you realise we say things like, ‘Oh, mercy.’ Sometimes, we punctuate a sentence and say, ‘Oh, gracious me.’ To punctuate our speech using the attributes of God is to bring down His character. It is to make His character common. God is not common. If you and I have any understanding of what mercy is, if we have any understanding of what grace is, we gain that understanding from God Himself.
Have you ever used the phrase, ‘Oh my goodness,’ or the word ‘awesome’ in an ungodly way? Those are the attributes of the almighty God. Those are the ways in which God describes His nature. It is not wrong to use those words, but they have to be used in a godly fashion. Other things can be awesome, other things can be good, but insofar as they are reflections of the awesomeness and goodness of the almighty God, who are we to take the attributes of God and to make them common? We must never do that.
Next, the catechism goes on to say, ‘The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of ordinances and works.’ How do we profane the ordinances and works of God? Here, the ordinances are a reference to the sacraments. There are only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. In our church, every time we have young believers attending the Basic Bible Knowledge classes, and after that, they will be baptised as members of the church. Yes, baptism does not save anyone; only faith in Jesus Christ saves. Nonetheless, baptism has profound meaning in the life of the believer.
It is a means of grace. In the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus commands baptism and this is what he said in Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".
If you notice in this command, we are to baptise in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. So, the names of God are connected to the ordinance of baptism. All the names of the Triune God are connected. But not only the names of God but also the works of God. Why do we say that? Because baptism signifies our inclusion into the Covenant of Grace. It signifies that you and I are washed on the inside with the regeneration work of the Holy Spirit. So, the persons, the works, as well as the names of God, are all set before us in the ordinance of baptism.
Baptism is a very serious thing. We must not take it in vain. We should not enter into it lightly, nor should we profane it. Anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ for salvation should not be baptised. At the same time, he who believes and is already saved should not hold back but he should seek baptism in obedience to the Lord's command.
In our church, we have the Lord's Supper once a month. But what is the condition of our hearts when we partake of the Lord's Supper? Are we taking it in vain? Are we just going through the motion? The body and the blood of Jesus Christ are both represented in the Lord's Supper. Each time we partake of the Lord's Supper, we are to remember the Lord's atoning work on the cross. His body was crucified, His precious blood was shed, and by faith, we examine our hearts, confess and repent of our sins, looking to the cross, and we receive spiritual help and spiritual strength to continue to live our Christian lives.
But sadly, there are many Christians who come before the Lord's table like going through a routine, without examining their hearts, without discerning the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. Many are living in sins and they have no desire to repent of their sins. They want to continue in their sins and they think, ‘Oh, it is all right, it is okay, God will forgive us anyway.’ Dear friend, if we do that, we are profaning the work of Christ, and God will hold us guilty.
That was the reason why there was a warning given to us in the Bible: ‘Whosoever eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And he eateth and drinketh damnation to himself’ (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
If we truly understand the meaning of the cross, the suffering of Christ, His agony, how His body was crucified because of us, how He shed His precious blood to save us, and then He says to us, ‘Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee,’ surely we will not say, ‘Oh, He will forgive us of our sins anyway,’ and then we continue to live in sins. God forbids. We must not profane the ordinances and works of Christ. To profane the ordinance of Christ is to take the name of God in vain.
Finally, how do we profane the word, as Westminster Catechism question 54 says? 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
The Bible teaches us about God, about men, about the beginning of all things, the creation and the end of all things, about sin, about salvation, about the Saviour. The Bible is the Word of God. If the Bible is the word of God, then we ought to esteem it highly, we ought to love it, we ought to be diligent in studying it. If you and I disobey God's Word, when we reject God's Word or disregard God's Word, or when we twist God's Word to suit our sinful lifestyles, we are profaning His Word. To undermine the Word of God is also to profane it.
Almost one and a half decades ago, there was this controversy in our Bible-Presbyterian movement in regards to the perfect word of God. I was a young student in the Far Eastern Bible College at that time. There were some lecturers who thought the Bible has mistakes, there were other lecturers who thought the Bible is perfect, it is the Word of God. All I wanted to do was to serve God, and I wanted to know the truth.
The more I heard those lecturers say the Bible has mistakes, the more I started to doubt it, the more I started to falter in my convictions. The more I heard those lecturers say the Bible is perfect, preserved for us by the almighty God, the more my heart is warmed and the more I love the Word of God, and the more I believe with all my heart what our Lord Jesus says: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
I believe what He says, and He says what He means, and I do not want to take His Word in vain. For to take His Word in vain is also to take His name in vain. May the Lord have mercy on us. God's Word is perfectly inspired and preserved by Him. The Bible we hold in our hands is without mistakes. God is faithful. He says what He means, He means what He says.
"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." You can see the seriousness in this command. God is serious. He will hold those who take His name in vain accountable, responsible, and He will deal with them accordingly. Why? Because it is a direct attack on His name, His titles, His attributes, His ordinances, His Word, and His works.
That is also the reason why our Lord Jesus, when He taught the disciples to pray, you know the first thing He said is, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Every week we come to church, we will say the Lord's Prayer. Do we mean what we say, or are we just paying lip services by repeating those words without understanding, without this conviction in our hearts? To hallow means to consecrate, to set apart something for sacred use. God's name is sacred. It has to be set apart for the purpose of worship, for the purpose of praise, for the glory of Him and Him alone. So, His name must not be used in vain.
Some people would also use God's name to back what they say. I think we have encountered that. Perhaps some of us may also have sinned in using God's name to back what we say. Often times, it is to cover up a lie. We want to make the people believe what we say, so we use His name. God knows. We must never do it.
But one of the most common things that you and I will commit by profaning the name of God is when we call ourselves Christians, but we do not live our lives as Christians. We bear the name of Christ, but in reality, our lives do not reflect the life of a believer. May the Lord forgive us. As Christians bearing the name of Jesus Christ, we must honour Him, not dishonour Him.
As the Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." So, whatever we say, whatever we do, how we live our lives, we do it in the name of our Lord Jesus because we bear His name and we want to glorify Him, not dishonour Him. And we give thanks to God for strengthening us, empowering us through the wonderworking of His Spirit. This is what you and I must do. May the Lord remind us that we should always keep this third commandment and not break it. Let us pray.
Father in heaven, indeed, oftentimes people think that it is easy to keep this third commandment, as long as they do not violate this commandment in speech, it is all right. But this commandment is not only not to be violated in speech, but just like all the other commandments, it is spiritual. And if it is spiritual, it begins with the heart. It is first violated in our hearts. Oh Lord, guard our hearts so that we will not sin against Thee by profaning Thy precious name.
And oftentimes, sometimes people would think that it is just about using the name of God and Jesus Christ in vain. So, as long as they do not do that, it is all right. But this commandment entails more than that. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism question 54 teaches us, that we ought to have this holy and reverence for Thy name, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Oh Lord, Thou has reminded us this night that Thy name represents who Thou art and what Thou hast done. And we ought to take Thy name, Thy titles, Thy attributes, Thy ordinances, Thy Word, and Thy works more seriously. Oh Lord, remind us so that we will always keep this commandment all to the glory of Thy precious name. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
