“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7)
“And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:12)
Never in my life have I heard so many taking the name of God in vain (even by those who profess to be Christians)! To get a fuller grasp of what this means, I will share with you some thoughts about this 3rd commandment:
I. The NAME (of God) can refer to one or more of the following usages: It speaks of one’s associations (we associate one’s name with who that person is and what that person does). It speaks of one’s authority or authorization. (For example, without one’s authority, the bank cannot process your check)! It speaks of identity. It identifies the person – – that particular one. It often also speaks of one’s nature – – (when, for example, it speaks of God, His name or nature is to be holy – – to be other than mere human or sinful). Finally, one’s name speaks of one’s reputation. (We are familiar with the oft-used phrase “to make a name for oneself”). We must move along ….
II. The word VAIN. It is used 52 times in the Old Testament. There are three primary ways this word is defined: It speaks of emptiness, falsehood and worthlessness. Here are some ways it is often applied: for example, one uses God’s name flippantly or by seeking to impress others by abusing God’s name. One sometimes abuses God’s name also by cursing and/or swearing. When, as I hear (more often than I wish) someone abusing the words “holy …,” God will not hold him guiltless! The God of the Bible alone is holy!
And here is the seriousness of taking God’s name in vain. The word “guiltless” is used 44 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and speaks of leaving something unpunished. In other words, and this is serious, the God whose holy name has been used in vain will not leave the user unpunished – – by Him! Beware!
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