Ethics Week 7 – Third Commandment

Ethics Week 7

Third Commandment

EX 20:7 – 7 “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.

JF “  We should never utter his name without expressing in some measure the reverence and awe that are due to him, for that would be to speak in a way that denies his nature.”

WLC 112-113

The name of the Lord

-           Why is this a command?

• Naming in ancient cultures was an exercise of sovereignty
  • Only God names himself – control and aseity
  • Revealed names allows us to call upon him
  • Jacob wrestling with God – name like having power over God
    • Gen 32: 22-32
    • Hosea 12:4
  • Identifying God’s future with the future of his people by placing his name upon them
    • Num 6:27
    • Deut 28:10
    • 2 Chron 7:14
    • Dan 9:18-19
    • Rev 13:6
• Naming is characterizing the authority of God
  • Yahweh – lordship
  • Elohim – creative power
  • El Shaddai – his might
  • El ELyon – transcendence
  • Yahweh Sabbaoth – lordship over the armies of heaven
  • Psalm 8:1 – majesty
  • Proverbs 22:1
• Naming Indicates presence
  • We can find a person by calling their name
  • Glory
  • Saved for His name sake
    • Ps 106:8
    • ! Sam 12:22
• Those who bear the name of God
  • Dwelling in the temple
    • Deut 12:11
    • Ezra 6:12
    • Ezek 43:7
  • The people
    • Rev 13:6 – again
    • Acts 4:12
  • Every knee shall bow
    • Phil 2:9-11
  • Carried to the world
    • Acts 9:15
• Because God is sovereign and in control of all things to swear by anything is to swear by God

-          What does it mean to take God’s name in vain

• We often see this as a commandment about language
• Nasa – Hebrew, not the normal word for speak
  • Actually mean lift up, bear or carry
    • Num 6:27
  • Carrying God’s name
    • Our identity is to be the people of God
    • Psalm 24:3-4
• Vanity
  • Empty, trivial, meaningless
    • Job 7:3

Applying the Third Commandment in Worship

-           The Name of God in Worship

• Use God’s name in reverence in an attitude of worship – His presence
• Oaths                            Kingly
• Confession                 Prophetic
• Blessings                      Priestly

-          Oaths and Vows

• In an oath we call God to witness concerning the truth of a statement or promise
  • It is more than a promise to man, it is a promise to God
    • Josh 7:19
    • Matt 26:63-64
    • Hebrews 6:16
  • Marriage is an oath before God!
• Matt 5:33-37 – Jesus on oaths
• Some oaths are wrong
  • False Gods –
  • Secret Societies
  • Unlawful oaths
• Unkept oaths (situational)
  • Lev 19:12
  • Num 30:3-16
• Oaths from Wrong Attitudes (Existential)
  • Careless
    • Lev 5:4.
  • Presumptions
    • Isaiah 48:1

-          Confession

• Confession
  • God placed is name on us so we are his
  • We identify ourselves as God’s covenant servants
  • We proclaim our position and invite others to join with us
• Acknowledging Christ before men
  • Matt 10:32-33
  • Rom 10:9-10
  • Christianity is a public faith, lived in the community, not in closets or behind closed doors
  • There are times to be silent
    • Matt 7:6
    • Appropriate when speaking would hurt our witness
• Written confessions
  • Purpose is to give a witness to the world of our Christian faith

-          Blessing

• Equivalent to praise
  • Psalm 103:1
• Prayer
  • Numbers 6:23-27 – Aaronic blessing – repeat
  • 2 Cor 13:14
• On others
  • Rom 12:14
  • I cor 4:12
  • 1 Tim 2:1
• Curses – negative blessing
  • James 3:10.
  • Ps 109:17-19
  • Matt 5:21-22
  • Not against all harsh language
    • Gal 1:8
    • Matt 23:17-19

Additional Applications of the 3^rd Commandment

-           Humor in Religion

• Since all of creation bears God’s name would ban all humor
• God’s use of humor
  • Proverbs 19:24
  • Proverbs 26:15.
  • Proverbs 27:15
  • Eccl 10:8
  • Num  22:22-41
  • Matt 23:24
• Prov 12:15, 2 Cor 9:7

-          Profanity

• People use God’ name to show resentment or contempt for a situation 1 Cor 9

-          Sexual Language

• Not etymologically related to divine names
• No absolute prohibition,Gal 5:12 )emasculate themselves
• Vastly overused and used to describe people created in the image of God
  • Gal 5:22

Eph 5:4

• Obviously much is based on culture and usage
  • We cannot forbid what scripture does not
  • The Christian should always be one who avoids irreverent images without legalism