Exodus 20:7 Amplified Bible
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who [a]takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The Third Commandment states: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7.”
God’s Name is special because it carries the personality of God.
The Name in Bible times was more than a personal identification.
It represented the whole person, with his personality, will, gifts, ideas, etc.
This is why some people had their names changed when they went to a transforming experience. The person changed, so the name changed.
Matthew 16:13-20 Amplified Bible
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 Now when Jesus went into the [a]region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to you that you are [b]Peter, and on this [c]rock I will build My church; and the [d]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. 19 I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [e]will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [f]will have [already] been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
The Name of God here in the third commandment involves the whole Trinity, God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Let us see what this Commandment teaches us.
What if we were to take a poll asking people which of the Ten Commandments they regard as the least significant, I wonder if the “winner” would be the third.
When compared to false gods and graven images, the third command doesn’t seem like such a serious offense. But if the one who wrongly uses the name of God incurs guilt, then it must be important—and we need to understand why.
Scripture is crystal clear that God’s name is most precious and most powerful.
One place where we see this is in the encounters between God and Moses.
In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to reveal His glory.
His request invites a death sentence because it is not possible to see God’s glory and live.
But God graciously grants the request in a way that prevents Moses’ demise, for He demonstrates His glory not by a physical manifestation but by revealing His name:
“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6; emphasis added).
His name reveals His character, which in turn reveals His glory.
Earlier, in Exodus 3, God had revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush.
Moses had been tasked with a weighty mission and wanted to know what to say when people asked who had sent him.
God told Moses to say, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).
By using a form of the verb to be to name Himself, God declared that He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and sovereign, depending on no one and nothing. Who else can claim such a name?
In declaring and disclosing Himself, God does not merely identify Himself; He reveals the wonder of who He is.
So to misuse God’s name is to misunderstand His greatness and glory.
Only when we grasp this can we understand why the third commandment is so significant.
In what ways, then, might we break this commandment?
For one, we break it every time we use God’s name to strengthen our vows and promises, bringing down the name of divinity in order to make ourselves sound more believable (James 5:12).
We also blaspheme God when we use His name in anger, in arrogance, or in defiance of who He is.
We misuse His name when we utter falsehoods and use it to back them up.
Perhaps closer to home, in every worship service we attend where we worship God with our lips only and not from our heart, we break the likewise third commandment.
Only when we see the glory of God’s name and when we use it in praise, love, prayer, obedience, and gratitude do we gain more insight, understand why our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9, KJV, emphasis added).
His name is to be forever hallowed because it proclaims who He is, reveals His character, and is a strong refuge for all who call on it (Proverbs 18:10).
And it is to be forever hallowed in the lives of His people—including in your life, as you bear the name of Christ and take it on your lips with reverence and love.
In the name of God, the father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Pray,
Psalm 20 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 20
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 send thee help from the sanctuary,
and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 remember all thy offerings,
and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart,
and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation,
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed;
he will hear him from his holy heaven
with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen:
but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 