The Third Word
Introduction
I remember sitting in the Ingles parking lot in Hendersonville with my dad while he was trying to explain to me the value of a good reputation. I had taken the blame for a friend at school (I think a friend of mine broke something in class, but I took the fall for it). I was trying to make a super-spiritual argument that I was being Christlike. My dad correctly saw I was being a knuckle head instead even though he didn’t use those words. He reminded me that in public, I wasn’t just representing my name, but his name, my mom’s name, my grandparents’ name, my church’s name, and the Lord’s name. Everyone knew the Levi family were Christians. Now, because I wanted some kids to like me, everyone now believed the Levi family broke school property. There’s power in a family name.
Passage
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7
Explain the Passage
Many times, we interpret the third commandment as simply not saying the word God unless we’re in church. Although speaking is part of the command, it’s not all of it. The verb “take” doesn’t mean to speak, but to “lift,” “Carry,” or “bear.” This isn’t just regulating our speech, but our entire conduct. Our conduct should not take God’s name in vain. “Vain” means empty, shallow, meaningless. When you tell the officer who pulled you over for speeding, “it will never happen again officer,” you are speaking vainly. Taking God’s name in vain doesn’t mean we can’t say “God” or “Lord.” YHWH is mentioned more than 7,000 in the OT. Taking God’s name in vain means we don’t take Him seriously. We take God’s name in vain with casual sex (Amos 2:7) and with stealing (Lev 6:2-5). Every sin violates the name of the Lord.
Honor Your Family Name
All human beings are given names by their parents. The receive a surname that their parents received. God names Himself Yahweh, I am, and shares that name with His people (Ex 3:14). God defines His name in Exodus 34:6-7 He is gracious and compassionate and just. God addresses His people as His son (Ex 4:23); they receive their father’s name.
In the Old Covenant, when an Israelite blasphemed, lied about God, it was a capital offense (Lev 24:16). In the New Covenant, church discipline acts as a type of death from God’s people (1Cor 5:9-15). When a Christian rejects his or her baptism, they are saying God’s claim on their life is meaningless. When churches practice church discipline, we are obeying the third commandment and honoring the name of the Lord.
The fullest expression of rejecting the third word is to reject Jesus. Keep in mind, the Sanhedrin sentenced Jesus to death on a blasphemy charge (Mark 14:64). You can focus on dead words but miss the living God. You can claim to have a zeal for God’s name while rejecting God’s son.
When God saves sinners, He puts His name on them. Christians bear the name of God on us because we’ve been baptized in the triune name. One reason I give a benediction every week is to remind us to act like God’s name is on us before we go back out into the world. We can only obey the third word because of the eternal word. Don’t ruin your good name. Living up to the family name is not for the empty of heart; it’s for the abundant of heart.
Watch Your Words
Jesus tells us that all of our words will be judged (Matt 12:36). The third word reveals what kind of standard Jesus will use on the day He judges everyone’s words. The third commandment requires us to tell the truth when we swear on God’s name (Ex 23:13; Deut 6:13). When we invoke God’s name in a promise, oath, or confession, we are calling God as witness. Since God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), He will not tolerate us using His name as if it means nothing. God promises curses on those who use His name as a stray word. It forbids blaspheming God’s name, cursing God’s name, false oaths, false claims to speak for God. It also applied to Israel sacrificing their kids to Molech (Lev 18:21), to unlawfully touch the holy things (Lev 22:2), worshipping with irreverent hearts (Mal 1:10-14).
My first application for us is to simply watch our words. Live in the presence of God. Live like Jesus is with you because He is. Live as if He cares how you represent Him because He does. And you can only grow in your ability to live in a God honoring way by honoring God where you are now. So, if you lie a lot, stop. If you are sarcastic, stop. If you tell dirty jokes, stop. If you use God’s name as a filler word, like “um”, stop. If you say, “O my God,” then you are using God’s name as filler word for when you’re excited. You’re taking the Lord’s name in vain. In order to repent of these sins, you have to begin living in God’s presence. You’re a Christian. Don’t ruin your good name.
Second, be aware of mindless prayers. Be careful when you pray, not to say “Lord” “Father” or “God” on repeat (Matt 6:7). It’s one thing to begin each request with “Lord” if it’s deliberate. But many times, we pray like “Holy father, we thank you father for being a good father. We pray father for you to help the church, father. Jesus, father, thank you for dying for our sins, father. Amen.” When you pray without thinking, you’re proving the Lord’s name is empty to you. Be careful if you pray carelessly.
Finally, be careful with phrases like “God told me to do this.” Did He really? Or do you just feel strongly about it? It’s easy to stir up the troops at church with “God wants us to buy this piece of property because this door opened.” But it’s harder to just be honest, “we’ve been praying about this purchase for months, and it looks like we have an offer that fits. I recommend we buy this piece of property in faith.” Beware of language that says, “the Lord told me to do this.” This is false prophecy. God isn’t writing more Bible, but He does still answer prayer and work in the world. A wise Christian waits until the event is in the past until saying what God did (but even then, you need to be careful and speak of decrees and will).
Conclusion
Don’t ruin your good name. God has said you are His children, that He has saved you from your sins. When you run head-long into sin, you are living like God’s salvation didn’t take. So, run to God your savior and live in His presence. Live like you’re in God’s family.