The Name
The Name
“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
Our tongues often get us into trouble with each other. We speak too soon or speak without thinking about who is listening. We argue about inconsequential things or care too much about something that has little or no eternal value. We gossip, slander, speak rudely or just plain work at irritating some rival like siblings fighting for Mom’s attention.
Sometimes I have even heard Christians who know better fall into old patterns of swearing if they get angry enough. We know in our hearts as well as our minds that we should not be doing these things. They do not honor our LORD or our brothers and sisters in the Lord when we speak to them in these ways.
But, another place our human tongues get us into trouble is with the way we handle the name of the Lord. Because most of the world around us has no respect for the Name of the Lord we forget that we have been specifically commanded to honor it. Recently I have been in settings – sometimes with Christians, sometimes not — where I have heard the following: “Oh my God”, “O lordy”, “for Christ’s sake”, (with disgust) “Jesus”, “God’ll get you for that”, and similar expressions of surprise, disgust, or disbelief. You would never know that one of the Ten Commandments specifically addresses this issue.
The world seems to think that the Lord God is God of the Christians. The truth is that God is the creator and sustainer of all people and things and therefore God of the whole world. Whether a person is a believer or not they will face God at judgment and have to give an account for how they lived. There is even a verse that tells us that we are defiled by what comes out of our mouths. (Matthew 15:11). Just because someone does not believe in Christ does not mean that He is not the One they will face at judgment. Sadly, He is the One who will say, “I never knew you, depart from Me.” (Matthew 7:23)
As I searched the scriptures for God’s teaching about how His name should be used I found a lot of instructions. Clearly He wants us to use His Name to speak about Him and to Him. He expects us to find our help in His name (Psalm 124:8), He wants us to give His name glory because of His steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 115:1). He wants us to thank Him by praising His name (Psalm 7:17) and trust in his Name (Psalm 20:7). David instructs us to worship the Lord by ascribing glory to His name (Psalm 29:2).
This was also interesting. David wanted God to forgive his sin – not so David could feel better about it – but for the glory of God’s name. Our sin brings dishonor to the name of the Lord. How often have we heard others say that if Christians act this way or that then I don’t want that. He created each one of us, to sin against Him is to defame His name. Psalm 25:11, For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Psalm 74:18 tells something of what God thinks of those who revile His Name, “Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.” Foolish people revile His Name. The same fool says it doesn’t matter how He uses the Name of God because there is no God. Psalm 14:1a, The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
What I have decided about how to use the Lord’s Name is that if we are not speaking to Him in prayer, praise or supplication or pointing someone else to His attributes or work in our own lives, testifying to His steadfast love and faithfulness, then we just shouldn’t drag His name into our conversations. Rarely in exclamation or disgust are we really crying out for Him to hear us.
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens,” Psalm 8:1. Let’s just praise His holy Name!
(I have written on this subject before with a little different emphasis. Take a look at it here: http://www.bethbingaman.com/ost-oh-stop-that )