Creator, Father, King #78

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? When it comes to the Lord God Almighty, plenty!

When God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, he instructed Israel to worship him alone and never to create idols—whether in an attempt to worship him or another false god. It’s easy to see why those two commandments top the list.

Then comes commandment number three: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7, ESV). Does its priority on the list of Ten Commandments surprise you? Why did God place it there, and what does it mean to take God’s name “in vain”?

What’s It Mean?

To take the Lord’s name “in vain” means to treat it disrespectfully, use it for a worthless purpose, or empty it of its true significance. Psalm 139:20 puts it bluntly: it is God’s “enemies” who “blaspheme” him and “misuse [his] name.”

When people say, “Oh, my God!” or “Jesus Christ!” as an expression of surprise, delight, or disgust, etc., this is an unfortunate example of taking it in vain. This brings to mind Leviticus 19:12: “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the LORD.”

But the third commandment goes deeper than offhand human expressions. God is holy—completely separate from sin and highly exalted above all creation—and his name is worthy to be praised. He graciously revealed his precious name of “Yahweh, I AM,” to ancient Israel—“This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations” (Exodus 3:15)—so that all might personally know him. Even today, “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

We are to glorify his name since it represents his nature and character. Recall that Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9, ESV, emphasis added).

To take the Lord’s name in vain means to make it futile or worthless—the exact opposite of God. Luke 6:45 says, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” If you misuse God’s name, it reveals a heart that thinks low, insulting thoughts of God. This is what the third commandment is driving at.

May this not be said of us! Instead, may we give his holy name the honor and adoration it deserves.

Now What?

Memorize Psalm 103:1: “Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.”

Did You Know?

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a person’s name represented who a person was, including the person’s characteristics, accomplishments, etc. To dishonor someone’s name was to dishonor the person.