The Website home of Karl Bullock

January 2024

Exodus 20:7: "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain..."

Everyone who knows the Ten Commandments knows this one because it's really short. At this point in the Commandments, God has:

1. Established Who God was "I AM".
2. Stay away from idols "NO other gods [small 'g'] before me."

Now, He wants us to be aware of just how holy, unique, and singular He is. Now, most people focus on using His name in conversation, particularly using His name in an expletive, and that is not only a valid argument, but an important one. He cannot be special to us if we use His name casually, or more importantly, in a profane way. This is probably the most immediate and visible way we violate the Third Commandment. However, there is a much deeper meaning that we violate more often than we do the previous example. The key is in understanding how we, as believers, relate to God, but also in the meaning of the word "take".

In Verse 7, the Hebrew word for "take" is to bear, or to accept, or to receive, or to wear. When you consider these definitions, this Commandment takes on a completely different, and much more personal meaning. When we surrender to Christ, the Holy Spirit takes residence in our hearts, and works through the process of sanctification to bring us closer to who God wants us to be. Inherit in that relationship is the showing of the 'fruits of the Spirit' spoken of in Galations 5.

But what happens when the fruits we bear don't point to God, but are fruits of the flesh and, ultimately, point to sinful behavior or traits. What if our thoughts, which ultimately affect our actions, are similarly not fruits of the Spirit. These kinds of traits can happen multiple times a day in our actions, our expressions, our words, and are definitely not the traits the Holy Spirit is guiding.

It is in these cases we violate the Third Commandment. If we are to 'wear' the name of the LORD (a better substitution than the word 'take' translated by the Anglicans translated in the King James version of the Bible), then when we show Godly traits, we are doing so in obedience to the Third Commandment. However, when we show worldly, fleshly, or sometimes even satanic traits (and swearing using God's name would certainly fit in this category), we are violating the Second Commandment by "wearing the name of the LORD in vain".

So, not only are commanded to not use God's name in vain, but we are commanded not to wear God's name in vain. When you consider this, the Second Commandment hits home with every action, thought, and word we show - even if no one else is looking!