Our pastor is on vacation this week,
and I was invited to speak today.
REFLECTION FOR SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 22, 2020
OPEN PRAIRIE UCC
(click the triangle above to listen)
I’m going to talk about one of the Ten Commandments today.
…but to give you some background first, the Commandments are listed in two different places in the book of Exodus, and the story is:
- Moses freed the slaves from the Egypt,
- He led them across the desert to Mount Sinai,
- he went up the mountain alone, where he met God,
- and he came back down with two tablets
that we call “The Ten Commandments”.
By the way, let me just say something about those two tablets.
If you ever saw the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, they showed Charlton Heston holding two large stone tablets, with five commandments on one tablet, and five commandments on the other tablet.
But it wouldn’t have been like that.
In the Ancient Near East, they didn’t write things that way. When two people came together to make an agreement, or a contract, or a covenant (which is what they called it back then), they would write two exact copies of the same contract. That way, one person would have a copy, and the other person could keep a copy, too. That’s just how they did it back then.
(Moses brought both copies back down because God didn’t really need a copy, right?) I thought that was interesting. Anyway…
The commandment I want to talk about today is this one:
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
Exodus 20:7
At first, I thought this commandment was about using a certain kind of profanity. I was raised in a family that didn’t swear, or curse, or use vulgar language. No “four-letter words”.
Some people try to replace offensive words with alternates that aren’t as shocking. I used to work next to a Christian girl who was always using the word frickin’ instead of the other F-word. If I said, “I can’t wait for this frickin’ day to be over”, is it really the f-word that’s the problem? I mean, does using a different label make it mean anything different?
It’s what’s on the inside that’s generating the thought.
If God is hearing us, I think he hears what’s on the inside.
But the commandment isn’t about that kind of profanity,
and I don’t think it’s about expressing negative thoughts, either.
It’s about TAKING GOD’s NAME IN VAIN.
What does it mean to take God’s name in vain?
I was taught that it meant using words that were related to God. Like if you hit your thumb with a hammer, whatever comes out of your mouth shouldn’t have “God” or “Jesus” or “The Holy Spirit” in it, in any form.
That’s what I thought it was about.
You know, some of the other commandments have had more discussion. It seems like less attention has been given to this one. Should we assume it’s because everyone already knows what it means?
Is it too obvious?
Or too trivial?
Well, let’s think about that for a moment…
I was taught that we obey this commandment by not using words or phrases that have “God” or “Jesus” or the “Holy Spirit” in them, unless they are used appropriately.
(for example, I just said all three of those words in the previous sentence, but not “in vain”)
At the other end of the spectrum, I have a relative who uses the “GD” phrase constantly. I’m so sensitive to it, I don’t even want to say it. Unless I say it differently…
Gosh Darn!
He uses this phrase so often that it’s lost its meaning.
I don’t think he even realizes what he’s saying any more.
With that in mind, do you think that God’s ears prick up when he hears these words?
Does He react every time someone uses a phrase like that?
I don’t think so.
Every time someone says, “Jesus H. Christ”,
do you imagine that Jesus is really alerted?
“Is someone calling me?”
“Does someone need me?”
I don’t think so.
What I’m leading up to, is this:
If it’s important enough to be a Top Ten Commandment, it has to be about something more than word choices, don’t you think?
Well, I began to wonder if the commandment was REALLY about the times we try to call on God to use his power for our own selfish reasons. People using the “GD” phrase a dozen times in a day would pale in comparison to even one person who really wants someone to be damned. Imagine someone sincerely asking for someone else to be damned. That would truly be using God’s name in a harmful way.
Do God’s ears prick up when someone calls on him for something like that?
If so, even some of our own prayers could be suspect.
Are we just trying to use God’s power to get something we want?
Well, I trust that God knows the difference in those situations, too.
I don’t believe He’s easily fooled by what people say.
He’s wise enough to know what people are really asking for.
Maybe the commandment is not about words at all.
I think the key to understanding this commandment is in how we interpret the phrase “take the name”.
Here it is again:
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…
Exodus 20:7
I’m not going to get too technical, but the Hebrew word that’s been translated as “take the name” really means “to lift up” or “to bear”.
( nasah H5375, pronounced naw-saw’)
Does it make a difference to say,
“You shall not BEAR THE NAME of God in vain”?
Perhaps “Bearing His Name” has a different meaning.
The book of Deuteronomy has a reference that seems related:
The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD…
Deuteronomy 28:9
So, that one uses “called by the name” instead of “bearing the name”.
In another example from the Old Testament, when the high priest entered the holy part of the temple, he wore a vest with the emblems of all twelve tribes of Israel on it. The priest is bearing the names of the twelve tribes. When he enters the temple he’s not acting alone, he’s representing all of the people in Israel.
Aren’t I Bearing the Name of God when I call myself a Christian?
Do I “lift up” the name of Jesus by announcing that I follow His way?
So, my understanding of this commandment has changed recently.
I’m beginning to think it has more to do with my presence in the world as one of God’s people, than it has to do with vocabulary choices.
I remember having a personal struggle with this concept back when I was about to show my paintings in our local art gallery. It was my first public art exhibit, and it was a collection of paintings that were all based on scripture. Each painting had a bible verse printed underneath it. As it got closer and closer to the Opening Reception, I was getting more and more nervous about it.
I was proud of the paintings,
and I wanted to share them with people,
and I was feeling good about having my first exhibition,
but something was bothering me.
My first thought was that I was nervous about Being In The Spotlight.
I’m sure stage fright was part of it, but it felt like something else was going on. I remember talking to Cyndi about it, and I gradually realized that I was nervous about being publicly “outed” as a Christian!
Does that sound strange?
I’m not embarrassed about being a Christian, but I was worried about the responsibility of bearing the name of Christianity.
Wouldn’t people expect me to “Be Christian” now?
I don’t always think or act in ways that I think a true Christian would.
I choose the selfish option over the spiritual one more than I’d like to admit.
But I think it’s what this commandment means to me.
I am taking the “Name of God” onto myself, and what I do in the world while bearing the name of God is important.
I believe that He takes that seriously,
and I want to take it seriously, too.
I don’t want to
Bear His Name
In Vain.
Thank You
-=-=-=-
CREDIT:
A book that got me thinking more about this subject is
“Bearing God’s Name”, by Carmen Joy Imes.
Thanks, Carmen! (write more, please!)