YOU SHALL NOT BLASPHEME THE NAME OF THE LORD.
Widespread usage of blasphemy dominates our culture.
“Gor blimey” = God blind me, a defiant plea to the One who gives us vision.
“Gosh” - a low grade slap in God’s face.
“Gee whiz” is a perversion of the name, most precious to God’s children, even Jesus.
“Crikey Charlie” links the Christ, Messiah, with a common Christian name.
Holy Spirit is often down-graded to “holy smoke”. Why should the Paraklete be ridiculed?
“O my god” was an often, irritating exclamation of a brother’s secretary, who knew not God.
Our dear Lord at Calvary, exclaimed, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?'
I am distressed that achievements in sport eg. a mark, a goal, and in cricket, a cover drive or a wicket is described as “wonderful”. It is a title of our exalted Lord, whose name shall be called wonderful .
I reserve that title for my beloved Lord.
“By Jove” , insults believers and Hebrew followers, who worship Jehovah, reducing their language to ‘Yah.’ We consider the compound names of Jehovah in this study.
God is jealous, safeguarding His name and character. Hence this command is high in the commandments . God cannot reasonably tolerate any substitutes, which would be colossal insults to his Deity. Who could confront His eternal Being and seek that his name would be dragged down when a fallen angel or exalted human being disputed with Him.
‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ Exodus 20;3 . Our Christ-rejecting culture offers numerous substitutes for worship and following the living God. We must be awakened; for many of his children are not alert to this understated, satanic persuasion.
In Exodus 23, God detailed the three annual feasts for the children of Israel. Then he promised the Angel of His Presence to accompany them through their 40 years of desert wandering. He then forewarns them to avoid the subtle temptation of the nations’ idolatry, occupying their promised land. ‘For My Angel will go before you and bring you into the nations who are without God. ‘You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works, but you shall utterly overthrow them, and completely break down their sacred pillars.’
Then follows the comforting word ‘So shall you serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and water (He will meet the normal appetites of life) and then the surprising medical promise that ‘I will take sickness away from the midst of you.’ one of God’s mighty promises.
Chuck Swindoll told how his regiment in Okinawa had 93% with sexually-transmitted-disease.
God preserves holy marriage participants from numerous diseases, pathological and psychological. This promise applies today!
The Ten commandments of Exodus are repeated in Leviticus 26:1, so great is God’s highlighting.
Man pathetically attempts to mimic the almighty One in even attempting to produce a living creature. Cloning in our generation is the ultimate, where man abrogates God’s unique creative wonder and, manipulates (his laboratory finesse) the living being to reproduce one of his own. It is the ultimate falsification in our enlightened generation. Man misappropriates the glory which belongs to the only wise God and Father of our Lord Jesus. I was privileged at the conclusion of delivering each child (and with their consent) to thank the Giver of life for this miraculous expression of intimate love of husband and wife. No couple denied me the right of blessing the Lord, even when insensitive of their need of a Savior. No wonder God is furious with his creature for aspiring to rob his Lord of the creation glory. His Word simply states the truth, ‘You shall not make idols to yourselves, neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves. Nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for a holy purpose, for I AM the Lord your God.’
Joshua 23:7, ‘Lest you go among these nations, those who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the names of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them, you shall not serve them nor bow down to them. ‘
‘You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain, for the Lord shall not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain‘. Exodus 20: 7. Our God-given intelligent esteem of His name and tongue to clearly pronounce it. Strong describes ‘in vain’ as emptiness, nothingness and worthlessness. It attempts to wipe the Lord off the map - to reduce Him to ashes, when he is Sovereign. To be guiltless, is to be innocent, acquitted and unpunished. The Judge remains in control, regardless of the discourtesy to His holy name. I am horrified when television characters ( mostly women ) dare to speak defiantly ‘Oh , my God.’ They do not know this living God, His character and justice, nor would they audaciously take His holy name in vain (so lightly). The judgment at the Great white throne will expose their brazen devaluation. A dear brother told of a personal secretary who persisted in ‘O my god’ even as a perfect stranger to a loving Savior.
The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Speak unto Aaron, (high priest) and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane my holy Name in these things which they sanctify to Me: I AM the Lord.’ Leviticus 22;2 Observe the authoritative ‘I Am the Lord.’ and how the Lord shields His holy Name. We are obliged to do so. To profane is ‘to pollute, wound, pierce, slay or to desecrate’ , which are elements of his crucifixion sufferings. ( Strong ) Hidden beyond the pollution of His royal name is a desire to recrucify the Eternal One. Watch their language: vigorously remonstrate.
Deuteronomy 28 is a most important chapter on personal obedience or disobedience to the living God. Understandably the 58 th verse reads, ‘if you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear His glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD.' ( Holy Scripture accents this truth). 'Then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues - great and prolonged plagues - and serious and prolonged sicknesses.' His fear ( Strong’s ) is to be terrified, to dread, to revere or to be awe-struck, which contrasts with the flimsy, light depreciation of this bible term. Mexico introduced abortion, when funded by USA two years ago and now has been visited with the Swine flu. When the Pope has visited nations, judgments of famine, floods or epidemics have followed. We barely discern this element in current teaching - while it is not understood by many regular churchgoers.
How the Lord yearns that His holy name will be treasured and valued greatly. Isaiah 29:23 records, ‘The Lord redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale, but when he sees his children, the work of My hands in his midst, they will hallow My name, and hallow the HOLY ONE OF JACOB and fear the God of ISRAEL. Strong’s Concordance records to ‘hallow’ is to sanctify, dedicate, consecrate, separate, regarding God’s jealous preservation of His own beloved Name.
Our God is immortal, ruling eternally. He is not to be trampled in the dust, for He is raised to the highest position in His universe. When men blaspheme or curse His royal Name, they debase the Lord of glory, dragging dust towards their Sovereign Lord. The Lord makes a home in heaven for all who have a meek and penitent nature, whom the world mocks and scorns in recognition of them. Listen as their language exposes their nature.
‘For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him who has a contrite and humble spirit.‘ Isaiah 57;15
God cherishes His holy Name, holding it aloof from normal usage associated with the passing world. Strong‘s concordance defines ‘sanctify’ as to hallow, dedicate, consecrate and sanctify. God’s word dignifies His Holy name. Our heavenly Father is distressed when men hear that royal name dragged down. They profane it and pollute the mind, seeking to destroy the nobility of the eternal One, or desecrate and pierce it as with an instrument.
The Lord cannot bypass the usage of the great “I AM” for it speaks of His eternal Jehovah character. When Africa saw Dr Livingstone, they revered him, but deeper still, they worshipped his God. In China, Dr Hudson Taylor went inland, setting up mission stations, while some cherished missionaries were slaughtered during the Boxer Rebellion, natives discerned the living God. Both continents today have seen the Holy Spirit’s startling activity. ‘The nations shall know’ is fulfilled in these movements of the Lord. China’s ‘heavenly man’ acknowledged Hudson Taylor.
Dr Ross Gaskin returned from Ghana a generation ago, where he had planted the word of God with other WEC missionaries. He was recently guest-speaker at the 40 th Celebration of now 283 churches, which was presided over by the nation’s president, inspiring many jubilant servants of the Lord. ‘The nations shall know’. ‘I will sanctify My great Name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I AM the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.’ Ezekiel 36:23
Note the following verses, where the Lord’s name has been highly esteemed, are some of the greatest in the entire bible. Verses 23-27 have been fulfilled in our life time. ‘I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land’. Then the promised Holy Spirit, fifty days after our Lord’s exalting, rising again - and the pure walk with the Lord, ‘Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols’. Then the earth-shattering promise, ‘I will give you a new heart and put new spirit among you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit with you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them; then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people and I shall be your God.’ Let’s qualify for such mind-boggling enrichment and overflowing blessing when we hallow the Lord’s name.
God’s name has endless quality - ‘for ever and ever’. Intellectual , spiritual wisdom and intuition emanate from His name. Cherish it jealously. God’s Name is linked with the uprising and the downfall of rulers. What changes we have observed over the last few decades in the rising and downfall of national leaders. Even the casual observer will discern that our Lord’s name is unassailable. Daniel treasured the Lord’s Name, a stockpile of heavenly wisdom assuring his accurate predictions. His prophecies are recorded for us more than 2500 years later. Daniel calmly faced solitude at night in the murky dungeon of a lion’s den where the Light of God’s name filled his being. Joseph also showed that the revered name of the Lord was linked with excellent wisdom that preserved Egypt as a nation . And other nations too. That could be your great need! Call on the exceptional Name of the Lord.
Prime Minister Daniel responded, ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. For wisdom and light are His; and He changes the times and the seasons: He removes kings and raises up kings, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those of understanding. He reveals deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:20
We thrive when we address the God of heaven. Prayer is our entitlement, though we may carelessly assume it. Casual prayer is insubordinate and unruly to the God of the universe.
The Holy Spirit reveals that we are to treasure the Name of our beloved God, Who became flesh when ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.’ 2 Corinthians 6.
These words fell from the lips of the Son of God early in His earthly ministry, as He yearned for disciples who would delight in the sanctity of the name of His Father - and our Father by His blood sacrifice. The Lord Jesus reveals the intimate oneness with the Father in heaven when He urged us to pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Your name.’ Matthew 6:9
Blasphemy bruises the heart of our God as His holy name is trampled on, as a brute tramples soil under its hooves. Practice calling on the Holy Name of the Lord under all circumstances.
I have disciplined my time to pray for 2 athletes, aspiring to represent their Lord in international sport, whenever I use the micro-wave. Actually I may have 1 to 3 minutes. My shower time is devoted to the Lord - over 30 years- for 2 former patients, who will soon broadcast into all Russia, China ( in several dialects ), Korea North/South, Japan, and the other nations of South East Asia. This comprises about one third of the world population: two billion. The Lord reminds me daily to pray. How holy is your Father’s Name to you?
The shower and lather remind me of the sheer holiness of His dear Name.
As humans we may give or withhold the glory due to our beloved Lord. Then follow the amazing linked truths relating to the voice of the Lord: which covers the waters: the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters; it is powerful and full of majesty; it breaks the cedars; it splinters the cedars of Lebanon ; it divides the flames of the fire; it shakes the wilderness; and makes the deer give birth: it strips the forest bare; and in His temple everyone says, Glory’. Vv 3-9 Such a foundation ascribes glory to the Lord - the conclusion is the unlimited honor, dignity, reverence due to his choice name. ‘Give unto the Lord glory due to His name.’ Psalm 29:2
This is preceded by ‘I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be continually in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear of it and be glad.’
Then the command to magnify the Lord. Fallen man demeans or reduces the stature of the living God, besmirching the life-giving name and robbing our dear Lord of His throne rights.
‘O magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together.’ Psalms 34:3
‘You shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of the Lord your God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:12
Cherish the precious Name of our living Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
COMPOUND NAMES OF JEHOVAH. Psalm 23 - many compound names are included.
1 Jehovah Raah John 10 The good Shepherd.
2 Jehovah Shalom Judges 6:24 He is our Peace.
Contrast verses 19-21 on anger.
3 Jehovah Jireh Genesis 22 the Lord will provide. Abraham offering his treasured son Isaac on the mount.
BY JOVE is blasphemy. How dare intruders usurp the exclusive name of our beloved God. Their rebellion withers his holy Name. Not head shrinking - rather God-deflating. Impudence!
4 Jehovah Rapha Healer Exodus 15:23-26 All healing is of God. eg. following childbirth, surgery and medical treatment.
5 Jehovah Tsidkenu the Lord our righteousness Jeremiah 23: 6 1 Corinthians 1;30
6 Jehovah shammah The Lord is there. Our Omnipresent Lord graces every hour.
7 El Shaddai the breasted One From whom intimate and sustaining life flow. Deity is signified in Godly womanhood as well as male-ness. He alone is the All sufficient One.
8 Jehovah Elohim I am that I Am.
Exodus 6:3 Psalm 83:18 Isaiah 12:2 26:4