Misusing the Name

Misusing the Name
Words of Faith 12-15-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 20
[7] "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

The third commandment of concerns the Lord's name. In Biblical thought, a name is closely attached to the character and essence of a person. It was a profound moment when God revealed His Name to Moses at the burning bush. His name is Yahweh which means "I AM" or "ever-existing one."
It should be no surprise that the Name of the infinite God has a variety of forms, which reflect different aspects of His nature. The name of God is a personal disclosure and reveals His relationship with His people. His name is known only because He chooses to make it known. Even though He was mysterious, lofty, and unapproachable, He bridged the gap with humankind by revealing His name.
The Lord forbids the misuse of His name and declares that those who do so will not be held guiltless. This is no small deal for the Lord God. We cannot assume that this common vulgarity will be overlooked. To take or use the Lord's name in "vain" means with "emptiness," disrespect, or lacking substance or worth. In other words, the name of the Lord is a precious trust and should be honored and protected.
The Israelites were not to use His name for idle, frivolous, or insincere purposes. This would include speaking His name when taking an oath with no intention of keeping it (Lev. 19:12). People should not use His name for selfish or evil purposes, or to usurp His authority. This would include using the name of the Lord to "curse" or "damn" another person.
Of course, obvious misuses of the Lord's name quickly come to mind. We can think of those who speak with a foul mouth or with a casual mouth using the Lord's name in either selfishness or emptiness. Religious people often become very upset about the misuse of the Lord's name in the media. We often miss that there may be many misuses of the Lord's name within the realm of religion or the popular Christian culture.
For example, when one wields the name of the Lord as a way of asserting personal authority or power, there is frightening vanity in this. When one uses the name of the Lord to gain access to privilege or commerce, there is a misuse. When the name of the Lord is used for personal gain or to promise something that cannot be promised, there is misuse. When one uses the name of the Lord to "claim" a magical sort of authority over a situation, there is misuse.
What do we do with this command in a culture filled with vanity and emptiness related to the name of the Lord? Are we called to become "verbal police," wincing and cringing at every misuse of our Lord's name by those around us? Is this a more holy life? Will this win people to Christ? Probably not. Most people who misuse the name of the Lord do so in ignorance.
We can be salt and light by making every effort to watch carefully our own misuse and honor the name of the Lord in every way we can. We can also take care not to buy into the religious misuse of the Lord's name.
How are you doing with the Lord's name? Is His name more and more precious to you every day?

Father God, I give thanks for the precious trust of Your name that You have given to Your people. Help me to see the ways that I misuse Your name. Show me the ways to honor and lift high Your name. Help me to be salt and light in a world that needs to hear and know the power of Your name, not its empty misuse. I praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.