In Exo 20:7 of the KJV, regarding the third commandment,
God commands us not to take His name in vain. In the New
International Version, which I will mainly use for this sermon, He says:
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD (Adonai)
your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses
his name.
The CJB uses the words "use lightly" instead of "misuse."
In Deu 5:11 He repeats His command again:
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for
the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
The KJV, as I said, states: "You shall not take the name
of the Lord your God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless
that takes his name in vain."
What does the third commandment really mean? Does this
commandment simply tell us not to use God's name in any way that dishonors
Him? And what does the KJV mean by 'in vain?' Is this swearing?
Today I want to discuss the third commandment and
swearing.
There are 2 kinds of swearing.
Most people agree that Exo 20:7 and Deu 5:11 prohibit
swearing. But in Lev 19:12 we are admonished not to swear falsely.
Lev 19:12 "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so
profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."
So can we swear truthfully? With two kinds of swearing,
what can we do and what can we not do?
The Old testament describes the two kinds of swearing: One
is taking God's name in vain and the other is making an oath or vow,
either with or without the use of God's name. The Hebrew uses different
words to differentiate the two uses of the word 'swear'. The word for
taking an oath, like a vow, is Aw-law', H423 from H422. It may or may not
be taken against God's name. There are several words for making a curse or
invoking an evil on someone.
The New Testament (NT) shows only one word for swearing.
It is om-noo'-o or om-o'-o, G3660, and from what I can determine, it
only pertains to taking an oath. Most Bible Commentaries, however,
disagree. They feel that in the NT, 'swear' means taking God's name in
vain. We'll get into that later.
There is a relation between the two types of swearing as
used in the Old Testament (OT). If you take a vow by God's name with no
intention of keeping it, you are obviously taking God's name in vain. Take
for instance the verse I just read :
Lev 19:12 "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so
profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
To more fully help us understand what God means by
'profane the name of your God,' let's look at some more OT examples of
profaning God's name:
In Lev 21 and 22, God insists we not profane His name.
Let’s look at these verses.
Lev 21:6 They must be holy to their God and must not
profane the name of their God,...they are to be holy. ["Profane" is from
H2490, chalal, to defile someone or something.]
Lev 22:32 Do not profane (same word, H2490) my holy
name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD,
who makes you holy
In other words, do not defile or lessen God’s name by
anything we do or say.
Jer 23:10 (KJV) The land is full of adulterers; because
of swearing (H423, aw-law’, taking an oath or vow) the land
mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up and their
course is evil, and their force is not right. [They apparently did not
keep their word after taking an oath to do so.]
Hosea 4:2 There is only cursing (H422) ( the CJB uses
the more accurate word "swearing" implying perjury), lying and murder,
stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows
bloodshed. [Is this referring to events today?]
Prohibitions of cursing, calling for or foretelling
miseries against someone or something, is specified in Ex 21:17, in Ex
22:28, and in Lev 19:14. Let’s take a moment to read these three verses.
As we read them, notice how the same Hebrew word, qalal, is translated
into both revile and curse.
(Exo 21:17 NKJV) "And he who curses (reviles, H7043,
qalal) his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
(Exo 22:28 NKJV) "You shall not revile (H7043, qalal)
God, nor curse (bitterly curse, H779, Arar) a ruler of your people.
[Does this include the President?]
(Lev 19:14 NKJV) 'You shall not curse (H7043, qalal) the
deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your
God: I am the LORD.
In Psa 139:20 David says:
They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries
misuse your name.
As we shall see, this verse does condemn those who
break the third commandment.
Isa 52:5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the
LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who
rule them mock, " declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is
constantly blasphemed" (or insulted) H5006, Na-ats meaning to blaspheme.
(We'll talk about blaspheming later.)
What about the New Testament?
As I mentioned earlier, the NT only uses the word
om-noo'-o, G3660. From its usage, I think you will agree with me that its
meaning is to take an oath.
Let me give you some the scriptures in the NT which
contain the word 'swear' (om-noo'-o): Keep in mind these all
have the same meaning of the word 'swear', which is, to make a vow
or oath.
Mat 5:33-37 "Again , you have heard that it was said to
the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath (G1964 commit perjury), but
keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' {34} But I tell you, Do not
swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; {35} or by the
earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the Great King. {36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make
even one hair white or black. {37} Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and
your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
This is talking about taking an oath to speak honestly or
do something, but limiting your response to yes or no is a good habit
anyway - keeps you from adding words that can get you in trouble.
In Mat 23:16-22, we see another example of how the
Pharisees, the forerunners of today’s Rabbis, attempted to change God’s
laws to their laws.
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by
the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the
temple, he is bound by his oath.' {17} You blind fools! Which is
greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? {18} You
also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if
anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' {19} You
blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift
sacred? {20} Therefore , he who swears by the altar swears by it and by
everything on it. {21} And he who swears by the temple swears by it and
by the one who dwells in it. {22} And he who swears by heaven swears by
God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
In Mat 26, starting with verse 69, Peter denies Christ
three times. In verse 74 Peter swears that he doesn't know Christ, which
brings down curses on himself.
Mat 26:74 Then he began to call down curses on himself
and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster
crowed.
Mat 26:74 in the KJV says:
But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not
this man of whom you speak.
But this is a mistranslation. He called down curses on
himself by denying Christ and swore that what he said, i.e. his denial,
was true.
Mark 14:71 repeats Mat. 26:74 which we just read:
He (Peter) began to call down curses on himself, and he
swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."
In Mark 6:23, King Herod swore to give the maid almost
anything she asked.
And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I
will give you, up to half my kingdom."
Acts 2:30. But he was a prophet and knew that God had
promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his
throne. (Christ)
This verse is talking about David.
Heb 3:11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall
never enter my rest.'"
This verse is a quote from God to Moses and Psa 95:11,
talking about the Israelites in the desert.
Heb 3:18 And to whom did God swear that they would never
enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed ?
Heb 6:13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since
there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
Did God here break His own Commandment by taking His name
in vain? Impossible! God cannot sin!
Heb 6:16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves,
and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
Heb 7:21 but he (Christ) became a priest with an oath
when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:
'You are a priest forever.'" (Melchizedek)
James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by
heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your
"No," no, or you will be condemned.
This is the most quoted of NT scriptures allegedly
prohibiting swearing.
But this does not tell us that James is here talking about
profanity. He is talking about taking an oath to affirm something or
other. How do you take God's name 'by earth or anything else'? But one
might say 'Yes, and I will give you my car if I don't do whatever.' James
says don't do that. A Christian’s word should be dependable and true
without any need to take an oath or affirmation or swear by anything. A
simple "yes" or "no" will do.
Rev 10:6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and
ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all
that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will
be no more delay!"
There are several occasions of the word 'curse' in the NT,
but they refer to 'speaking evil of' something.
I have found nothing in the NT that talks about swearing
(making a vow) being a violation of the third commandment. The use of
'swear' in the NT seems to be limited to an oath or promise. However, it
appears to me that if you break an oath taken on God's name, you are
guilty of breaking the third commandment by lessening God’s name. And
certainly, the fact that the NT does not seem to specifically condemn
taking God's name in vain does not invalidate the third or any other
commandment. Let me repeat: The fact that the NT does not seem to
specifically condemn taking God's name in vain does not invalidate the
third or any other commandment. Christ confirmed that OT law is still
in effect.
(Mat 5:17 NKJV) "Do not think that I came to destroy the
Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
There are other NT scriptures which talk about cursing God
but here the KJV uses the word 'blasphemed', G988, blasphemia. What does
blashemia mean? It means speech injurious to another’s good name. Let's
look at some examples:
Mat 12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy
will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be
forgiven.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander
(blasphemies in KJV).
Mark 2:5-7 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, "Son , your sins are forgiven." {6} Now some teachers of the
law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, {7} "Why does this
fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God
alone?"
Is blasphemy equating God with man? Does the third
commandment, then, mean that we must not say anything which says God is
anything less than omnipotent? If God is omnipotent and jealous, don't we
break the third commandment by saying His name without a deep sense of
reverence and respect?
Mark 3:28-30 I tell you the truth, all the sins and
blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. {29} But whoever blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an
eternal sin." {30} He said this because they were saying, "He has an
evil spirit." (They were criticizing the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ.)
Doesn't this verse also prove that the Holy Spirit is not
a separate member of the God Family? Christ was pointing out that He was
influenced by the Holy Spirit tho' it was Christ who was doing the
talking. As we see here, blasphemy can be compared to criticism,
slander, and speech injurious to another’s good name.
Luke 22:63-65 The men who were guarding Jesus began
mocking and beating him. {64} They blindfolded him and demanded,
"Prophesy! Who hit you?" {65} And they said many other insulting
(blasphemous in KJV) things to him.
John 10:33-36 "We are not stoning you for any of these,"
replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to
be God." {34} Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I
have said you are gods' ? [Psa 82:6] {35} If he called them 'gods,' to
whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- {36}
what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent
into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said,
'I am God's Son'?
(Psa 82:6 NKJV) I said, "You are gods, And all of you
are children of the Most High.
(1 John 3:1-2 NKJV) Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. {2}
Beloved, now we are children of God; . . .
Blasphemy, then, is also equating yourself to God. That is
either claiming you are more than you are, or claiming God is no better
than a mere human.....or less if He doesn't exist! People who claim that
God doesn't exist are blaspheming God!....and teaching it to our school
children.
Acts 6:9-13 Opposition arose, however, from members of
the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and
Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began
to argue with Stephen, {10} but they could not stand up against his
wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. {11} Then they secretly persuaded
some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against
Moses and against God." {12} So they stirred up the people and the
elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him
before the Sanhedrin. {13} They produced false witnesses, who testified,
"This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against
the law.
2 Tim 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times
in the last days. {2} People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, boastful, blasphemers (in the KJV), disobedient to their
parents, ungrateful, unholy, {3} without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, {4} treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- {5}
having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do
with them.
These sound like the planks in a liberal party platform.
Titus 2:2-5 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy
of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in
endurance. {3} Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way
they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach
what is good. {4} Then they can train the younger women to love their
husbands and children, {5} to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at
home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no
one will malign (blaspheme in the KJV) the word of God.
Rev 16:9 They were seared by the intense heat and
they cursed (blasphemed in KJV) the name of God, who had
control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
Rev 16:11
and cursed (blasphemed in the KJV) the God of heaven
because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of
what they had done.
Now, let's look at OT Examples of Blasphemy
As we just read, there are quite a few NT references to
the word 'blaspheme', meaning 'to disrespect or slander another’s name by
injurious speech'. In the OT 'blaspheme' does not always mean 'to
disrespect God'. But let me give you a few OT examples where it does:
Lev 24:16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD
must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an
alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to
death.
In 2 Sam 12:14, David is told that the enemies of God will
speak critically of Him.
But because by doing this you have made the enemies of
the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." (His son
bore the penalty...He died.)
1 Ki 21:13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him
and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth
has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and
stoned him to death.
This is the penalty for cursing God (blaspheming).
Psa 74:10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will
the foe revile (blaspheme in KJV) your name forever?
But God is love and is extremely patient.
Psa 74:18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD,
how foolish people have reviled (blasphemed in KJV) your name.
Isa 37:23 Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
Isa 52:5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the
LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who
rule them mock, " declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is
constantly blasphemed.
But notice verse 6.
Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they
shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.'"
God’s people praise God and His power.
Ezek 35:12-15 Then you will know that I the LORD have
heard all the contemptible things (blasphemies in KJV, H5007, ne’atsah)
you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, "They have been
laid waste and have been given over to us to devour." {13} You boasted
against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. {14}
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: While the whole earth rejoices, I
will make you desolate. {15} Because you rejoiced when the inheritance
of the house of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you.
You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will
know that I am the LORD.'"
These verses are directed at Edomites who, I believe, are
the so-called Palestinians. And there can be no doubt that these people
constantly blaspheme the God of Israel. Mountains are symbolic of
government. Blasphemies against God are a violation of the third
commandment. As I said before, if we use God's name in a manner which does
not praise or honor Him, we are taking His name in vain.
Lev 24:10-15 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an
Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in
the camp between him and an Israelite. {11} The son of the Israelite
woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses.
(His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)
{12} They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made
clear to them. {13} Then the LORD said to Moses: {14} "Take the
blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their
hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. {15} Say to
the Israelites: 'If anyone curses (H7043, Qalal) his God, he will be
held responsible;
But what about euphemisms?
Back to the third commandment. God says not to misuse His
name by using it in vain or using it lightly. Can we then make substitutes
for His name to use in vain? When someone refers to Bayne Wedwell, is
there any doubt that they are referring to me?
Euphemism is defined as the use of a mild or vague or
periphrastic expression that is less expressive or direct but considered
less distasteful or less offensive than another. My sources are: The Faber
Dictionary of Euphemisms and Webster's New World Dictionary. I want to
give you a list of euphemisms that are commonly used by the world but
which should not be used by Christians trying to obey the third
commandment. Some are too repugnant and you will have to figure those out
for yourselves. Instead of using the word "God," I will try to use the
expression "G_d," as used by Judaism.
Gosh G_d
Oh my gosh or Oh my God Oh my G_d - a very common
expression today.
It is used everywhere. Will God be listening to the
constant users of this term when they really need Him?
Golly, Gad G_d
Gosh awful G_d awful
Gee, Gee whiz, Gee Willikers Jesus
Jeepers Creepers Jesus Christ
Jimminy Cricket or other JC expressions Jesus Christ
Criminy, Cripes Christ
Dog Gone GD
Great Scott Good G_d
Goodness Sakes Good G_d
Good Grief Good G_d
Gracious (used as an exclamation) Good G_d
By jingo By Jesus
Judas, also Judas Priest Jesus
Jumping Jehosaphat Refers to Jezebel
Deuce Satan
Darn, dang Damn
Heck Hell
Sam Hill Hell
A blankety blank You fill in the blanks.
Suffering cats Suffering Christ
Son of a gun Actually a British naval term. Not a bad
term.
I think that's enough of that. These are euphemisms that
specifically break the third commandment because they misuse God’s name or
use it lightly. There are hundreds of euphemisms around, many sexual in
nature, which Christians should not use either.
Col 3:8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such
things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy
language from your lips.
But, you may say, what about using only part of the
obscenity? For instance, what about the word damn, or darn to use the
euphemism. If you know the full obscenity, is there any doubt what the
partial obscenity refers to? If God is offended by blasphemy, won't He be
offended by partial obscenities?
In the 1939 film classic "Gone with the Wind," Clark Gable
stated the line "Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn." That was the
first time these words were used in a movie and it was considered
shocking. Today, seventy years later, these and much more shocking words
are used in movies and on TV. In fact, in 2005, this quotation was voted
the number one movie line of all time by the American Film Institute.
Since 1968, films are not judged by whether their language conforms to
God’s word and the mores of society, but rather by rating them according
to the recommended minimum age of the viewers. Man has replaced God’s laws
by man’s laws. Have we replaced God’s laws by man’s laws too?
Final thoughts:
If you think this sermon stretches the point, let me give
you a few things to think about:
1 Cor 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your
freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
A word is wrong to use if it might be a stumbling block
for others who do not associate it with real Christians. There are many
crude words in common usage which should not be used by real Christians.
We all need to avoid hearing or even reading these words as much as
possible.
And finally:
1 Thes 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Brethren, the world is crumbling around us. We have all
grown used to having the government, including the military, there to
protect and support us when necessary. The time is rapidly approaching
when neither will be able to help us. We see this happening today in New
Orleans and other areas of recent destruction. The pride we have always
had in our country may soon turn to shame and sorrow. The government upon
which we depend, may in fact, even become our enemy. If we are to survive,
we will have to become totally dependant upon God. Let's not offend God by
our careless or emotional speech. Words which might impress the world do
not impress God.
Brethren, let's keep the third commandment as God
intended.