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Monday, July 20, 2009

Shall not take the Lord's name in vain

The 3rd commandment; You shall not take the Lord's name in vain. Most people who interpret this commandment as not swearing and saying "God" in a "bad" way. This would apply to sayings such as "Oh my God" or "Jesus Christ" often said in frustration or swearing. Sometimes the word God is used when taking oaths, for example "I swear to God!". Although I agree that these usages are indeed taking the Lord's name in vain, I do think the commandment calls for much, much more.

In Exodus 39:30 the priests were given a crown with the inscription "Holy to the Lord". Imagine walking around with the something like that on your forehead all day! You would essentially be claiming to be a servant of God. You would be in a sense "representing God's name". If that's the case, everything you say, everything you do, even everything you think about, you do in God's name.

You shall not take the Lord's name in vain. Do your actions, speech, and thoughts defile God's name?

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