One of America’s favorite Christmas TV movies is A Christmas Story. It is author Jean Shepherd’s humorous semi-fictional first person recounting of being a boy in the 1940s named Ralphie. His one great desire is for Santa Clause to bring him a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. However, every time he brings it up to his Mom and Dad, or even to Santa himself at the department store, they tersely reply, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” In one particular scene, Ralphie gets mad at his parents and blurts out an especially nasty word. The narrator says, “I can’t believe what just came out of mouth!” It cost Ralphie his dinner and got his mouth washed out with soap. (Do that now and a parent can be arrested for child abuse.)
Thankfully we’re not told what vulgarity Ralphie uttered. Probably it was a four letter one that, unfortunately, we hear all the time these days in movies and on TV shows (even in some supposedly geared to children). It seems that the use of obscene and vulgar language has risen exponentially in recent years. Even most Christians seem to be desensitized to the common use of words that used to be considered offensive.
Perhaps the most egregious obscenities are when people curse using the name of God. Because of that fact, and others, in this installment we will examine the Third Commandment:
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished (Lit. hold him guiltless) who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).
Most of us are familiar with that law from God. But we might ask just exactly what does it mean? Also, in what ways do people take the LORD’s (YAHWEH) name in vain? The Jews were (and still are) so concerned about violating this precept that they would not even say the divine name, even when reading Scripture. Instead, they would substitute the Hebrew word for LORD (Adonai). That’s why in most English translations of the Old Testament, where the name of God was in the original manuscript, it is rendered as LORD (all caps). That follows an ancient tradition started by the Jewish translators of the Greek Septuagint.
Christians need not be so legalistic in the way we talk about God. Nevertheless, in this part three of the Ten Commandment series, we will analyze how people violate this divine command, consider exactly what it means, and explore ways it should be applied by Christians (and others) today. Basically there are four ways people take the Lord’s name in vain. Let’s start with the most common way people misuse God’s name.
1. People take the Lord’s name in vain when they use it as a curse word.
There is an old saying: He curses like a sailor! Vulgar language is the normal way of expressing themselves for many people. I guess sailors have a reputation for using profanity a lot, though they are probably no more guilty of it than those in any other profession. In older generations it was considered unladylike for a woman to use bad language. Children were told not to use certain “dirty words” or “potty words.” Unfortunately, it no longer shocks us to hear men, women, or even children using obscene words.
One word that has lost all its sacredness in the common colloquialisms of Americans is “God.” It is commonplace to hear people habitually blurt out, “Oh my God!” for just about anything they get excited about. It is so common we don’t even notice it anymore. Many people abbreviate the phrase on social media with “OMG!” They even say “God d**n it” with such frequency that we no longer wince. And to shout out “Jesus Christ!” has become a normal way for expressing disapproval or surprise.
This demonstrates a complete lack of reverence for God’s or Jesus’ names. Obviously most people no longer consider God’s name as truly sacred.
To their credit, some people, however, still try to avoid using profanity. In 2012, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a Mormon, was kidded by the press for his use of the word “Golly” in his conversations. And remember how Clark Kent would say, “Golly Lois…” Gomer Pyle used to exclaim, “Gol…lee!” Coach Bobby Bowden was joked about because he used to say “Dad Gummit!” when he got frustrated. Sportscasters even used it when describing his reactions, “That play was so bad it got two ‘Dad Gummits’ from Coach Bowden.” Those kinds of phrases (golly, gosh, gosh darn, dang it, etc.) are called euphemisms. They are used by thoughtful people to replace offensive words, especially God’s name, in their speech. In any case, Christians should always avoid using profanity in their common language. We should strive to make our speech positive and pleasing to the Lord.
- Throughout Scripture wholesome speech is encouraged for the man or woman of God. Here are a few examples.
The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. (Proverbs 16:21) - Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. (Proverbs 19:1)
- Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:12)
- In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:7-8)
In Meredith Wilsson’s famous Broadway musical The Music Man, con man Harold Hill warns, “We got trouble right here in River City! Telltale signs a boy is on the road to perdition: Is he starting to memorize jokes from Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang? Are certain words creeping into his conversation? Words like ‘swell?’ And ‘so’s your old man?’ Well, if so my friends, ya got trouble, right here in River City!”
When was the last time you heard anyone call something “swell”? Kids today are not saying those things. Don’t you sort of wish they were? The point is, we should not profane God’s name as a curse word. It is indicative of irreverence to God, a lack of self-control, and, frankly, ignorance. If it is a habit, ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome it. But there is much more to the Third Commandment than just not using God’s name as a curse word,
2. People take the Lord’s name in vain when they use it as an expression of anger.
When I was in high school, our football team had a “cuss box” in the locker room. If a player got mad and started swearing, he would have to contribute 10 cents (this was in the 60s) each time he did so. Needless to say, some guys on the team contributed a lot of money to the box (or should have).
When people get mad or intoxicated, they often say things they don’t mean to (eg.; little Ralphie). They also say words they should not use, like God’s name. That’s one reason we should work to control our anger. The Apostle Paul admonished the Colossians to avoid angry outbursts that may engender profanity. It is also a good reason to stay sober (the best way of which is not to drink alcohol at all).
- But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)
- Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4:6)
- And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:18-19)
3. People take the Lord’s name in vain when they misuse it to deceive God’s people.
About 30 years ago, a popular healing preacher was caught on tape tricking people in his audience into thinking he could supernaturally discern and heal their illnesses. The tape was a surreptitious recording of the preacher’s wife feeding information by radio from previously submitted cards into a hidden ear piece he was wearing. He then would call out names and ailments as if the Spirit had miraculously told him who they were. His followers thought he was divinely inspired. He also had people planted in the audience with fake injuries which he would dramatically heal. He did it all claiming it was in the name of God and Jesus. Of course, he also gathered in large offerings which allowed he and his wife to live in luxury. Now that is truly taking the name of God in vain.
Using God to deceive people for money is despicable. Christians obviously should give to worthy ministries. But we should never take that for granted. Before we give to any cause, Christian or not, we should thoroughly check it out! Stewardship of God’s resources is an essential duty for all believers. One aspect of that principle is to be cautious about how we invest them. Some ministries simply do not warrant our support.
Read what Paul told the Romans:
“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” (Romans 16:17-18)
That being said, there is one more way this commandment has relevance to people’s moral behavior.
4. People take the Lord’s name in vain when they do not tell the truth.
An especially egregious way people abuse God’s name is when they lie, especially under oath. In a court room people often put their hand on a Bible as a symbol of God’s justice and say, “I swear to tell the truth so help me God…” It never ceases to amaze me how easily some people can lie. This is demonstrated every day on the TV court shows like Judge Judy or The People’s Court. A litigant comes in and tells her side of a story which is in direct contradiction to her opponent’s version. What that means, of course, is that at least one of them is lying under oath (maybe both). The fact is, though, if someone tells even one lie, his or her credibility is marred forever.
As Paul told the Colossians:
“Do not lie (lit. stop lying) to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices.” (Colossians 3:9)
To tell an untruth is to use God’s name in vain. It is clear God wants us to speak the truth always. We see more about this principle when we study the Ninth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
Conclusion
What comes out of our mouths reflects what is in our hearts. How can a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit callously use language full of vulgarity and profanity? We need to remember that others are watching and listening and may judge the validity of the Christian faith by our behavior. Vulgar speech is a bad witness to those around us, especially to children and the unsaved.
Likewise we must learn to control our anger so as not to use God’s name as a curse word against others. Anger allows the devil to tempt us to say and do things we know are wrong.
We must also never be guilty of trying to deceive people, especially using God’s name as a contrivance to do so. Those deceitful preachers and teachers who pretend to be speaking for the Lord are particularly despicable and worthy of judgment. They bring dishonor to the Lord and to the Christian faith. Believers should be vigilant in exposing those who misuse the Scriptures for their own selfish interests.
And, last but not least, we must tell the truth at all times. To do otherwise is to desecrate the Lord’s name and besmirch our testimony of Christ. We should also expect the same from those around us including politicians and businesspeople.
All that being said, let’s not forget the second clause in the commandment:
“…for the LORD will not leave him unpunished (Lit. hold him guiltless) who takes His name in vain.
God Himself will hold each of us accountable for the things we say. Misusing His name in any of the above ways is a heinous sin and He will punish those who do so. If we have been guilty of profaning His name in the past, or do so now, we should confess it and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection we can be confident that He will. In any case, we should all ask God to purify our hearts and speech by His Holy Spirit. Then we can obey this command, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”
In the next installment of this ten part series we will look at Commandment Four (Exodus 20:8-11), which may be the most misunderstood and controversial of all the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”
© 2018 Tal Davis