The Ten Commandments: The Third Commandment

THE DECALOGUE:
A SUMMARY OF GOD'S PRECEPTS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

The Third Commandment:
On Profanity (Exod 20:7)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

(There are different divisions of the Commandments in different traditions: In Protestantism (for the most part), v. 2 is the introduction and v. 3 is the first command. In Judaism, vv. 2-3 together are the first command. In Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism, vv. 2-6 are the first command, and v. 17 contains two commands. This study follows the primary Protestant division, recognizing that v. 2 is declarative and v. 3 contains the first imperative.)

Has your mouth ever forged ahead before your mind has had a chance to catch up? Have you ever said something stupid and immediately regretted that you could not take it back? While there are some circumstances in which the price of speaking without thinking is not too high, when you have been pulled over for speeding is not one of them. Decide now that, in your flustered state, these are things you will not say to the policeman.

Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.

Hey, you must've been doin' about 125 mph to keep up with me!

You're not gonna check the trunk, are you?

Gee, that's terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning, too.
I was trying to keep up with traffic. Yes, I know there was no other car around...that's how far ahead of me they were.

Just as such things should not proceed from your mouth when a policeman is listening, so there are things that should not proceed from your mouth when God is listening...which is all the time. In our series about The Decalogue, the third commandment, On Profanity, deals with this issue.

At Mount Sinai, when God gave Israel the law, He covered a wide range of subjects, from business practices to judicial proceedings, from dietary regulations to holiday celebrations. The ten-point summary of that law we call the Decalogue, and it covers a variety of topics as well as a number of settings.

• The first command deals with establishing the right priority in worship: God's people are to hold Him as their only object of devotion.
• The second command deals with exhibiting the right priority in actions: God's people are to have no involvement with the images of other gods.
• The third commandment deals with expressing the right priority in speech: God's people are to revere His very name.

Had God given only the first command, some might argue that He cares only for what His people do in the sanctuary. The second command widens the circle, though, because people often kept idols at home. The third command expands God's concern even further, to the way people interact in public. Each successive command reinforces the idea that God's people demonstrate their allegiance to Him in many ways.

As I mentioned, the third command, which we will consider this morning, pertains to speech, to the way we mention God in conversation with others, although it also includes other applications.

Exod 20:7 [= Deut 5:111 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

There are several titles for the creator of the universe, appropriate for different occasions.

• We use terms that describe our relationship to Him, such as Father and King.
• We use terms that describe His ability or His character, such as Almighty and the Righteous One.

The biblical writers also refer to Him by His name, a Hebrew word English translations render LORD (or Jehovah), in all caps, as it is twice in this verse. Here...

I. God prohibits the profaning of His name.¹

The Bible divides the world into two spheres: the sacred and the profane. Whatever specifically has to do with God is sacred, sanctified, set apart for His use. Such things have the designation: holy, because of their association with Him who is holy.²

• The mountain where Moses received these commands is holy, because God came down to meet him there.
• The sanctuary is holy, because God placed a physical manifestation of His presence there.
• The Sabbath is holy, because that is the day God designated for public worship.
• The people of Israel are holy, because they represent God to the nations of the world.
• The followers of Jesus, Christians, are holy, because they (you) also represent God to the world.

Everything that is not holy is secular, ordinary, relegated to common use.

There are other things we could add to the list of what is holy, including God's name. When people treat that name as ordinary, or worse...

A. The practice disregards its sacred quality.

The biblical writers frequently mention His "holy name."³ It is a designation that is unique to God.⁴

• No other means of address is holy.

Neither Moses nor King David, neither the apostle Paul nor the angel Gabriel has the term "holy" attached to his name. However sanctified the church leaders become, they will never in this life be called Holy Deacon Dick or Holy Elder Eddie.⁵

They, however, and you are called to be holy, to strive for perfection of character. This is a repeated theme in Paul's letters.

• To Christians at Ephesus, Paul writes...

Eph 1:4 [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy... in his sight.

You may not yet be holy, but God saw the potential for your holiness long before you were born.

• To his protégé Timothy, Paul writes...⁶

2 Tim 1:9a God. ..saved us and called us to a holy life

You may not yet be holy, but God made the provision for your holiness by saving you from sin's bondage.

• To believers at Colosse, Paul writes...

Col 3:12 . . .as God's [holy] people...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

You may not yet be holy, but—and here is a significant difference—you determine the progress for your holiness each day, by applying or rejecting God's standards.

While you may not have arrived at holiness, are you advancing to holiness?

Unlike our names, God's name has a sanctity that points to the holiness of His character, and demeaning the name disregards that sacred quality.⁷ Moreover...

B. The practice disregards its special utility.

When a person needs to certify the veracity, the truthfulness of what he asserts, he may call upon God as a witness.⁸ That practice has carried over into our judicial proceedings, where a person giving testimony promises "to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God."⁹ Federal and state officials often conclude their oath of office with the same phrase, "so help me, God" (although the Constitution does not require it). Such a promise recognizes that God is sovereign and that...

• No other method of appeal is higher.

It is like the commercial for Hebrew National kosher hotdogs that touts the quality of their ingredients because "We answer to a higher authority." What the commercial should say is that "We answer to the highest authority." Indeed, God expects His people to go straight to the top.¹⁰ Twice Moses tells them...

Deut 6:13 [= 10:20] Fear the LORD your God.. .and take your oaths in his name.

That name is not just a stock formula, like "sincerely yours" at the end of a letter, which may not actually be sincere. By invoking the Lord, an individual is inviting divine judgment should the oath be false or should he fail to keep it. This is no light matter, which is why Jesus says,

Matt 5:37a [ Jms 5:12b] Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'

Some people think that Jesus is prohibiting the use of oaths entirely when he says in...

Matt 5:34 . . . 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.

This is the position Quakers take. They eschew oaths of any kind, from the Pledge of Allegiance to an oath of office.¹¹ If Jesus intends to forbid oaths entirely, though, he is at odds with Moses, who commands them,¹² and with Paul, who employs them.... Rather than forbidding the use of oaths, Jesus is prohibiting the abuse of oaths, which had become quite common in his day.

Recognizing the gravity of this command, Jews in the late Second Temple Period establish a perimeter around this command to prevent inadvertent transgression.¹³ They determine that the best way to avoid this problem is not to use the name at all but to use one of God's titles, instead.¹⁴ At first, this works well,¹⁵ but eventually some people think that using a substitute means they no longer have to be careful with their speech, that they can make oaths more freely, giving the impression they are sincere, as long as they do not actually use the name.¹⁶

• "As surely as the LORD lives" becomes "as surely as the temple stands."
• "As the LORD is my witness" becomes "as the altar is my witness."

Jesus says that substitutes for God's name do not make oaths any less serious or any less binding: The temple and the altar both belong to the Lord, and both represent Him, so replacing one word with the other does not change anything.

While the NIV translates this command, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD," other versions translate it, "You shall not "take the name of the Lord in vain" (KJV, NAS), which is actually closer to the Hebrew. Taking God's name in vain does misuse it but in a way that compromises its holy character and renders it common, as if God's name were no different from any other name—and, by extension, as if God Himself were no different from anyone else. When people demean God's name, they demean Him.¹⁷

So, is not making oaths at all the easiest way to keep this command? ... Not necessarily. God's people must also guard against profaning His name in other ways.

In fact, the most common violations are not what people say but what they do.¹⁸ For example, we read in...

Jer 34:16 . . .you have...profaned my name; [for] each of you has taken back the... slaves you had set free.... You have forced them to become your slaves again.

You may wonder how this could possibly apply today, since the abolition of slavery over a century ago, but the principle is similar to the issue of an oath. The people who said their slaves could go free reneged.¹⁹ Their "Yes" became "No," and, being God's people, breaking their word gives the impression that God approves the deed or that His character is similar to theirs, that He too breaks His word.

Does your "Yes" ever become "No"? When you break your word, when you commit yourself to something and do not follow through, it not only reflects poorly on you, it reflects poorly on God. He expects you to represent Him well. Paul says...

1 Cor 4:2 ..At is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

God has entrusted you with a measure of His character and reputation, so that, when others look at you, at the way you behave, they should see Him. The opposite of profane—to make common—is sanctify—to make holy. David, in Ps 15, says that to live with God one day, you must live for God today. One of the requirements David lists is that a person "keeps his oath even when it hurts" (v. 4), even when it is inconvenient or costly. Are you a person of your word? Do you profane God's name or sanctify it by what you say and do?

What you say matters. What you say about God especially matters, because His name has a sacred quality and a special utility. Furthermore, others are forming their impression of God by the way you treat His name in word and deed. What impression are you giving them?

Part 2

The way we refer to people is important. Whether it is the tone we take or the title we use, how we address them reveals our assessment of them and our attitude toward them.

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three-year-old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her "No." The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long." He passed the mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl clamored for some sweets. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out." The man again happened to be behind the pair at the line for the register, where the little girl immediately began to shout for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering her mother would not purchase any. The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this line in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap." The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen." "Oh," the mother replied, "her name is Tammy... I'm Ellen."

How we refer to people is important. How we refer to God is especially important, and He devotes one of the summary commands in the Decalogue to this very topic, the third command, On Profanity.

Exod 20:7 [= Deut 5:11] You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

We noted last time that the first three commands in this ten-point summary indicate how God's people must have the right priorities regardless of where they may be. For Christians, this translates into showing singular devotion in three areas: in church, at home, and in public.

• In church, you must give God your exclusive attention. Let nothing distract you from the primary reason you are here, which is to worship Him.
• At home, you must avoid anything that suggests God is not most important to you. It may be tucked away under the bed or in your attic, but if it turns you from Him, get rid of it.
• In public, you must speak about God only in ways that honor Him. Do not refer to Him carelessly. This third point is what we began to examine last time, noting that...

I. God prohibits the profaning of His name.

because...

A. The practice disregards its sacred quality.

The biblical writers frequently mention His "holy name." It is a designation that is unique to God.

• No other means of address is holy.

Even the deacons and elders do not have "holy" as part of their titles. Still, they and you are called to be holy, to strive for perfection of character. As Paul says in his letters...

• You may not yet be holy, but God saw the potential for your holiness long before you were born.
• You may not yet be holy, but God made the provision for your holiness by saving you from sin's bondage.
• You may not yet be holy, but you determine the progress for your holiness each day, by applying or rejecting God's standards.

While you may not have arrived at holiness—the question you must answer is—are you advancing to holiness?

Unlike our names, God's name has a sanctity that points to the holiness of His character, and demeaning the name disregards that sacred quality. Moreover...

B. The practice disregards its special utility.

which, in a legal setting, is to certify the truth of what a person claims by calling God as a witness.

• No other method of appeal is higher.

Occasions to use God's name that way are rare. In most circumstances, you should follow Jesus' advice.

Matt 5:37a [ Jms 5:12b] Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'

Even then, however, you must not be careless and let your "Yes" become "No." When you break your word, it not only reflects poorly on you, it reflects poorly on God. Be a person of your word. Do you profane God's name but sanctify it by what you say and do?

We generally regard what people do to be more important than what they say: Actions speak louder than words.²⁰ The way God's people use His name in conversation, though, is no light matter, and...

II. God punishes the profaning of His name.

Crimes have differing degrees of severity, from petty (e.g., shoplifting) to serious (e.g., kidnapping) They also have differing areas of jurisdiction, from local to federal, and courts appropriate to each level. Many of the laws God gives Israel, He leaves to human authorities to enforce. With the prosecution of some crimes, however, He takes special interest. When it come to profaning His name...

A. The practice attracts divine attention.

People should want God to recognize them²¹ but not for this reason.²² What makes this infraction especially problematic is that it not against another human being but against the Lord, the creator of all things, including man. As such...

• It is a personal offense.

...an affront to His character that He takes very seriously.

Most sins people commit are against those around them—whether relatives, acquaintances, or complete strangers. What makes the offences most troubling is not their detrimental affect on the sinner but the disregard they show for others and the damage they do to relationships.

• The coworker who takes credit for something you did.
• The boy who blames his sister for a problem he caused.
• The thief who breaks into your home and gets away.
• The speeding driver who swerves dangerously in and out of traffic.

In some cases - too many cases - the guilty party may go unnoticed or unpunished, simply because you are unable to do anything about it. The damage may or may not be repairable and, in the long run, may not matter. You get past it and move on. Sins against the Lord, however, are far more serious, even grave. They show a disregard for Him and damage a person's relationship to Him. In such cases, however, the guilty party will not go unnoticed or unpunished, because the Lord is fully aware of those sins and is able to do something about them.²³ Unlike the sins people commit that harm others, sins against God do not harm Him.²⁴ Nevertheless, He takes personally the violation of His holy standard, and Moses says...

Exod 20:7b the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

How serious is that? The author of Hebrews warns that...

Heb 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The prophet Samuel noted...

1 Sam 2:25b ...if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?

The answer to that rhetorical question is: No one!²⁵

It has become common in some Christian circles to use the Hebrew name of God in conversation as well as in prayer—or, at least, to use what some think is the name.²⁶ This is inappropriate for several reasons, not the least of which is that Hebrew scholars are uncertain how to pronounce the name, because all that has survived are the consonants, not the vowels, and, if you are going to refer to someone as important as God or if you are going to address Him directly, the last thing you should do is mispronounce His name. That would be like repeatedly referring to Brian as Byron or consistently calling Miles Mules. How much more inappropriate, perhaps insulting, is it to misstate God's name.

It is important, though, to address people appropriately, and a title often defines a relationship. I have known my martial arts instructor for thirty-five years, but, although I consider him a friend, I still call him Sensei, which means teacher in Japanese, because that defines our relationship. When I first came to the church, someone asked me what I preferred to be called. I appreciated the question and said that Dr. Manuel was too formal for members of the congregation but that Paul was a bit too casual (informal) and that Pastor or Pastor Paul would be best, because that defines our relationship.²⁷ ...Titles also define a relationship with God.

• When you call Him Lord or King, you respect the exalted position He holds in His sovereignty.
• When you call Him Father, you recognize the place He graciously gives you in His family.
• When you call Him Redeemer, you recall the high price He paid for your liberty.

These and other titles define your relationship to Him, a relationship that has many facets.

In addition to the fact that profaning God's name attracts divine attention...

B. The practice attracts divine retribution.

Because God does not indicate here what the penalty is for transgressing this command, the Israelites may have been uncertain how serious this offense really is. Should the guilty person be fined or flogged, publicly humiliated or privately reprimanded? In the next book, a case arises that tests the seriousness of the prohibition. Turn ahead to...

Lev 24:10 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.... 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 his God, he will be held responsible; 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.'"

Misusing God's name is not a light matter. On the contrary...

• It is a capital offense.

Some people think this command refers to vulgar speech in general, what we commonly call profanity, the kind that gives movies a PG-13 or R rating. On the contrary, the third command of the Decalogue refers specifically to the misuse of the divine name, the Hebrew word English translations render LORD (all caps). That is not a problem for most people today, because they do not use God's four-letter name at all. Does that mean you can use other four-letters words, and God will not care? ...No, it does not. It is important to derive the right principle from the right passage. The Exodus text does not address profanity in general, but other texts do, such as what Paul writes in...²⁸

Eph 5:3b [It is] improper for God's holy people.... 4 [to use] obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking....

This means that you are not off the hook.

• Do words escape your lips in moments of anger or frustration that you would not use in calmer times?
• Do you say things outside church that you would not want your pastor or fellow congregants to hear?

When in public, as God's holy people, you should show your sanctity in your speech.

Most Christian would agree that God is not an emphatic particle. Exclamations like, "O God," "Good God," or "God damn" are not phrases that should fall casually from the lips of His people. Yet, are we careless in other ways?

• When we pray, do we use Him as punctuation, liberally inserting "God" or "Lord" as we would use a comma or a period?
• When we pray, do we give the impression that He is like a child with a short attention span, who needs to be reminded often that we are speaking to Him?

(This seems especially common among TV preachers.) It is certainly appropriate to begin prayer with an address, as Jesus teaches—"Our Father, who art in heaven" (Matt 6:9 KJV)—but he does not repeat that address or something similar with every sentence.²⁹ (Simple pronouns are sufficient.) When in prayer, you should speak to God respectfully but similarly to the way you speak to others.

What you say matters. According to this third commandment, On Profanity, what you say about God especially matters, because misusing His name attracts divine attention, the kind of attention you do not want because it includes divine retribution. Even if you do not use His name, you must still be careful how you refer to Him or represent Him. Others are listening and forming their impression of God by what they hear from you. What impression are you giving them?

For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here