This exposition of Exodus 20:7 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, February 24, 2019.
Intro:
It was two o’clock in the afternoon on January 8, 1697. The hangman pulled away the ladder and the lifeless body of the young theology student swung silently before the gathered crowd. Thomas Aikenhead was just shy of his nineteenth birthday.
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His crime? Blasphemy! Now we react to such stories with horror and disgust because we live in a culture that endorses blasphemy as a way of life. The name of God is routinely misused by people of all ages and in all kinds of circumstances for all kinds of reasons. In fact the prevailing attitude in all areas of life seems to indicate that the proper showing of respect is not necessary. Even in the realm of faith. We do not live in a theocracy and I’m certainly not advocating we institute capital punishment for blasphemy my point is that we no longer possess such a profound reverence for the name of God. In fact, there is an appalling lack of respect for god and the things of God. And we must understand – this is no small thing. In Leviticus chapter 10 we find the story of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron. Listen to the story in Leviticus 10:1-3. Nadab and Abihu lay dead on the floor of the sanctuary because they did not honor God. Apparently God takes this matter very seriously.
We, on the other hand, do not seem to be concerned about such matters. From our perspective “the man upstairs” just has to understand this is the way we are. It is readily apparent that there is little or no respect for God or biblical teaching in the general culture, the media or Hollywood. But then, that is to be expected. Maybe there is a lack of respect “out there” because there is a lack of respect for God within the church. I think Michael Horton is right when he said, “I am far more concerned about the hucksters, heretics and healers in the church who misuse God’s name than those who use profanity.” We have no right to expect integrity in the world that is lacking in the church. In popular religion God is there for me. I am the potter, He is the clay. After all, poor little ol’ God can’t do anything if I don’t let him, “have His way.” That is an awfully puny understanding of God. If we are going to take his name seriously, we have to take God seriously. That is what the third commandment is all about. Our text this morning is found in Exodus 20 and verse 7.
Text: Exodus 20:7
God is speaking to His covenant people. They have gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai as God’s voice thunders from the smoke & fire. These commandments are about how we love God and love our neighbor. This is the life that is pleasing to God. This is what is required of us.
Recap:
Commandment #1 – Have no other gods – prohibits the worship of anything other than God.
Commandment #2 – No graven image – worship the true God appropriately
This morning we come to deal with the 3rd commandment.
- He demands our supreme devotion (#1).
- He demands that we worship Him without distorting or detracting from his glory (#2).
And this morning we discover…
Thesis: Genuine honor and worship of God demands a profound sense of awe and an overwhelming sense of reverence and respect.
I’m not suggesting that we engage in intense navel-gazing where we second guessed everything we do and question our motives and obedience to the point that we live unproductive and miserable lives but I am suggesting that we abandon our flippant attitude toward that which is sacred. We must move away from the casual/caviler way in which we engage in spiritual matters. We too easily joke about that which is holy. We too easily allow the sacred to be treated as common. Nothing demonstrates that more powerfully then the way we treat the name of God.
Look at Exodus 20:7.
ESV, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” The NIV says, “You shall not misuse the name of God…”
This is not primarily about using God’s name as a swear word, though that is certainly included. It is much broader than that. There is a wider application of the principle taught here.
I want to deal with three questions this morning.
- Why is the misuse of God’s name such a terrible thing?
- What does it mean to misuse the name of God?
- How do we avoid violating this commandment?
Conclusion:
Can you see how these three commandments are tied together? Worship God alone. Worship him appropriately. Respect, reverence and honor him.
Genuine honor and worship of God demands a profound sense of awe and an overwhelming sense of reverence and respect.
I know we’ve established you’ve violated the first two words, how’d you do with number 3? Guilty? This is why you need the gospel. “If you confess your sins his is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). How is that possible? Because he bore your sins in his own body on the cross, including every violation of those 10 words thundered through the smoke and fire of Sinai.
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