Aug 25, 20 carlton pruitt explains what it means to take the lord s name in vain. To my knowledge and study of the scripture, taking the lord s name in vain has more to do with wrongly invoking authority from god over a situation, than to do with profanity or casual use. Bible verses related to name in vain from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order exodus 20. You shall not take the lords name in vain decision magazine.
Read this with an open mind and i believe you will find the author one to respect and to listen to, but not to necessarily agree with all the way down the line. To dishonor gods name in any way is to denigrate his holiness. The book was known to ahasuerus and his court, so it had to look like the king saved the jews from haman, and not god. Remember, it was the lord jesus who taught us to say, our father in. The bible is a story of gods relationship with mankind, and most books put god front and center.
Taking the lords name in vain is not the unpardonable sin any more than. Our full names are given, not chosen, which shows that naming is an act of. What does do not take the lords name in vain mean, and. In vain it means to lack the proper respect and substance belongs in a statement and or intention or god s name is invoked.
The commandment probably intended, at its origin, merely to prohibit inappropriate invocation of gods name, when swearing and the like, but during this time it began to be viewed as a prohibition against. Jesus, the godman, is the main character in all four books. When god spoke the commandment, you shall not take the name of the. Instead, it is forbidden to mention even one of the names designated for g. Taking the lords name in vain involves attributing things not of god to god. At the end of this article are links taking you to the questions and answers found in that book.
Many false preachers try to justify sin to tickle peoples ears and say things like god is love. At face value, it makes sense not to say, oh my god, or to utter gods name in other disrespectful ways. For believers, however, there is no need to use god s name to legitimize an oath as we are not to take oaths in the first place, letting our yes be yes and our no be no matthew 5. I was reading a book by warren marcus, he was talking about this scripture. Morality is the key word throughout the book, and this is basically a study in morality, not theology, law, or politics. It is a way of saying that god himself is worthless.
Jan 04, 2020 many people even try switching a word. This practice does not come from the commandment not to take the lords name in vain, as many suppose. In other words, to take the lord s name in vain means to use it in a manner. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain wikipedia. We should be careful with the words we choose to use especially when using gods name. It has a variety of translations including emptiness, vanity, falsehood, nothingness, emptiness of speech, lying, and worthlessness. Gods name declares much about his person, but it is gods word that reveals god and his name. This practice does not, as you may well imagine, come from the commandment not to take the lords name in vain. These records indicate that in all likelihood the name should be pronounced yahweh.
According to the book of jeremiah, yahweh told him to look around. We are forbidden, therefore, from taking the name of god or taking up the name or bearing the name, as the phrase could be translated in a manner that is wicked, worthless, or for wrong purposes. The second commandment was to not make images of god and bow down to them. February 26, 2017 by olumuyiwaolayinka, posted in religion. It is a shame gods name is used in vain so often in the book. To understand the severity of taking the lords name in vain, we must first see the lords name. Every movie that stephen spielberg and james cameron make are loaded with cursing in god s name, desecrating the precious name of jesus christ, and blasphemy against the god of the bible. The third of the ten commandments forbids taking or using the lords name in an irreverent manner because that would indicate a lack of respect for god himself. I wont mention the lords name in vain, and then i wont kiss. Thou dost not take up the name of jehovah thy god for a vain thing, for jehovah acquitteth not him who taketh up his name for a vain thing. We take gods name in vain when we talk about god in any way that. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop.
Aug 19, 2016 why it s wrong to take god s name in vain,philip graham ryken read more about spiritual life growth, christian living, and faith. Changes in his name and work do not prove that his substance has altered. He does not allow his name to be taken in vain and let people go unpunished. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
For the lord will not hold guiltless meaning will not forgive whoever takes his name in vain. You shall not take the name of the lord your god in vain, for the lord will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain. The following ideas are supplemental to my book first lessons in christian science, volume one. Some say the reason this is a violation of the third commandment is because people are.
We know what god is like, not only by his perfections and works, but also by his names. How do you define the sin of taking the lords name in vain. The word vain as its rendered in the esv can mean empty, nothing, worthless, or to no good purpose. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with god, and the word was god. Jan 20, 2012 the misuse of god s name is mentioned multiple times in the bible, it is very near the top of the 10 commandments, and the lord s prayer even starts by saying hollowed be thy name. God obviously cares about our words, and theres something seriously wrong with taking the lords name in vain. In jewish thought, that commandment refers solely to oathtaking, and is a prohibition against swearing by gods name falsely or frivolously the word normally translated as in vain literally means for falsehood. God is not mentioned in the book of esther probably for political reasons. New american standard version 1995 thou shalt not take the name of jehovah thy god in vain. There is a larger sense in which people today take the lords name in vain. A lot of people are using the lords name in vain and worshiping him in vain. Im not advocating that we should take the lords name in vain, but that our. At some point a superstitious idea arose among the jews that it was wrong even to pronounce the divine name represented by the tetragrammaton. Hebrew bible passages also refer to gods name being profaned by.
Side note i also find it interesting that you mention not to be used in magic. Moses asks god, if i come to the people of israel and say to them, the god. When not reading torah or the siddur, most observant jews refer to the sacred name simply as hashem or the name lev. The idea of vanity and i think the hebrew carries this connotation is dont empty the name. Npr public editor legally, there are words that npr cant air. Taking the lords name in vain what does it really mean. Most of this document is about god s personal name, which reveals his real name, but god s real name cant be written down in any book. You shall not take the name of the lord your god in vain, for the lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain. I used to appear to abraham, isaac and jacob as god almighty, but as respects my name jehovah i did not make myself known to them. Mark driscoll warns against 4 ways we take gods name in vain. 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 exodus 20. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain.
Jun 28, 2018 or, dont use gods name in a way it should not be used. Take name in vain definition of take name in vain by the. Why its wrong to take gods name in vain crossway articles. This actor wont take the lords name in vain on camera. When god spoke the commandment, 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 exodus 20. Carter labels not taking gods name in vain as the third commandment without ever noting catholics would consider it the second. Gods wisdom, gods wondrousness, gods righteousness, and gods majesty shall never change. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for i the lord your god am a jealous god, visiting the. Finally, since many religions over time unite with the state, he obviously feels certain religions deserve less respect religion as dissenter is his ideal. They tell us many things about gods care and concern for his own. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. This is why we need to revere his name and not use is flippantly when we text omg or when we are upset at something. Just what basis was originally assigned for discontinuing the use of the name is not definitely known.
Gods word translation never use the name of the lord your god. The help using gods name in vain showing 150 of 80 goodreads. Connect with skip hetzig week of august 17, 2018 from connect with skip heitzig. Swearing is not the only way to use god s name in vain. Adonai can be translated literally as, my lords both plural and possessive. Thus, when reading torah, you do not attempt to vocalize the name, but say adonai instead. They did not want to risk violating the commandment that says, you shall not take the name of the lord your god in vain, for the lord will. The lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain 20. So it doesnt just refer to a certain tone of voice or a certain use of the word. Anyone who breaks the third commandment will be held accountable. But most bibles say, do not use the name of the lord in vain.
To know the name yhwh, the merciful and gracious one, is not to merely. 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. But it can take the lords name in vain and suffer no consequences save for the ire of some. The jewish tradition is to not pronounce the sacred name at all, but to substitute the word adonai my lord in its place. However, as i was studying this particular scripture, i found a truth i had not known before. Actor neal mcdonough says there are still a few things he will not do in front of a camera things that would violate his faith. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain hebrew. Gods name is holy and it must be used with respect. As to using the name of god the father in vain, i dont know his true name nor does anyone else on earth as far as i know. Many translations of the bible contain gods personal name at exodus 6. New heart english bible do 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. In biblical thought, a name is not merely a label of identification but also an. Brilliant and well written book on abrahamic religions over the ages that gives an indepth understanding of this complex and important group of cultures and religions that have left their mark on civilization.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule that carter does not mention, e. As warren marcus puts it, taking gods name in vain is not about a swear word to gods name. If youre not christian or jewish, do you temper your speech to avoid offending those who are. What does it really mean to take the lords name in vain. God also said to moses, say this to the people of israel, the lord, the. Why do sinners take god s name in vain, and how they can have forgiveness through the lord jesus christ. The wrongs and rights of religion in politics is a timely work of cultural history by stephen l. Therefore if because of a slip of the tongue, one mentions g.
You shall not take the lords name in vain decision. That is correct, but it refers to the immutability of gods disposition and his substance. The third commandment is concerning the manner of our worship. For example, when a terrorist screams allahu akbar while committing a terrorist attack, he is attributing committing that evil act to in the name of god. There are a few reasons these books dont mention god. Do you think it constitutes using the lords name in vain. You shall not take the name of the lord your god in vain, for the lord.
Just like a person can see christ in another person by their actions, words without the person saying anything about god jesus christ. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. Gods name in vain by stephen carter nook book ebook. The 2 books of the bible that dont mention god overview bible. It also explains the very essence of the title on his book.
Mar 14, 2008 you could then mention that a true christian with the very spirit of god in them is not going to be going around using god s name in vain any more than a christian would be making an idol and worshiping it. Our god is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness and so much more. Instead of saying oh my god they say something else. How he works in lives and circumstances can be seen. It will thus be seen, that this commandment requires us to make mention of the name of god. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. The first commandment was to have no other gods before the true god. For anyone to exclaim, jesus, as a curse word in their moment of anger or shock is sinful. God s name is holy and it must be used with respect. Note davids declarations about gods name and word in psalm 8. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. Stephen carter argues that american politics is unimaginable with. Swearing is not the only way to use gods name in vain. If you cannot bring yourself to avoid hollywood s filth, that is between you and god.
Most people understandably think that the commandment forbids saying god s name. I mean, i know that the bible says that god will not let anyone who misuses his name go unpunished, but does anybody know for a fact that god can forgive me for taking his name in vain after i gave taking. Although many people believe taking the lords name in vain refers to using the lords name as a swear word, there is much more involved with a vain use of gods name. He is the author of several books, including just do something. They read baby name books and field suggestions from family members. I grew up believing thats all the third command requires, and thats what we must do to fulfill it. You shall not take the name of yahweh your god in vain, for yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Take someones name in vain definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation.
Since at the mere mention of the name of christ every knee should bow both in heaven and on earth, thats a substantial indicator. Bibles us lord instead of yhwh or jehovah because of the practice begun by the jews hundreds of years before christ. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain supposing that, having taken jehovah for their god, they would make mention of his name, this command gives a caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. It was essentially the same as denying god s existence. The title of the book itself reflects this biased viewpoint. To take gods name in vain is about far, far more than avoiding foul language. So dont be surprised if you start to recognize god s name everywhere.
Dec 25, 2011 gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. Most books of the old testament mention prophets, who speak on god s behalf. I think god s intent for the use of his name is not really disputable. Further references of the name adonai in the old testament. Teaching children the third commandment first lessons in. Be encouraged and grow your faith with daily and weekly devotionals. See, i gave up saying things like oh, my g and gdammit a couple of years ago, and i would like to know.
Is it a sin to watch a movie that takes gods name in vain. To avoid contravening the commandment thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain, sometimes adonai was used as a substitute for yahweh yhwh. Herbert lockyers book, all the divine names and titles, lists 364 names and titles for jesus christ alone. Sensible, legally knowledgable, and religious himself, carter shows that not having an establishment of religion does not mean that all reference to or practice of religion must be removed from the public sphere, but it does take careful thinking to come up with the proper balance of things. Bible verses about name in vain king james version. A list of all the presidents who mentioned god in an.
Because of the greatness of the name of god, any use of gods name that brings dishonor on him or on his character is taking his name in vain. However, observant jews avoid writing any name of god casually because of the risk that the written name might later be defaced, obliterated, or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not. Not to take his name in vain is the negative way of saying it must be held in the utmost awe and used holily in thought and word and deed. This was based on a particular interpretation of the third commandment, thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain. Jehovah is a rendering of gods name in english that has been used for centuries. God is not mentioned in the song of songs because the book is an allegory of the love between god and the jewish people. Still, as a whole, gods name in vain sees more right in conservative activism, and the wrongs are more internal squabbles among believers than problems for those outside his mindset. The jews did not want to pronounce or mispronounce the name of yhwh out of reverence. Mar 06, 2009 how do you define the sin of taking the lord s name in vain.