THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (August 15, 2018)
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7, King James Version, [The ten commandments])
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, my name is just a name with meaning nonetheless, filled with the hope of the renewal of life in a new creature, for the coming of our Lord and Savior unto eternal life. Yet, we deliberately “take the name of the LORD thy God in vain,” in our tale bearing. Do you recall “the tale of bricks” [Exodus 5:9, KJV] when the Egyptian Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” [5:2]? Israel wanted to journey three days to the wilderness, ---the desert, to have a feast unto God, at the expense of Pharaoh, only for Pharaoh to burden them down with making bricks without straw unless they got their own straw for Pharaoh refused to give them straw and judged them, idle and gave them no rest from the burden of making bricks, not lessening their daily tasks any, so they would not regard vain words, any more. [Chapter 5].
Of course, we know the fullness of this story, for it was God, who commanded Pharaoh to let his people go and visited plagues upon the Egyptians, until Pharaoh obeyed the Word of God. We know Pharaoh took the name of God in vain, for Moses and Aaron said, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel…” for the time was at hand for God to deal with Pharaoh [Exodus 5:1, KJV]. The time of deliverance of Israel out of the bondage of oppression---slavery, in Egypt came to fruition. And as the heart of Pharaoh hardened [10:20,27], God inflicted merciless pain upon him and Egypt---all the gods of Egypt, both man and beast in Egypt, even the killing of Pharaoh’s son and all the first-born sons in Egypt, until Pharaoh let the people of God go [12:12]. Do you recall the killing of the first-born of Israel when King Herod hunted down baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem of Judea ---to kill him but the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to take Jesus to Egypt until the death of King Herod? [St. Matthew 2:1-16, KJV]
How many of you understand the power of God? How many of you understand that in the despair you struggle in, when the name of God is present, you must not forsake, enter in vainglory of self, deny God as your LORD, knowing that within God’s power is the power to make you do as he said and make you honor him as the supreme Master
2
of the Universe, not less than the gods of wood, metal even the human gods that head nations such as Egypt? God Almighty, Yahweh, is the true living God, praise His Holy name. Let the people of God, Israel give praise to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, for the power of redemption to salvation and the gift of the promise of eternal life.
Most importantly, out of the darkness, the light of Christ Jesus is a lamp unto our feet. One could say, “I was in the pit of my despair and snakes were there.” Another replied, “Where were you?” The one who spoke said, “I was in a pit.”
In the same vein of thought, still one person spoke, “I was in a gutter of despair and rats were there.” Another replied, “Where were you?” The one who spoke said, “I was in a gutter.” Speak, Lord, speak to me.
Still, one person spoke, “I found myself in an alley and cats were there.” Another said, “Where were you?” The one who spoke said, “I was in an alley.” Why do you expect not to meet up with snakes, for you were in a snake pit just as gutter rats are in the gutters and alley cats are in the alleys.
More importantly, In your heart and mind, those same places exist, in your relationships, for you compartmentalize people, placing the snakes in the pits of your heart, knowing that those snakes in the pit will not hide always but show themselves for what they are---snakes. In your heart and mind, placing rats in the gutters of your heart, knowing that those rats in the gutters will not hide always but show themselves for what they are---rats. In your heart and mind, placing cats in the alleys of your heart, knowing that those cats in the alleys will not hide always but show themselves for what they are---cats. Why do you expect to hang-out in pits, in gutters, in alleys, without coming across snakes, rats and cats?
Henceforth, to Israel, Egypt became a pit of snakes that oppressed them day and night and to Egypt, Israel became their oppressor for the God of Israel oppressed Egypt back even more. Why did Israel expect to worship in feast their God denying Pharaoh as god? Israel did so because the God of Israel sent Moses and Aaron to command Pharaoh to let his people go in the words spoken, “Let my people go…” I must say Israel knew Pharaoh as their God for he was the God of Egypt, who lorded over them and Moses fought with Pharaoh over that very false fact---that Pharaoh was God. [“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. “Exodus 7:1, KJV].
Furthermore, there are times, in a relationship, we do not understand the change, for the person who once had power-and-authority over you, failed to see the power of God that gave you power-and-authority over them, so Pharaoh did not see that the Almighty
3
God made Moses, his god. Yet, Israel knew that Pharaoh regarded himself as their god denied their God, the living God of Israel, forcing a showdown, a competition of power, so strong that even Moses’ father-in-law said I know that your God is God, for God divided the Red Sea and let Israel walk through the sea on dry land to escape the Egyptians, closing the waters back as the Egyptian soldiers stepped in to follow. Even more so, Moses’ rod out-mastered the rods of the Egyptian magicians. Moses stretched forth his rod to turn the water Pharaoh bathed in to blood. Yahweh, the God of Israel proved His love for his people to Pharaoh just as Pharaoh felt the pain of losing his son---his people, for now the taking of life meant something to Pharaoh as he looked upon the lifeless body of his son so that he now, reflected on himself as idle with vain words for neither, he in his godly power, nor his magicians could raise his son up from the dead. A piercing truth that struck right in the heart of Pharaoh.
In closing, often times rulers of the earth do not care about those people oppressed in their lands as long as the death and destruction does not take away the peace of their households. Matter-of-factly, leaders appear detached from the oppressed---thinking that those folks do suffer but truly their suffering is the suffering of oppressed people and does not have anything to do with the leaders of the land---it is their burden to bear. However, God, in heaven, is still on the throne, sitting high and looking down upon the sufferings of the people. In Psalm (2:1-12, KJV):
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them. In his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
In the Name of Jesus, we pray, for the peace of all understanding. Amen.
