Thou Shalt Not Take The Name Of The Lord Thy God In Vain

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

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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?