Watch Your Mouth Series

People get mixed up on my name all the time. Some people call me “Bill” and I’ve even been called “Brain,” though I’m not sure where that one comes from. When I’m called “Mr. Bill” people around my age think of his sidekick “Sluggo” and start laughing. I like to joke having three first names means when people say my name three guys come running! I tell people not to worry if they get my name wrong because it happens all the time. It’s not a big deal to me.

When someone says your name, the hope is for good things to come to their mind. That’s why it hurts so much when someone drags your name through the mud or attributes things to you you’ve never said or done. I’m reminded of Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches; and favor is better than silver or gold.” The converse is also true according to 1 Samuel 25:25: “Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him…”

Some names are so well-known they’ve become synonymous with a product. For instance, most of us don’t look for a “tissue,” we reach for a “Kleenex.” “Band-Aids” and “Scotch Tape” are examples of this as well. Companies know the importance of their name, even putting trademarks on it so no one can use it wrongly.

What we call God is a big deal to Him because His name reflects His nature. He’s spent eternity building His name. We could say God’s name is copyright protected.

The second commandment prohibits wrong worship of God while the third commandment forbids wrong words about God. Some of us think this command is easy to keep because we don’t cuss or curse (at least out loud). As long as we don’t use God’s name as a swear word, we can skate on this one, right? Actually, most of us break this command all the time. It’s concise but quite convicting. Listen to Exodus 20:7: “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.” We could say it like this: When we see God as weighty, we won’t want to take His name lightly.

We’re encouraging everyone to take a bookmark and work at memorizing the 10 Commandments. If you are ready to recite them from memory, please stand with me. By the end of the series, I’m hoping we’ll all be able to stand and quote them.

1. One God

2. No idols

3. Revere His Name

4. Remember to Rest

5. Honor Parents

6. No murder

7. No adultery

8. No stealing

9. No lying

10. No coveting

I love hearing how families are utilizing the 10 Commandments as part of their discipleship. I saw a post this week from Nate and Shannon Weaver showing Daniel, their two-year-old, standing in front of their refrigerator pointing to this bookmark. This is part of what Shannon posted: “Trying to memorize the 10 Commandments and not only memorize them but discuss them as well...when we were faced with a moment where correction was needed, the bookmark with the 10 commandments was brought out and discussed.”

I was so impressed with their intentional parenting I asked if I could share the post. I’m hoping it will encourage each of us to take these commands written in stone and imprint them on our hearts and in our homes. Here’s part of a message Shannon sent me: “I took this picture because this is a 2-year-old trying to learn the 10 Commandments…and he WANTS to learn them…we have these bookmarks in the car and I have one by my computer at work. Our bookmark is taken off the fridge so much it needs tape to be constantly replaced…this child loves Jesus, won’t eat until we have prayed, wakes up and wants to read his devotional.”

Our approach today is simple. We’ll start with interpretation and then we’ll move to application. We’ll look at what this command means, and we’ll conclude with what it means to us.

Let’s walk through Exodus 20:7 phrase-by-phrase so we learn how to revere His name: “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.”

• “You shall not take.” Like the first two commands, this one also begins with a very strong negative: “Absolutely do not do what follows…” The word “take” comes from the courtroom and means, “to lift, to carry, to take up, bear and to raise.”

• “the name.” In the surrounding cultures of Israel, knowing the name of a god gave one access and influence. Even more so, knowing the name of the one true covenant-keeping God gave His people the special privilege of having access to Him. In the Bible, a name was not only identification but an actual identity. It represented one’s entire reputation. A name stood for the nature of someone. God’s name represents the totality of who He is and what He does.