The Third Word

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take up the name of Yahweh your God in emptiness, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes up His name in emptiness.

This commandment condemns all light use of God's name. It's difficult to find a television show or movie where this commandment is not broken--even in children's programming. On television words for things like dung which God's Word does not condemn are censored, but not the empty use of God's name. Children on the playground break this commandment when they make oaths over trivial matters and say "But I sware to God that it's true." Every day people lie in courts after taking oaths. Pastors and religious leaders break this commandment when they teach people false things about God. The teachers of religion break this commandment because they find the Lamb on the Altar offensive.

As you stand in horror at all the sinfulness around in the culture and even in the church, remember that you stand guilty of this commandment every day and every hour. Every time you commit sin, you show that you do not honor God's name. You call yourself a Christian but you do not live as a Christian--you take up the name lightly and falsely.

Yahweh does not take the breaking of this commandment lightly. Yahweh does not wink at this sin. Yahweh says He will not hold the person guiltless who misuses His name. You are worthy of God's temporal and eternal punishment for every single time you misused God's name.

The Lamb on the Altar bore the punishment for your misuse of God's name. The Lamb on the Altar suffered God's wrath for your blaphemies. Apart from the Lamb it is impossible to use God's name rightly. The Lamb on the Altar allows you to rightly use God's name in reverent worship and praise and supplication. The Lamb on the Altar has been given the name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9).