Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

Are you offended? Are you thinking of “thou shalt not take the Lords name in vain”? Well the verse in the photo gets us closer to an understanding of the commandment using the word “misuse” rather than the word “take”. But not quiet.

So above the idea of misuse together with modernity’s principle understanding that we do not swear in the name of the Lord kind of takes us in the direction we should be looking at this commandment. Why do we not use the lords name while swearing or cursing? We do not out of reverence and respect for his name and being.

From Michael Heiser I received the following understanding. We are the representatives of the Lord when we claim to be Christian. We are bearing his name so out of “reverence and respect” we should not “misuse” his name. So when we claim to be Christian but phone it in by going to church on only holidays or going weekly and getting a good nap. We are using the Lords name but doing nothing he intended, we are using his name “in vain”.

If you are Christian then you understand what you should be doing and how we should be representing yourself to the world. However, that is where the rubber meets the road, the hard part, giving yourself to God and proclaiming Jesus as your Lord and savior. Oh Heavenly Father give us strength to be so bold and not bear your name in vain.