- I've gotta admit,
00:00:00.66\00:00:02.13
I really cringe when I
hear somebody using God's name
00:00:02.13\00:00:05.23
as an
expletive, as a swear word,
00:00:05.23\00:00:08.30
not because I'm
some kind of prude,
00:00:08.30\00:00:10.04
but because it feels
like a personal attack
00:00:10.04\00:00:13.27
on somebody I love and respect.
00:00:13.27\00:00:16.58
But let me just ask you this,
00:00:16.58\00:00:18.38
what's really behind
the third commandment,
00:00:18.38\00:00:21.25
the commandment that
prohibits such things?
00:00:21.25\00:00:25.09
[relaxing music]
00:00:25.09\00:00:27.89
[relaxing music continues]
00:00:32.96\00:00:36.56
[relaxing music continues]
00:00:41.10\00:00:45.44
Some of you might
remember those payphones
00:00:45.44\00:00:47.51
that had a credit card slot,
00:00:47.51\00:00:49.21
the successors to
the dime operated phones
00:00:49.21\00:00:51.98
that were around
when I was a little kid.
00:00:51.98\00:00:54.75
This version allowed
you to call long distance
00:00:54.75\00:00:57.02
without having a
pocket full of quarters
00:00:57.02\00:00:59.09
or having to
place a collect call.
00:00:59.09\00:01:01.12
So, one day, I was using a
payphone in the lobby of a hotel
00:01:01.12\00:01:05.29
when my credit card
suddenly got declined.
00:01:05.29\00:01:08.83
Now, that really,
really bothered me,
00:01:08.83\00:01:11.00
because I'm not even
the type to use credit
00:01:11.00\00:01:13.50
in the first place.
00:01:13.50\00:01:14.77
In fact, I'm
pretty much credit-averse.
00:01:14.77\00:01:17.11
But I do carry a credit card
00:01:17.11\00:01:19.51
because it's almost impossible
00:01:19.51\00:01:21.11
to travel
without one these days.
00:01:21.11\00:01:23.31
And when there's
something wrong with a card,
00:01:23.31\00:01:25.71
I usually get on it right away.
00:01:25.71\00:01:27.15
I mean, in my Dutch universe,
00:01:27.15\00:01:29.12
having good credit
is about the equivalent
00:01:29.12\00:01:31.79
of having a good reputation.
00:01:31.79\00:01:33.89
So, I called the
company using the 800 number
00:01:33.89\00:01:36.83
on the back of the card
00:01:36.83\00:01:38.36
and they told me
what the problem was,
00:01:38.36\00:01:40.70
the card was maxed out.
00:01:40.70\00:01:42.90
Now, that was impossible
00:01:42.90\00:01:44.57
because I hardly
ever used the thing.
00:01:44.57\00:01:46.53
So, naturally, I asked them,
00:01:46.53\00:01:48.40
"Hey, tell me what I bought."
00:01:48.40\00:01:51.11
Well, it turns out that
somebody had used my card
00:01:51.11\00:01:53.88
to buy a bunch of
expensive stereo equipment
00:01:53.88\00:01:56.54
in some city I'd
never even been to.
00:01:56.54\00:01:59.11
And get this, they'd actually
physically been in the store
00:01:59.11\00:02:03.12
and swiped a real physical card.
00:02:03.12\00:02:05.79
Now, this was in the days
00:02:05.79\00:02:07.16
before everybody was
using credit cards online.
00:02:07.16\00:02:09.49
So, the real option you
had was to call in an order
00:02:09.49\00:02:13.06
and read the number out loud,
00:02:13.06\00:02:14.56
or show up in person and
actually swipe a physical card.
00:02:14.56\00:02:19.60
Well, of course, the
the charges were dropped
00:02:20.74\00:02:22.27
and my credit was restored
when they realized it wasn't me.
00:02:22.27\00:02:25.64
But I've got to admit that
it felt like a real violation.
00:02:25.64\00:02:29.68
Somebody out there
was pretending to be me
00:02:29.68\00:02:32.31
and doing really
dishonest things.
00:02:32.31\00:02:34.85
Now, this was before
everybody started using
00:02:34.85\00:02:37.15
the term identity theft,
00:02:37.15\00:02:38.92
which is even worse
than stealing a credit card.
00:02:38.92\00:02:42.32
Identity thieves take
pretty much everything,
00:02:42.32\00:02:44.63
your ID, your
Social Security number,
00:02:44.63\00:02:47.40
and now in some cases
even the title to your house
00:02:47.40\00:02:51.20
if they can manage to
forge a property deed.
00:02:51.20\00:02:54.17
What these people are doing
00:02:54.17\00:02:55.74
is taking something
really incredibly valuable,
00:02:55.74\00:02:59.11
your name and your reputation,
00:02:59.11\00:03:02.08
and they're using these
things in a dishonorable way,
00:03:02.08\00:03:05.41
which is exactly
what you and I are doing
00:03:06.58\00:03:08.68
when we appropriate God's name
00:03:08.68\00:03:10.42
to accomplish
something that we want.
00:03:10.42\00:03:13.22
When I was a little kid,
00:03:13.22\00:03:14.76
I was given the understanding
that the third commandment
00:03:14.76\00:03:16.93
was really a prohibition
against naughty language,
00:03:16.93\00:03:20.06
especially if you were attaching
God's name to your cussing.
00:03:20.06\00:03:24.57
But I've come to
belief since then
00:03:24.57\00:03:26.70
that it's a lot more than that,
00:03:26.70\00:03:28.40
that that was a rather
simplistic explanation.
00:03:28.40\00:03:32.34
So, today, we're gonna
unpack this just a little bit,
00:03:32.34\00:03:35.04
and you might wanna grab a Bible
00:03:35.04\00:03:36.81
and have it handy
if you've got one.
00:03:36.81\00:03:38.91
And if you don't,
00:03:38.91\00:03:40.35
you can always head on
over to voiceofprophecy.com
00:03:40.35\00:03:42.65
and look at some of
00:03:42.65\00:03:44.19
the great study Bibles we
have available, because well,
00:03:44.19\00:03:46.42
some of them have
extra wide margins,
00:03:46.42\00:03:48.36
which means you can
take a lot of notes.
00:03:48.36\00:03:51.16
So, today, maybe let's
start somewhere obvious,
00:03:51.16\00:03:53.80
Exodus Chapter 20,
00:03:53.80\00:03:55.53
which is the best known
summary of the 10 Commandments.
00:03:55.53\00:03:58.93
And today we're
gonna start right
00:03:58.93\00:04:00.17
at the very top of the chapter
00:04:00.17\00:04:01.67
because I wanna point out
something really important.
00:04:01.67\00:04:04.77
Exodus 20, verse
one, the Bible says,
00:04:04.77\00:04:08.11
"And God spoke all
these words, saying,
00:04:08.11\00:04:11.05
'I am the LORD your God,
00:04:11.05\00:04:13.11
who brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
00:04:13.11\00:04:15.52
out of the house of slavery.'"
00:04:15.52\00:04:17.92
Now, what you're gonna notice
in most English translations
00:04:17.92\00:04:21.22
is that the word LORD is written
with all capital letters,
00:04:21.22\00:04:25.36
and that's because the
translators are letting you know
00:04:25.36\00:04:28.10
that the original Hebrew
00:04:28.10\00:04:29.50
is something the scholars
call the Tetragrammaton,
00:04:29.50\00:04:33.20
the four Hebrew letters
that make up God's name.
00:04:33.20\00:04:36.34
And those four letters,
00:04:36.34\00:04:37.97
as you probably
know, are Yod-He-Vav-He,
00:04:37.97\00:04:40.51
or Y-H-V-H if you
transliterate it into English.
00:04:40.51\00:04:45.48
Now, of course, Y-H-V-H
is pretty hard to pronounce.
00:04:45.48\00:04:49.42
And back in the medieval period,
00:04:49.42\00:04:51.25
we invented the word Jehovah
00:04:51.25\00:04:54.06
as a pronounceable
stand-in for the letters.
00:04:54.06\00:04:57.36
Then, in recent years, we
kind of wandered away from that
00:04:57.36\00:04:59.53
and tried to be more accurate.
00:04:59.53\00:05:01.40
So, now you'll hear people
using the name Yahweh instead.
00:05:01.40\00:05:06.07
The real truth is we don't know
exactly how it's pronounced,
00:05:06.07\00:05:10.41
but we do know this.
00:05:11.34\00:05:12.87
The way God's name is used
throughout the Bible indicates
00:05:12.87\00:05:15.44
that how you use God's
name is not a trifling matter.
00:05:15.44\00:05:20.18
When God first met
Moses at the burning bush,
00:05:20.18\00:05:22.65
He used this four-letter name
00:05:22.65\00:05:24.85
because Moses wanted to know
what His credentials would be
00:05:24.85\00:05:28.19
if he went to go
speak to the Israelites.
00:05:28.19\00:05:30.53
"When they ask who
sent me, what should I say?"
00:05:30.53\00:05:34.00
Here's God's reply
back in Exodus Chapter 3,
00:05:34.00\00:05:37.80
"God said to
Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.'
00:05:37.80\00:05:41.30
And he said, 'Say this
to the people of Israel,
00:05:41.30\00:05:43.37
'I AM has sent me to you.'"
00:05:43.37\00:05:46.31
the name
Y-H-V-H, or Yod-He-Vav-He,
00:05:47.38\00:05:50.88
is a form of the
Hebrew verb to be.
00:05:50.88\00:05:54.12
And throughout the Bible,
00:05:54.12\00:05:55.52
God identifies Himself
as a self-existent being,
00:05:55.52\00:05:58.82
which means that
He's truly eternal.
00:05:58.82\00:06:01.69
He doesn't depend on anybody
00:06:01.69\00:06:03.22
or anything else
for His existence,
00:06:03.22\00:06:05.59
but it's even more than that.
00:06:05.59\00:06:07.60
Everything else that
does exist depends on Him.
00:06:07.60\00:06:11.17
And so, there's a sense in
which the holy name also means,
00:06:11.17\00:06:14.37
"I will cause it to be,"
as in God is the Creator.
00:06:14.37\00:06:18.81
He's letting us know that the
entire universe, including us,
00:06:18.81\00:06:22.64
is only here
because He caused it.
00:06:22.64\00:06:25.58
So, as you can probably guess,
00:06:26.41\00:06:27.92
the identity of the Creator
is not a trifling matter.
00:06:27.92\00:06:30.92
In fact, who He is,
who He claims to be,
00:06:30.92\00:06:34.66
well, it's pretty
important for all of us,
00:06:34.66\00:06:36.42
because you
wouldn't be here without Him.
00:06:36.42\00:06:39.69
So, when God descends on
Sinai to address His people,
00:06:39.69\00:06:43.30
He starts by reminding them
00:06:43.30\00:06:45.00
that the great I AM is speaking,
00:06:45.00\00:06:47.04
the one who led
them out of Egypt.
00:06:47.04\00:06:49.70
The fact that he
identifies Himself by name
00:06:49.70\00:06:52.27
at the very top
of the commandments
00:06:52.27\00:06:54.38
the same way He did
when He launched the Exodus
00:06:54.38\00:06:57.81
is a reminder
that we are dealing
00:06:57.81\00:06:59.38
with the very
Creator of the universe,
00:06:59.38\00:07:01.48
the all-powerful,
all-knowing, omnipresent God.
00:07:01.48\00:07:06.12
Which brings me to
the third commandment
00:07:06.12\00:07:08.39
where God draws a clear boundary
00:07:08.39\00:07:10.29
around how His name gets used.
00:07:10.29\00:07:13.16
Here's what it says in Exodus
Chapter 20 and verse seven,
00:07:13.16\00:07:17.03
"Ye shall not take the name
of the LORD your God in vain,
00:07:18.47\00:07:20.80
for the LORD will
not hold him guiltless
00:07:20.80\00:07:22.57
who takes His name in vain."
00:07:22.57\00:07:25.41
Now, again, you'll notice
this is not a small thing.
00:07:25.41\00:07:28.48
God says He's not
gonna just let it slide
00:07:28.48\00:07:30.68
if you choose to
take His name in vain.
00:07:30.68\00:07:32.81
And given the way that you
and I tend to downplay sin,
00:07:32.81\00:07:35.85
especially in this day and age,
00:07:35.85\00:07:37.72
human beings are often
tempted to consider the matter
00:07:37.72\00:07:40.19
of abusing God's
name as a minor thing,
00:07:40.19\00:07:42.59
"Hey, it's no big
deal," but God says otherwise.
00:07:42.59\00:07:45.93
It is not a
trivial matter to Him.
00:07:45.93\00:07:48.70
God says He won't hold
you guiltless if you do this.
00:07:48.70\00:07:52.67
Now, of course, you might
think you got away with it,
00:07:52.67\00:07:55.37
you might think
it didn't mean much,
00:07:55.37\00:07:57.61
but God disagrees and He
says there will be a bill
00:07:57.61\00:08:00.81
to pay for that, but
a bill for what exactly?
00:08:00.81\00:08:05.61
Just for using God's
name as an expletive?
00:08:05.61\00:08:08.62
Well, clearly that's part of it,
00:08:08.62\00:08:10.09
but the issue
runs deeper than that.
00:08:10.09\00:08:12.05
And before we take
a really quick break,
00:08:12.05\00:08:14.19
I'll give you a little hint
about what I'm gonna show you.
00:08:14.19\00:08:17.33
Taking God's name in vain has
something to do with the crime
00:08:17.33\00:08:20.93
of identity theft.
00:08:20.93\00:08:22.70
Maybe you've had
your identity stolen,
00:08:22.70\00:08:24.73
or maybe somebody spoofed
your social media account.
00:08:24.73\00:08:27.87
So, during the break, think
about the way that made you feel
00:08:27.87\00:08:31.44
and that awful feeling
you get when you realize
00:08:31.44\00:08:34.01
that if people
believe the imposter is you,
00:08:34.01\00:08:37.95
it might just
ruin your reputation.
00:08:37.95\00:08:40.05
I mean, have you ever
seen one of those messages
00:08:40.05\00:08:42.15
from one of your
social media contacts, saying,
00:08:42.15\00:08:44.05
"Hey, if you get a new friend
request that looks like me,
00:08:44.05\00:08:47.02
please ignore it?"
00:08:47.02\00:08:49.12
Why are they so concerned?
00:08:49.12\00:08:51.03
And why do
corporations use things
00:08:51.03\00:08:52.83
like trademarks and copyrights?
00:08:52.83\00:08:55.30
Well, it's pretty
obvious, isn't it?
00:08:55.30\00:08:56.93
It's so that nobody
else can claim to be them.
00:08:56.93\00:09:00.77
I'll be right back after this.
00:09:00.77\00:09:03.37
[relaxing music fades]
00:09:03.37\00:09:06.04
- [Announcer] Here at
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:09:06.04\00:09:07.44
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:09:07.44\00:09:10.01
for the whole family,
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like our audio adventure
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00:09:11.45\00:09:14.58
"Discovery Mountain"
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00:09:14.58\00:09:17.12
for kids of all
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Your family will enjoy
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With 24 seasonal
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00:09:29.70\00:09:32.97
- When you buy a franchise,
00:09:35.60\00:09:37.01
you have to sign an
awful lot of legal paperwork
00:09:37.01\00:09:39.51
that outlines precisely
00:09:39.51\00:09:41.31
how you're allowed to use the
company's name and trademarks.
00:09:41.31\00:09:44.95
If you're going
to open a McDonald's,
00:09:44.95\00:09:46.68
you need to look
like a McDonald's,
00:09:46.68\00:09:48.55
and of course, you have
to behave like a McDonald's.
00:09:48.55\00:09:51.52
Or if you're
gonna open a 7-Eleven,
00:09:51.52\00:09:53.32
you need to
behave like a 7-Eleven.
00:09:53.32\00:09:56.09
It's a matter of branding.
00:09:56.09\00:09:58.36
And wouldn't you know it?
00:09:58.36\00:09:59.86
Sometimes people wonder
why we won't just let them use
00:09:59.86\00:10:01.90
the name of this organization,
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:10:01.90\00:10:05.40
and it's for the same reason.
00:10:05.40\00:10:06.63
For almost a hundred years,
00:10:06.63\00:10:08.40
this organization has preserved
a very pristine reputation.
00:10:08.40\00:10:12.44
People know what we are,
00:10:12.44\00:10:15.08
and in the world of the internet
00:10:15.08\00:10:16.64
where international boundaries
don't really exist anymore,
00:10:16.64\00:10:18.91
it doesn't take
very long for somebody
00:10:18.91\00:10:21.22
to cause significant
damage by going out there
00:10:21.22\00:10:23.79
and pretending to be you.
00:10:23.79\00:10:25.72
I mean, some dishonest person
could open a YouTube channel
00:10:25.72\00:10:28.86
and claim to be
affiliated with us,
00:10:28.86\00:10:31.06
and they could spout a
lot of religious nonsense.
00:10:31.06\00:10:34.10
And believe me, people
try it, so we don't allow it.
00:10:34.10\00:10:37.97
And when we find
somebody doing it,
00:10:37.97\00:10:39.73
we shut it down like yesterday.
00:10:39.73\00:10:43.20
So, what exactly does it mean
00:10:43.20\00:10:44.94
to take the Lord's name in vain?
00:10:44.94\00:10:46.31
Well, it actually
refers to a number of issues
00:10:46.31\00:10:49.44
from taking frivolous
oaths all the way down to
00:10:49.44\00:10:51.91
a person's general conduct.
00:10:51.91\00:10:54.02
And I think maybe we
should start with this business
00:10:54.02\00:10:56.35
of oath taking.
00:10:56.35\00:10:58.25
There's a
statement in the Gospels
00:10:58.25\00:11:00.06
where Jesus warns us
about taking oaths lightly.
00:11:00.06\00:11:03.19
You find it in the
Sermon on the Mount
00:11:03.19\00:11:04.99
in Matthew Chapter 5,
00:11:04.99\00:11:07.13
where Jesus sheds a lot of
light on the deeper meaning
00:11:07.13\00:11:09.76
of God's moral requirements.
00:11:09.76\00:11:12.03
A lot of that
sermon is like a commentary
00:11:12.03\00:11:14.84
on the 10 Commandments.
00:11:14.84\00:11:15.90
So, listen to what Jesus says.
00:11:15.90\00:11:18.57
"Again you have heard it
was said to those of old,
00:11:18.57\00:11:21.84
'You shall not swear falsely,
00:11:21.84\00:11:23.78
but shall perform to the
Lord what you have sworn.'
00:11:23.78\00:11:27.05
But I say to you, do
not take an oath at all,
00:11:27.05\00:11:29.75
either by heaven, for
it is the throne of God,
00:11:29.75\00:11:32.32
or by the earth, for it is
His footstool, or by Jerusalem,
00:11:32.32\00:11:35.62
for it is the
city of the great King.
00:11:35.62\00:11:37.89
And do not take
an oath by your head,
00:11:37.89\00:11:40.26
for you cannot make
one hair white or black.
00:11:40.26\00:11:43.20
Let what you say be
simply 'Yes' or 'No';
00:11:43.20\00:11:45.63
anything more than
this comes from evil."
00:11:45.63\00:11:49.20
Now, back in the day,
00:11:49.20\00:11:51.01
a lot of pagan
cultures were used to swearing
00:11:51.01\00:11:53.38
by the names of their gods
00:11:53.38\00:11:54.98
in order to
emphasize their credibility
00:11:54.98\00:11:57.81
when they were
signing contracts.
00:11:57.81\00:12:00.45
Of course, the fact you
need solemn pronouncements
00:12:00.45\00:12:03.62
to underline your integrity
says a lot about who we are
00:12:03.62\00:12:07.06
as human beings,
because as you know,
00:12:07.06\00:12:10.23
anytime somebody
has to really emphasize
00:12:10.23\00:12:12.83
that they're honest,
00:12:12.83\00:12:14.36
that has a way of making you
doubt whether or not it's true.
00:12:14.36\00:12:17.50
The ancient Jewish
philosopher, Philo,
00:12:17.50\00:12:19.27
described the problem like this.
00:12:19.27\00:12:20.80
He said, "That being,
which is the most beautiful,
00:12:20.80\00:12:24.27
and the most
beneficial to human life,
00:12:24.27\00:12:26.41
and suitable to rational
nature, swears not itself,
00:12:26.41\00:12:29.84
because truth on every
point is so innate with him
00:12:29.84\00:12:32.75
that his bare word
is accounted an oath.
00:12:32.75\00:12:36.22
Next to not swearing at all,
00:12:36.22\00:12:37.55
the second best thing
is to keep one's oath,
00:12:37.55\00:12:40.56
for by the mere
fact of swearing at all,
00:12:40.56\00:12:43.22
the swearer shows that
there is some suspicion
00:12:43.22\00:12:46.39
of his not being trustworthy."
00:12:46.39\00:12:49.16
So, in other words,
00:12:49.16\00:12:50.57
the best possible
reputation you can have
00:12:50.57\00:12:53.44
is to have people
think you're honest,
00:12:53.44\00:12:55.30
that when you say something,
00:12:55.30\00:12:57.17
everybody can
take it to the bank.
00:12:57.17\00:12:59.57
The next best
thing, according to Philo,
00:12:59.57\00:13:01.91
is to swear an oath.
00:13:01.91\00:13:03.65
But if you're really
adamant about doing that,
00:13:03.65\00:13:05.85
it makes a lot of
people just suspect,
00:13:05.85\00:13:07.92
maybe you
aren't all that honest.
00:13:07.92\00:13:09.95
Back in the ancient world,
00:13:10.79\00:13:12.05
people would invoke
the names of their gods
00:13:12.05\00:13:14.06
when they were
entering into a solemn contract
00:13:14.06\00:13:16.76
in order to make the penalty
00:13:16.76\00:13:18.33
for breaking that contract
seem all the more serious.
00:13:18.33\00:13:22.83
They were basically saying,
00:13:22.83\00:13:24.37
"May my god punish me severely
if I don't keep my word."
00:13:24.37\00:13:28.14
And of course,
invoking the name of Yahweh
00:13:28.14\00:13:31.37
is very serious business.
00:13:31.37\00:13:33.21
You wanted to be very
careful if you did that,
00:13:33.21\00:13:35.58
because God insists
that His name is holy
00:13:35.58\00:13:38.98
and He expects us to treat
it with the utmost reverence.
00:13:38.98\00:13:42.48
So, the Pharisees and
other religious experts came up
00:13:42.48\00:13:45.02
with all these little loopholes
they could use to swear oath
00:13:45.02\00:13:47.96
that didn't
actually involve God's name.
00:13:47.96\00:13:50.29
They would swear by Jerusalem,
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.23
or they would
swear by the heavens,
00:13:52.23\00:13:53.73
or they would
swear by the earth.
00:13:53.73\00:13:55.76
And Jesus told them,
"Look, these are loopholes,
00:13:55.76\00:13:58.20
and loopholes are pointless."
00:13:58.20\00:14:00.50
Why? It's because
character is what matters.
00:14:00.50\00:14:04.77
I mean, these were the
people who adopted God's name.
00:14:04.77\00:14:07.84
They publicly
identified with Him.
00:14:07.84\00:14:11.25
"Your words were found,"
said Jeremiah, "And I ate them,
00:14:11.25\00:14:14.45
and Your words
became to me a joy
00:14:14.45\00:14:16.79
and the delight of my heart,
00:14:16.79\00:14:18.12
for I am called by
Your name, O LORD."
00:14:18.12\00:14:22.42
Again, that's Yahweh.
00:14:22.42\00:14:23.89
In other passages,
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.43
we discovered that the temple
was also called by God's name,
00:14:26.43\00:14:28.70
and so was the city,
and so were all the people.
00:14:28.70\00:14:32.20
It's as if God gave His
people His personal credit card
00:14:32.20\00:14:35.47
along with His signature.
00:14:35.47\00:14:37.41
He allowed them to
identify with Him so closely
00:14:37.41\00:14:41.31
that He actually
called them by His own name.
00:14:41.31\00:14:44.95
So, let's think
about you and me.
00:14:44.95\00:14:46.92
You might not take a vow
00:14:47.72\00:14:49.15
that actually
mentions the name God,
00:14:49.15\00:14:51.42
but the fact that you identify
as one of His people means
00:14:51.42\00:14:54.72
that your character needs
to represent Him every bit
00:14:54.72\00:14:57.83
as much as your words.
00:14:57.83\00:14:59.49
And wouldn't you know it?
00:14:59.49\00:15:01.06
There's a well-known scene
over in the Book of Revelation
00:15:01.06\00:15:03.50
where John sees God's
covenant people standing
00:15:03.50\00:15:06.30
on Mount Zion,
the Holy Mountain,
00:15:06.30\00:15:08.90
and they have the Father's
name written in their foreheads.
00:15:08.90\00:15:12.44
Just listen to what it says.
00:15:12.44\00:15:14.58
"Then I looked, and behold,
on Mount Zion stood the Lamb,
00:15:14.58\00:15:18.15
and with Him
144,000 who had His name
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.88
and His Father's name
written on their foreheads.
00:15:20.88\00:15:24.65
It is these who have not
defiled themselves with women,
00:15:24.65\00:15:27.26
for they are virgins.
00:15:27.26\00:15:28.72
It is these who follow
the Lamb wherever He goes.
00:15:28.72\00:15:31.93
These have been redeemed
from mankind as first fruits
00:15:31.93\00:15:34.73
for God and the Lamb,
00:15:34.73\00:15:35.90
and in their
mouth no lie was found,
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.67
for they are blameless."
00:15:38.67\00:15:41.17
You see, in the biblical world,
00:15:42.14\00:15:44.21
your name was
more than just a label.
00:15:44.21\00:15:46.34
It was supposed to be a
summary of your character.
00:15:46.34\00:15:49.38
Parents chose names for
their babies very carefully
00:15:49.38\00:15:52.41
because they were praying
00:15:52.41\00:15:53.98
that their children would grow
into the character described
00:15:53.98\00:15:57.59
by the name they chose.
00:15:57.59\00:15:59.35
And you'll notice that when
God revealed His name to Moses,
00:15:59.35\00:16:02.22
again, on Mount Sinai,
00:16:02.22\00:16:03.89
He did it by
describing His character.
00:16:03.89\00:16:07.36
You'll find that
in Exodus Chapter 34,
00:16:07.36\00:16:10.70
A name was a very sacred thing.
00:16:10.70\00:16:13.40
And to be
identified by God's name meant
00:16:13.40\00:16:16.40
that you belong to Him,
00:16:16.40\00:16:17.91
and He expects your behavior
to reflect His character.
00:16:17.91\00:16:21.81
That's why we find God's
name written on the foreheads
00:16:21.81\00:16:24.35
of His last day people.
00:16:24.35\00:16:25.61
It's not a tattoo,
it's not a computer chip,
00:16:25.61\00:16:28.62
it's a reflection of the
way your mind has been reshaped
00:16:28.62\00:16:32.32
by the very character of God.
00:16:32.32\00:16:34.46
And if you really want
your life to reflect the name
00:16:35.72\00:16:37.83
and character of God,
00:16:37.83\00:16:39.36
then being truthful is a
really good place to start.
00:16:39.36\00:16:43.47
So, Jesus says,
00:16:43.47\00:16:44.87
"Look, it's not just
your language that counts,
00:16:44.87\00:16:46.77
it's also your character.
00:16:46.77\00:16:48.37
So, let your yes be
yes and your no be no."
00:16:48.37\00:16:52.24
And to this day,
00:16:52.24\00:16:53.51
there are all
sorts of Christian groups
00:16:53.51\00:16:55.01
that actually refuse
to swear any kind of oath
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.28
based on that statement.
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.35
And what they'll
do in a courtroom
00:16:59.35\00:17:01.12
is affirm their
intention to be truthful
00:17:01.12\00:17:04.25
instead of swearing to it.
00:17:04.25\00:17:06.29
And honestly, I find
that pretty admirable,
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.62
because most of us would
rather be known as someone
00:17:08.62\00:17:11.49
who is always,
always, always honest.
00:17:11.49\00:17:15.13
Now, I'm not
convinced that the statement
00:17:15.13\00:17:16.93
from Jesus completely precludes
the taking of all oaths,
00:17:16.93\00:17:20.60
because you'll notice He
still expects His audience
00:17:20.60\00:17:23.34
to perform the
oaths they've taken.
00:17:23.34\00:17:26.21
And we have all kinds of
biblical examples of oath taking
00:17:26.21\00:17:29.04
that are clearly within
the bounds of what Godly people
00:17:29.04\00:17:32.68
are supposed to do.
00:17:32.68\00:17:34.35
For example, the
Apostle Paul swore an oath
00:17:34.35\00:17:37.25
on more than one occasion.
00:17:37.25\00:17:38.65
And even God confirmed
His own word with an oath
00:17:38.65\00:17:41.79
in Hebrew 6, verse 17.
00:17:41.79\00:17:44.49
In Numbers 30, verse
two, and Deuteronomy 23:21,
00:17:44.49\00:17:48.20
we discover that God
expects us to keep our oaths.
00:17:48.20\00:17:53.10
So, it wasn't
exactly oath taking
00:17:53.10\00:17:55.80
that was outright forbidden.
00:17:55.80\00:17:57.91
What Jesus was
trying to teach us
00:17:57.91\00:18:00.31
is that our character should
be such a close reflection
00:18:00.31\00:18:03.35
of God that you
don't need an oath at all.
00:18:03.35\00:18:06.55
So, in one sense, taking God's
name in vain is a reference
00:18:07.98\00:18:11.49
to the ancient
practice of oath taking.
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.86
And if you're going to attach
God's name to your promise,
00:18:13.86\00:18:18.23
you better be sure you
mean it and you keep that oath,
00:18:18.23\00:18:22.13
because of course, God
always, always, always, always,
00:18:22.13\00:18:27.20
always keeps His word.
00:18:27.90\00:18:29.57
I'll be right back after this.
00:18:29.57\00:18:32.37
[relaxing music fades]
00:18:32.37\00:18:35.48
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:18:35.48\00:18:37.88
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:18:37.88\00:18:41.28
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:18:41.28\00:18:43.72
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:18:43.72\00:18:46.76
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.32
we've created the
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00:18:48.32\00:18:50.49
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00:18:50.49\00:18:52.13
They're designed to
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00:18:52.13\00:18:54.56
and provide answers to many
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00:18:54.56\00:18:57.57
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00:18:57.57\00:18:59.60
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00:18:59.60\00:19:01.94
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00:19:01.94\00:19:04.74
- There's an old story
00:19:04.74\00:19:05.97
that a good friend
of mine used to tell
00:19:05.97\00:19:07.74
about Alexander the Great.
00:19:07.74\00:19:09.64
Apparently, somebody caught one
00:19:09.64\00:19:12.21
of his guards sleeping on duty,
00:19:12.21\00:19:14.58
and so they dragged
the poor guy in front of
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.45
the great Macedonian general.
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.72
"We caught this
guy sleeping, sir."
00:19:18.72\00:19:20.89
And of course, that
was a really serious thing,
00:19:20.89\00:19:23.49
because it often
met the death penalty.
00:19:23.49\00:19:26.59
By sleeping on the job,
00:19:26.59\00:19:28.16
you'd actually endangered the
lives of your fellow soldiers.
00:19:28.16\00:19:31.00
It wasn't taken lightly.
00:19:31.00\00:19:33.23
So, apparently,
according to the story,
00:19:33.23\00:19:35.17
Alexander looked this guy
over up and down and said,
00:19:35.17\00:19:38.67
"What is your name, soldier?"
00:19:38.67\00:19:41.01
And for just half a moment,
00:19:41.01\00:19:42.34
the man suddenly
felt a little bit of hope.
00:19:42.34\00:19:43.78
Maybe he wouldn't be
killed for his transgression.
00:19:43.78\00:19:46.58
"Oh, sir, it's Alexander.
00:19:46.58\00:19:48.88
My name is like your name."
00:19:48.88\00:19:51.72
The Great general was
quiet for half a heartbeat
00:19:51.72\00:19:53.99
and then said, "Well,
either then change your name
00:19:53.99\00:19:57.29
or change your conduct."
00:19:57.29\00:19:59.93
And you know, that's
really what's at the heart
00:19:59.93\00:20:02.33
of the third commandment, it's
the issue of identity theft.
00:20:02.33\00:20:06.20
We've looked at the
matter of oath taking,
00:20:06.20\00:20:07.90
how God takes His
reputation very seriously.
00:20:07.90\00:20:10.64
So, if you're gonna
swear by the name of God,
00:20:10.64\00:20:12.77
you'd better keep your word,
00:20:12.77\00:20:14.91
because you've made God
your involuntary accomplice,
00:20:14.91\00:20:18.45
you've dragged His
reputation into the equation.
00:20:18.45\00:20:21.48
It'd be like one of your
friends making a big promise
00:20:21.48\00:20:23.89
on your behalf
without your consent.
00:20:23.89\00:20:26.92
It's the sin of name dropping,
00:20:26.92\00:20:29.39
using God to make
yourself seem more credible.
00:20:29.39\00:20:32.39
And of course,
because you're a sinner,
00:20:32.39\00:20:34.36
God's name almost always
gets dragged through the mud
00:20:34.36\00:20:37.40
when you do that.
00:20:37.40\00:20:39.00
So, is God afraid that you're
gonna somehow embarrass Him?
00:20:39.00\00:20:43.44
Well, not exactly,
00:20:43.44\00:20:45.04
because the cross of Christ
tells me that God was willing
00:20:45.04\00:20:48.14
to suffer the very
worst humiliation to save you.
00:20:48.14\00:20:52.51
The reason the third
commandment is so serious
00:20:52.51\00:20:55.12
is because the entire human
race has broken trust with God.
00:20:55.12\00:20:58.95
And now, in His plan to save us,
00:20:58.95\00:21:01.36
God is asking us to trust Him.
00:21:01.36\00:21:04.66
And when you and I throw shade
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.26
on God's absolutely
trustworthy character,
00:21:06.26\00:21:09.66
it has a way of driving
other people away from Him.
00:21:09.66\00:21:12.70
I mean, just
look at the reputation
00:21:12.70\00:21:14.30
that organized religion now has.
00:21:14.30\00:21:16.91
We've earned some
of that, to be honest.
00:21:16.91\00:21:20.01
And that was really the
issue back in Jeremiah's day.
00:21:20.01\00:21:23.38
The people of God
were supposed to be a light
00:21:23.38\00:21:25.75
to the whole world.
00:21:25.75\00:21:27.15
The temple was supposed
to become, the Bible says,
00:21:27.15\00:21:29.75
"A house of
prayer for all peoples,"
00:21:29.75\00:21:33.15
but instead, the
Israelites denigrated the temple
00:21:33.15\00:21:36.12
and made it less than
it was supposed to be.
00:21:36.12\00:21:38.56
So, why was that a problem?
00:21:38.56\00:21:40.43
Well, the temple was a portrayal
of God's love and mercy.
00:21:40.43\00:21:44.70
It was a
transcript of His character.
00:21:44.70\00:21:47.80
And if you obscure God's image,
00:21:47.80\00:21:49.74
you're gonna rob
people of the hope
00:21:49.74\00:21:51.37
that God wants them to have.
00:21:51.37\00:21:53.44
God told Jeremiah,
00:21:53.44\00:21:54.81
"They set up their abominations
00:21:54.81\00:21:56.61
in the house that is called
by my name, to defile it."
00:21:56.61\00:22:00.95
And now, God has chosen
to place His name on us,
00:22:00.95\00:22:05.79
if you can believe it,
00:22:05.79\00:22:07.06
to identify with us so closely
00:22:07.06\00:22:09.52
that people will start to
see Him when they study us.
00:22:09.52\00:22:13.46
It's one of the
reasons I find it so despicable
00:22:13.46\00:22:16.40
when famous TV
preachers behave badly.
00:22:16.40\00:22:19.47
It's not that they're
embarrassing the church,
00:22:19.47\00:22:21.80
and believe me, they are,
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.67
it's more that they're bringing
shame to the name of God,
00:22:23.67\00:22:26.78
and it's shame that God clearly,
clearly doesn't deserve.
00:22:26.78\00:22:31.55
If you are gonna
call yourself a Christian,
00:22:32.75\00:22:35.22
and it's a word that
literally means in Christ,
00:22:35.22\00:22:38.12
if you're gonna call
yourself a Christian,
00:22:38.12\00:22:40.26
you're claiming to
represent Christ's values
00:22:40.26\00:22:43.06
and His character,
00:22:43.06\00:22:44.49
and that's a duty that
nobody should take lightly.
00:22:44.49\00:22:47.96
If I call myself a Christian
00:22:47.96\00:22:49.53
and then go out and
live like the devil,
00:22:49.53\00:22:52.23
well, that's a good
example of taking the name
00:22:52.23\00:22:54.50
of the Lord in vain.
00:22:54.50\00:22:56.50
But then you know, it
goes even deeper than that.
00:22:57.87\00:23:00.31
When you work in
religious circles like I do,
00:23:00.31\00:23:02.48
sometimes people will try
to convince me to do something
00:23:02.48\00:23:06.21
and they'll suddenly invoke God
00:23:06.21\00:23:08.28
in order to
persuade me to do it.
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.39
They'll ask me,
"Hey, preach on this topic,
00:23:10.39\00:23:13.52
or endorse this
book that I've written,
00:23:13.52\00:23:15.76
or endorse this
album I've recorded."
00:23:15.76\00:23:18.39
But instead of just asking,
00:23:18.39\00:23:20.10
they try to convince me by
saying something like this,
00:23:20.10\00:23:22.53
"God told me to ask you this."
00:23:22.53\00:23:26.07
Really? Did God
really tell you that?
00:23:26.07\00:23:29.50
Or do you hope
I can't refuse you
00:23:29.50\00:23:31.47
if God is
attached to the request?
00:23:31.47\00:23:34.61
Now, personally, I do
think that God still asks people
00:23:35.98\00:23:38.81
to do things,
00:23:38.81\00:23:40.38
but usually it's a matter of
your conscience prompting you.
00:23:40.38\00:23:43.12
He's trying to get
you to do something.
00:23:43.12\00:23:45.19
If you're gonna
suggest that God told you
00:23:46.29\00:23:48.59
to tell someone
else to do something,
00:23:48.59\00:23:51.19
well, you're claiming a
kind of prophetic status,
00:23:51.19\00:23:53.66
and I'd be really careful
with something like that.
00:23:53.66\00:23:57.67
And I know I'm
not alone on this.
00:23:57.67\00:23:59.60
I think I might get more of it
00:23:59.60\00:24:00.90
because of what
I do for a living,
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.54
but if I were to hazard a
guess, I'd say that most of you,
00:24:02.54\00:24:05.97
if you happen to go to church,
00:24:05.97\00:24:07.74
have experienced
something like this.
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.41
There just seems to
be this subset of people
00:24:10.41\00:24:12.65
who want to claim that God
is driving everything they want,
00:24:12.65\00:24:16.72
and they seem to think that
the rest of the congregation
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.92
has no choice but
to go along with them
00:24:18.92\00:24:21.36
if they say that God
is pushing this idea.
00:24:21.36\00:24:24.76
Now, to be fair,
00:24:25.73\00:24:27.46
I've had any number of occasions
when I'm absolutely certain
00:24:27.46\00:24:31.47
that God is
prompting me to do something.
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.90
I mean, if you're
going to believe the Bible,
00:24:33.90\00:24:36.57
then you have to believe in
the work of the Holy Spirit.
00:24:36.57\00:24:39.87
And one of the
Spirit's key activities,
00:24:39.87\00:24:42.31
according to scripture,
is to generate conviction.
00:24:42.31\00:24:45.68
So, yes, I'm convinced
that God has prompted me
00:24:45.68\00:24:49.75
to do things,
00:24:49.75\00:24:51.15
but to suggest that
God is speaking through you
00:24:51.15\00:24:54.42
to get someone
else to do something,
00:24:54.42\00:24:57.23
well, you better have some
compelling proof, because I
00:24:57.23\00:25:00.40
mean, why wouldn't God just
talk directly to that person?
00:25:00.40\00:25:03.30
I'm convinced that when
we drag God into our desires
00:25:04.63\00:25:07.97
as an unwilling accomplice,
00:25:07.97\00:25:10.04
it's another form of
taking God's name in vain.
00:25:10.04\00:25:13.27
You're invoking God
where He did not speak.
00:25:13.27\00:25:16.24
And it's not much
different than behaving badly
00:25:16.24\00:25:18.78
while wearing
the label believer.
00:25:18.78\00:25:22.02
I'd be very careful
before you tell someone,
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.02
"This is what God wants,"
00:25:24.02\00:25:26.02
because at the heart
of the third commandment
00:25:26.02\00:25:27.96
is a prohibition against
dragging God down to our level.
00:25:27.96\00:25:32.36
I'll be right back after this.
00:25:32.36\00:25:34.93
[relaxing music fades]
00:25:34.93\00:25:38.00
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:25:38.00\00:25:42.27
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:25:42.27\00:25:46.88
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:25:46.88\00:25:49.04
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:25:49.04\00:25:52.08
Our free Focus
on Prophecy Guides
00:25:52.08\00:25:54.48
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:25:54.48\00:25:57.25
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:25:57.25\00:26:00.29
and our world.
00:26:00.29\00:26:01.46
Study online or
request them by mail,
00:26:01.46\00:26:03.79
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:26:03.79\00:26:07.30
- Most of us kind
of like to do a bit
00:26:07.30\00:26:08.70
of name dropping
sometimes, because hey,
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.97
when you meet somebody famous,
00:26:10.97\00:26:12.47
you want your friends to know it
00:26:12.47\00:26:14.04
because you quietly hope
that your own stock value rises
00:26:14.04\00:26:18.37
if they connect you
to somebody prominent.
00:26:18.37\00:26:20.68
You're riding a
celebrity's coattails.
00:26:20.68\00:26:23.41
And here's the interesting
thing, when it comes to God,
00:26:23.41\00:26:25.51
He doesn't actually
mind if you do that.
00:26:25.51\00:26:27.45
He doesn't mind if
you claim to know Him.
00:26:27.45\00:26:30.22
I mean, if you listen to
the remarkable statements
00:26:30.22\00:26:32.59
from the Bible,
00:26:32.59\00:26:33.96
I mean, this one from
the book of Hebrews, Jesus,
00:26:33.96\00:26:36.46
He is not ashamed to
call them brothers, saying,
00:26:36.46\00:26:40.03
"I will tell of
your name to my brothers
00:26:40.03\00:26:42.16
in the midst of
the congregation."
00:26:42.16\00:26:44.50
Think about that.
00:26:44.50\00:26:45.40
The supreme Son of God,
00:26:45.40\00:26:46.87
the very fullness
of God and human flesh
00:26:46.87\00:26:49.30
is not afraid to
identify with you.
00:26:49.30\00:26:52.34
And honestly, if you were God
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.71
and looked at us
morally corrupt human beings,
00:26:53.71\00:26:56.91
would you be
willing to identify with us?
00:26:56.91\00:26:59.61
I mean, think of all
those distant family members
00:26:59.61\00:27:01.62
who share your name and
you kind of wish they didn't.
00:27:01.62\00:27:04.72
But the Son of God has
such profound love for you.
00:27:04.72\00:27:08.39
He doesn't mind descending
to our level to claim us.
00:27:08.39\00:27:11.86
He even calls
us by His own name.
00:27:11.86\00:27:14.96
It's a gift that deserves
00:27:15.86\00:27:17.27
the very highest
respect you can muster.
00:27:17.27\00:27:20.60
And the Bible
says that someday soon,
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.40
the name of Jesus will command
00:27:22.40\00:27:23.94
the highest honors
ever paid to anybody.
00:27:23.94\00:27:26.31
And imagine that,
Jesus, the Son of God,
00:27:26.31\00:27:29.44
the Creator of the universe,
00:27:29.44\00:27:31.41
allows you to use His name,
00:27:31.41\00:27:34.12
the name that will be
exalted above all names,
00:27:34.12\00:27:37.09
every knee bow,
every tongue confess.
00:27:37.09\00:27:39.59
That urges me to take
the matter of calling myself
00:27:40.82\00:27:44.36
by Christ's name, a
Christian, very seriously,
00:27:44.36\00:27:48.40
because if we're
gonna use His name,
00:27:48.40\00:27:50.90
we need to use it in a way
that the world sees Him in us
00:27:50.90\00:27:54.77
and recognizes that
we actually know Him.
00:27:54.77\00:27:58.14
Thanks for joining
me again this week,
00:27:58.14\00:28:00.38
and this has been
another episode of "Authentic."
00:28:00.38\00:28:03.24
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
We'll see you next time.
00:28:03.24\00:28:05.51
[relaxing music]
00:28:07.02\00:28:09.85
[relaxing music continues]
00:28:15.02\00:28:18.66
[relaxing music continues]
00:28:22.93\00:28:26.57