1119. The Glory due His Name – Third Commandment

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series entitled. Oh how I love thy law, which is a study of the 10 Commandments. Today's message will be preached by Dr. Brian hand of the Bob Jones University seminary Beach are you Pres. Steve Pettit will introduce him or continuing our series this morning on. Oh how I love thy law is so today we are privileged to have Dr. Brian hand from our seminary come and speak and that he'll announce the theme as we are working through the 10 Commandments doctoring in Exodus chapter 20 this morning. Exodus chapter 20 verse seven this message is a bit out of place for two reasons, we discover the first commandment yesterday but were going onto the third commandment again, and partly because the snow day in our schedules we needed to move onto that never come back to the second commandment in the future. So that's out of place. Clearly there's another reason that this message is out of place and that is what the Lord has to address in this passage, and in this commandment is something that is completely dis-and then with what a Christian ought to be is completely out of place of the Lord even have to raise such an issue with reference to people that are brought into a relationship with him in the Old Testament by the old covenant and the Mosaic law and in our day, through the new covenant that we find in Jesus Christ. So there's profound dissonance here first Chronicles urges us as far as this topic is concerned and urges us concerning the glory that is due his name and that passage in first Chronicles tells us, given to the Lord the glory due unto his name, bring an offering, and come before him, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

That passage implies the possibility that God's people could treat his name with contempt God's people could mishandle it could misuse it. But that Chronicles passage is also a positive reference to that in the negative. Really, that recovering today that is it urging us to do something. Give God the glory that's due his name whereas access is telling us what not to do the three Exodus 20 verse seven together, please. 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. In 2005, several members of the women's NCAA championship lacrosse team of that particular year were flip-flops to a ceremony with the president of the United States at the White House social and mainstream media immediately were abuzz with this pair, impropriety, and in their people on both sides of the equation. They had some defenders who said really come on were a new era. Nobody can tell anybody what to do.

There is no such thing really as a propriety in this particular circumstance. And then of course they had others including their own parents were appalled at the fact that they couldn't see that visiting the White House for a ceremony with the president in their honor deserved a little bit more attention and care in respect to be given to the situation will regardless of what we might think concerning the situation and we'll have to weigh in and decided today. Everyone involved at the time admitted that the students could have taken better care of they could have attended to in a little bit better and showed more respect, a kind of respect that the in the office of the president and the location as well as the gravity of the ceremony would've deserved. Apparently, even within our culture.

Most people think that there are people and circumstances that deserve honor the deserve our respect and typically when a person has either that the capability or character that is elevated to the very extent that his character or capability is elevated. We give him more respect. So person who hit more home runs gets more respect, more honor than a person who hits fewer but that's not always the case when we have when we confront the issue of a God who is perfect in holiness, perfect injustice, perfect in wisdom perfect and might and yet people will not give him respect the fact they do exactly the opposite.

Exodus chapter 20 warns us with this theme today since God judges. Those who misuse his name, you must give him the glory that's due his name is going to be unfolded because most of this passage is really application. It's fairly clear on a very straightforward level what the passage is saying, but it really can be applied in three different areas of the Old Testament unfolds for us. The first of these areas. It can be a reference that we moved to truth and then to concern or care for the name of the Lord, the name of a person is intimately associated with that person. It represents him so much so that if you were merely to attack the name of my wife, for example, that would be adequate cause for me to be a little disturbed what you were doing light because the name is connected with the person you tack the name of somebody we care about your attacking the person, and so it is when people attack the name of God are actually attacking him. They brush aside his name are treated as if it's worthless or useless. Just a throwaway word and sentences there attacking the person of God course that has no place in us who are his people. This means we have to understand exactly what the sin involves and how to avoid it through the spirit help and we want to do this again. The whole 10 Commandments rests on the foundation of a relationship that God is establishing with his people. If you are rightly related to God, the 10 Commandments now are not some external thing that were given to Israel long ago, but rather they well up with in us because the spirit of God calls us to live a life like this in life that is giving God the honor. It's due his name the proper treatment of God's name and consists of several key ideas here. The first of which is, you must use his name with deep reverence. Probably the most obvious point of this is a prohibition against cursing outright blasphemy reveals a hostility of heart and antipathy are our hatred of God in an aggressive form that is completely inappropriate. God to slander him for cursing is clearly malicious and evil, but it would be unreasonable to assume that all of you are in fact genuinely devoted to God. There may really be hostility in your heart, could you hear then the last portion of that verse which reminds us that the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

That is, he will not simply brush it aside and say it's no big deal.

It's okay, but there actually consequences for mishandling the name of God. The second half of Leviticus 1912 addresses the same point in warns us that honor is a key part of treating God's name properly. That verse says neither shalt thou profane the name of the Lord thy God I am the Lord brings to bear a similar wording and similar terminology that we have in Exodus 20, and says that one of the folk focuses one of the foci of Exodus 20.

Is this reverence. You cannot profane his name so that makes us wonder where does cursing really come from, why do people curse. Typically, people don't curse when life is good when everything is going really well.

Typically curse out of a heart of unbelief or out of anger. It's a warning to us as our heart is so stirred because of something bad that is happened to us that we are responding to the situation and actually miss using God's name if ever thought about what that really does though that's essentially taking whatever suffering you're involved in whatever suffering or frustration you're experiencing it and throwing it back God's feet. Not just with the recognition that he is providentially in control of calamity but throwing it back in his fever, or rather in his face and saying you're wrong to have done this year. Evil for me to have suffered such calamity and that's an abuse of his name. When Hezekiah refused to surrender the city of Jerusalem to grab Chaka in the Old Testament was sent by the Assyrian King's inaccurate to demand the surrender of of the city and when Hezekiah refused that surrender and when instead, he sought help from the Lord through Isaiah the prophet, grab Chaka responded with a violent tirade that we have recorded several times in the Old Testament, one of which is Isaiah 36 in which he spoke against the Lord, be aware lest Hezekiah persuade use a will deliver us at any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria. Where are the gods of Hammack and Arpad where the gods of Safari have they delivered Samaria out of my hand. Who are they among all the gods of these lands that have delivered their land out of my hand at the Lord to deliver Jerusalem out of my hand this official of the Assyrians was basically mad. He was angry that Siri was going to have to invest Jerusalem to cast up siege mounds against it to spend time, energy and blood, trying to take the city and that anger boiled over into slander and cursing the God of Israel, we probably know the story. Hezekiah actually took the letter angry tirade of this Assyrian official and he went before the Lord in the parade and that night the angel of the Lord struck 185,000 Assyrians dad destroyed the might of Assyria in both the king of Assyria and his officials that remain returned to Assyrian disgrace. Does that sound a little bit like the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Slander was rebutted by God. So it is when our in our culture when people don't get their way. They curse reflexively.

They curse a logic complaint against God. In this past December I was on Facebook and saw former students updates and I really enjoy getting updates from students. I like to follow where they are, how the Lord's leading them in life but this was a different case altogether.

A student sat in my Bible classes and my great classes had nothing but hostility and cursing and angry tirades against God and against his people against his church party thought.

How can this possibly be made was training for ministry. Just a few years ago and yet now his life and heart are filled exclusively with malice against God. He has let go. The reverence and is spiraling into a sin that is continuing to bring judgment and will bring greater judgment against him. Yes life is stressful but stress should not produce cursing in us, but rather faith when work under pressure. We run to the Lord and say yes Lord were hurting and MET physical that may be emotional and may be spiritual pain that were experiencing or social pain run to the Lord and laid at his feet and submission not in hostility show him the honor that's due his name for reverence. Even our culture has recognized very profoundly with a number of studies that currently prime time television is using obscenities about at about the rate of air 20 obscenities for every 1000 words spoken in primetime television. That's 2% of the total words on television that's tragic enough as it is, but they subdivide the obscenities in the categories of of cursing against God, and then sexual obscenities and then scatological obscenities and and several other smaller categories and the problem is in the analysis of many of the researchers as well as in contributing posts by other people more and more our culture is weighing in and saying cursing God. That shouldn't even be considered obscene. That's just that's ordinary life and God himself doesn't exist. Men, women, brothers and sister will you join this world and hostility towards God, supporting that kind of hostility in your speech the way you handle the reverence of God's name will our passage is applicable and and that the developable in another direction. And that is you must use God's name with complete truthfulness.

So not only have reverence but we also have truth.

At first glance it seems that passage merely says don't curse and that's correct, but the passage actually reads you shall not take not take along God's name is you shall not take or hold God's name at all in vain. In a parallel passage such as in Exodus chapter 23 verse one tells us that raising up of his name is actually pertaining to a false witness as well.

Thou shalt not raise a false report raises the same term take up an false is the same word is vain.

You shall not raise a false report put not by hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

In other words, people are taking the name of God upon themselves either by swearing an oath. I'm a child of God that commands us than to be truthful in your promises you by swearing an oath in the name of God or by simply saying I'm a Christian deal when you tell people you are Christian you are taking up the name of God and applying it to yourself and if you are careless in your speech. You have taken up the name of God in vain.

God made no difference in your life.

Your word is no more true than a person of this world's his name is not affected you for good. It's vanity, it's empty, it's false. Another parallel passage illustrates this point. In Leviticus 1912.

The first part regarding quoted the second part of that verse. The passage that you shall not swear by my name falsely, network falsely is once again our Lord vanity. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Don't lift up the name of God and be false in what you're doing in your behavior, your promises, the passage and also continues failure to be truthful in your representations of God. How most people take up the name we do so by naming them directly. So be truthful there.

We also do so indirectly with just the way our lives are live. Romans 224 warns the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. Also please addressing the Jews at that point, but the judge the people around Israel are looking at Israel and saying so much for their God.

He doesn't do anything. We haven't even given over our God's. And yet Israel up quickly at the drop of a hat abandons its gods, and follows after Baylor follows after quinoa for follows after another, God's one of the other nations and through our conduct or behavior in the way that we have lifted up God's name. Oh yes, I'm a follower of Jehovah and yet I look exactly like the world.

The world around me blasphemes God through me, or maybe second sale 1214 which says, in regard to David's sin, because by this deed. I was given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord, to blaspheme the child. Also that is born into the shall surely die. Does that mean then as far as arson is concerned that if we send in this way God will not forgive is not with the passage says. It says that the Lord will not hold him guiltless. There will be consequences. Just as there were with David but did God forgive David absolutely he will continue to forgive us, but his forgiveness does not mean that he will remove all consequences when we slander his holy name. The summer of 1996, 97, I had the privilege of working at the Wilde's and during one of the weeks and the second summer that I was there, the Wilde had told the church pay just bring organ sponsor some kids to just bring a couple of kids that are unbelievers in your can. Boy did they ever I found out when the week was over that they brought everything that they weren't allowed to have at the Wilde's Indochinese stars, knives, cigarettes, fireworks, everything just about these guys were pretty bad dudes and and they were pretty proud of it at the same time was a week war on I tried to get them aside from the rest of the group that is sent to Christians within the cabin with another counselor for one of the God night times and I just took these two guys, Matt and Russ aside. The setting spent some time with you and I said here's the gospel and in this is the measure making of your life and God offers redemption to you and I cannot forget the response they looked at me with all seriousness and said with the way these guys in the cabin live with the referring to all throughout the rest of the league, the Christians in the cabin dragged their feet on everything they wine they griped they were hostile.

They were indifferent they were no different than the services crossing their arms slumping down going to sleep.

I don't care about God. I don't care about his word. I Christian like that makes any difference in these two guys were unbelievers and, admittedly, so test, why should we believe your God when he makes no difference in the life of the people was crushed. How you answer that. How do you rebut that the name of God was blasphemed among the unbelievers on the account of his people. They had taken up the name of God in vain is useless worse than useless they gave a false report of who God is.

Bible is calling for us to treat the Lord's name with very great seriousness of the passage is on our third application, and that is you must use God's name with thoughtful care with just care the word vein itself can express in many context, just emptiness thoughtlessness. We speak of God. We ought to have the most attentive of hearts and minds a king focused and great care, profanity is more than malicious swearing. Do the word profanity means profane simply means common sticking God's name and as if it applies in your sentence as it is an interjection as if it has no more value than so you can't think of something to say next stick God's name in you just want to express surprise and something stick God's name and about a year ago ran across one of the our fellow students here as I happen to be passing on the sidewalk. She exclaimed oh my Jesus throughout the Lord's name and it was just out of shock or surprise something. Her friend was saying pause for just a minute and said you're using the Lord's name.

This way, that you need to exercise greater care in her response was oh, I didn't mean anything by it.

What he think vanity is I didn't mean anything. I didn't mean anything by taking the name of God.

It was a throwaway word in my thought and in my sentence had no care or concern for sometimes we don't go so far as blaspheming God directly or just careless. So however, this word is touching your heart this morning in regard to the third command realize how holy and how noble your God is in treat his name properly.

One of my children hit a stage about 18 months old. He's not this little anymore. He's 12 now, but he had a stage in which he followed my wife around the house going mommy mommy mommy mommy. You work so hard to get your kids to call you mommy and daddy and then they learn it and then they won't shut up from certain mommy so cute you like a cute little could be quiet. Mommy became merely an interjection for I want food I want a snack. I want to drink.

I'm tired and you play with me is on and on. It warmed my wife in court. Okay Daniel, you come with me vanity. He's not. There is no greater connection. There's no great thought. With that, it's hilarious, what a two-year-old doesn't. Not so funny. We take God's name seriously and not use it in vain.

Consider for a moment what the following actually mean he is God, the most high God, the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, the everlasting God, the Lord of hosts. He is the Lord will provide.

He is the Lord who heals you. He is the Lord is my banner. The Lord who sanctifies you the Lord our righteousness the jealous God. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. The Alpha and the Omega, beginning in the end. Can you join with me on the basis of what the Lord is urging us to with the spirit of God it live alive in you springing to compel your behavior and because God judges. Those who misuse his name you give him the glory that's due his name father were thankful for this word is a great reminder we dwell on it. See your holiness. We see your Majesty retreat you as the God that you are to Christ in the premed by listening friend. Can I ask you a question.

Have you received the crucified resurrected Jesus as your own personal savior. No doubt God is speaking to your heart.

There's a knock on the door of your heart and he's asking to come in. Would you personally individually right now. Call upon the name of the Lord asked Jesus to be your savior for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let me urge you to do that right now. May God bless you. You've been listening to a sermon preached at Bob Jones University by Dr. Brian hand. I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University.

Thank you for listening to The Daily Platform, the Bob Jones University school for continuing own line and professional education offers convenient and affordable online programs. Whether you're seeking to expand your skills pursue a passion or develop a ministry on your own time qualified and engaged instructors will help you reach your goals. For more information, visit scope.BJ you.edu or call 888-253-9833. Join us again tomorrow as we continue this series on the 10 Commandments here on The Daily Platform