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November 5, 2021 4:00 am
When we have children choose their names with great care. Often those names have personal meaning or significance would be offended if our names were tossed about in a derogatory fashion. But today's culture like things God's name and without shame today on Truth for Life will find out why God commands reverence for peers.
Alice and I invite you to take your Bibles and will turn to the Old Testament to Exodus chapter 20, where we continue our studies in the 10 Commandments coming to the third commandment which is found in verse seven Exodus 20 verse seven you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
The King James version had it 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. I think this translation helps to clarify, just what's involved in that the idea of the misuse of the name of God names are important important to every mom or dad if that were not the case then moms and dads would not spend such an amazing amount of time trying to determine what they were going to call their children and every parent worth their salt has at least on the first go around being made aware of those books either purchasing them or having them passed on to them that have these huge lists of names usually alphabetically listed and if you can recall those days. Are you in the middle of those days you go through the list and is one reason one reads it out now is as non-and it goes on like that until eventually you want to. The whole book you don't like any of the names of tall cell no urine was called that I never liked her. She was grumpy were not calling that was the guy is in that apartment remember him all know we could call our son so it was on and eventually you're in the labor room and it still owed you.
Did you bring the book know and what are we going to do most of it I think. Two out of three names in my family. I told my wife I said hey you know, choose the name I mean II can't believe you just did this so whatever name you want, you can choose it because this is amazing and so we have one child who got the name crooked nose, which is which is what Cameron means and it goes on from there. Although don't tell him that I told some of you have dated girls called Pamela, which isn't bad because the books tell me it means all money, if you're looking for the strong, rugged type and choosing George because George is armor tiller of the soil and told if you're thinking of waltzing with someone avoid Matilda Matilda, I'm told, means mighty McElnea takes an edge off the song doesn't names are important, especially the African context. Asian context and is in our own within the Scottish context that many names are Gallic in their origin.
For example my own name is Gallic Alastair is Gallic for Alexander bag is an Anglicized corruption of the Gallic word which means small or little and so those of you been calling me the little better. It's not.
It's not very nice and it's not very true. My favorite story about names of told before, and hopefully don't remember it but is the story of the lawyer whose name was on and all through his life. He wheezed if what I'm saying is that on Ballin is that you are IN the engine cleaned by the name of Zwingli when he left his last will and testament.
He put specific instructions in the Wellwood said that he did not want his name on his tombstone.
He had enough trouble with it through his life. He didn't want to follow him into his. So instead he had the inscription placed on his tombstone here lies an honest lawyer and people used to walk to the graveyard and look at it and say that's all. So we understand that name say something names mean something. Names are significant. Now if that is true on a horizontal plane. It is definitely true when we move into the transcendent level of the name of God and what I'd like for you to do this morning is in the sense to put on your thinking caps and think this through with me because I have a sneaking suspicion that if we were to say which is the least significant, although we know there is only significant, but if we want to determine what is the least significant of the 10 Commandments which is the one that you can kind of slighted bio on all of the 10 I want to.
We would choose three, but I wouldn't say well I don't think that's really as important as idolatry or graven images something so now it to any degree that is true, it bears testament is the fight that we don't fully understand what is being said in relationship to this third commandment to use the name of the glory of God wrongly if to misuse his name in chorus guilt. As verse seven tells us that it clearly must be important and we need to understand why longer to try and understand comprehensively, because we don't have time for that. But to some degree the.
The importance of the name of God the name of God in Scripture is given to us as something which is expressly precious.
The name of God. The unique name of God.
The proper name of God which we translate Lord in our English version of the Bible and that is Lord for Capitals L OR D not L and then small ORD or o RD you'll find both in the Bible, but when it is translated. All capitalized is expressive of the hedonistic name which in Hebrew had the letters Y, H, WH those of you are young you try for a moment to pronounce YH WH. How do you do it with great and in some cases, not all because God did not want his name pronounced it was to precious.
Indeed, when we leave the early chapters we read in the Pentateuch in the beginning of the Bible in the Old Testament we discover that was only one occasion when one individual, use the name of God in the whole year of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and on that day, the high priest went into the holy of holies you can read about it in the book of Leviticus 23 and they are on that day he took the name Yahweh upon his lips.
The two volatiles having been provided in order to create instability. But the fact of the matter was and remains the name of God was supremely precious. God's encounters with Moses have as much to teach us about the precious nature of his name as any others do, let me turn it into the first of all, in Exodus chapter 33 and then will go back to Exodus chapter 3 Exodus 33 God meets with Moses. Moses makes this request of God. If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I mean no you and continue to find favor with you. As verse 13. In verse 18 Moses says now show me your glory and the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you and I will proclaim my name Yahweh in your presence.
I will have mercy on whom I will of mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But he said you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live let me have this interesting little bit where he says there is a place near me where you may stand on a rock and ended Moses to stand in there so that when the glory passes by. He is not confronted by the board because he couldn't see the glory of God and live is a very interesting thing. This ties in with the fact that we are not to make graven images of God. Nobody could see God and live but he said I will make myself known in my name and my name will be pronounced before you. Chapter 34 verse five then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name Yahweh, and he passed in front of Moses proclaiming Yahweh.
Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God. In other words, he says his name twice and then he explains what he's saying and saying his name. The compassionate and gracious God what is God like slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. He maintains love to thousands. He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he is just gone and therefore does not leave the guilty unpunished, and the implications of that punishment run through generations. But in the expressing of his name. He is declaring not only the precious nature of it, but he is revealing his character, so we need to understand the name of God is precious and buying his name God portrays his greatness God reveals all that he is and all that he does turn back 30 chapters to Exodus chapter 3. There we have the encounter with God.
Moses and the burning bush the story whereby God reveals himself in the burning bush, Moses finds out that he's going on. I significant mission is going to go to Pharaoh to say let my people go.
In verse 13 chapter 3 Moses said to God, suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you and they asked me what is his name.
Then, what shall I tell strike you as a little bit funny. He says if I go to them and see that God came on your fathers has sent me to you and they say tell me his name.
So in other words, there is a guy mentioned to God that is revealed in the name which he is now about to give to Moses that is so immense in his grandeur and in its power that even the name team with which Genesis I begins in the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth, that word, nor even all of those words amassed can begin to express the immensity of who God is.
Well says God if he ask you that question is, use the verb to be say to them. I who I am. That's what God says to Moses, and you say to them I has sent me to you all who understand that okay good. Not too many because it is a bewildering sort of statement is what what you mean say I has sent me to elicit what it means by using the verb to be essential element by using this God expresses the essence of his character by using this as his name. He reveals the fact that he is self existent that he is self-sufficient that he is sovereign, that he depends on no one. He depends on nothing else in all of creation can take that as the who else do you know who is self existent, self fulfilled in need of no one in need of nothing and altogether sovereign, the answer is you don't know anyone in the foregoing one else so I know why I'm says God tell them I sent you and that you see jumping a couple of light years on a 4000 years on 2000 years on whatever jumping from the time of Moses to the time of Christ.
That's why Jesus got himself in so much trouble with the Jews because he Saying before Abraham was, I said that's God's name and he said that's right it's I am self existent. I self-sufficient. I am sovereign. I need no one, and I need nothing and they understood, which is a reminder to us in passing that the God we worship the God of Scripture is not a God of some cosmic discovery only is he a God of our own creation, but he is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is father son and Holy Spirit is both plural and perfect powerful and praiseworthy and all of that is revealed in his name when Jeremiah grasped this he said there is none like the old Lord, thou art grades and I name is great and my dishonest verse 20 chapter 20 verse seven says some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God, what was Jesus great triumphant prayer in John 17 verse six I he says father have manifested thy name. I have made known to them thy name how clearly folks this means something more than simply nomenclature. This means something more than simply saying God is God and he noticed a tall, so he's expressing something of his character, our control, and of his influence in all of the world. You see this until we grasp this, we can understand why the third commandment would be some significant receipt because of God is just down here somewhere, or of God is a cosmic creation or of God is a figment of my imagination, or of God is whatever I wanted to be in 20th-century parlance, why in the world you and I miss uses name God is a problem, sweetie, and our culture.
And it was not always like to ask our culture violates the hoses and millions of times every day.
The name of Almighty God, we would never have found it to be so. Had we lived 100 years from now, even 50 years from now.
It is indicative of where our culture rests not only trying to take this on from here for a moment or two, let me show to you. Just why it is important that we understand the name of God in this way.
Isaiah chapter 43 Isaiah speaking of the very same thing in verse 10 says you are my witnesses declares Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me know God was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I even I Yahweh and apart from me there is no Savior that's what I want to say to my Jewish friends. I want to say to them. Here it is in your book in our book in Isaiah 43 I want to show you the end of the story I want to show you the final piece of the jigsaw I want to say to you, Yahweh is Yahweh is Yahweh. There are not too there is one and he is the only God and he is the only Savior some you've come this morning, perhaps from a Jewish background and you know the fact that there in the day of atonement. There was forgiveness for sin and there is a high priest made that sacrifice.
So the people may be cleansed and renewed, and you know that it pointed out and on. You have not come to discover the one who was the land slain before the foundation of the world, who is the one who purifies us from all sin. And when we meet him do we discover him to be a different hole. He is Yahweh.
One in 33 and one immense ministry profound truth. Let me give you one or two names of God. You may like to write these down. I think you'll find this helpful. Certainly, if you get a hold of this, you'll understand why God is so concerned about his name that we give them to you and this is not exhaustive or comprehensive. It is selective.
So here we go Elohim Elohim yellow HIF simply means creator I referred to in Genesis 11 in the beginning Elohim created the heavens canasta this morning. Do you honor God as your creator. You believe that God created ex Nilo that he took nothing and made something you believe that God is self existent. He spoke the world came into being that he set the stars in space that he put the planets where he wants them that he in Christ holds everything together. You have a core team conviction in your heart concerning Elohim. If not, when you take his name upon your lips. You miss use his name because his name is creator LOL you want to word CL second word EL why ON simply means God the most high, you find it in Genesis 14 and the priesthood of Melchizedek.
He was priest off quartz LLE on God most high, the name emphasizes the sovereignty and the rule in the power of God.
Ask yourself is, I must ask myself why believe in this sovereign, powerful rule of God. Do I worship and understand LLE on and if I do, then why do I complain so much about my circumstances and why do I doubt his ability to intervene on my behalf. It is because I miss use his name. He is Yahweh gyrating to words Yahweh – and then GIREA.
It simply means the God who provides do you know the God who provides to know where this comes comes in a wonderful story again in the book of Genesis chapter 22. Abram has his boy, Isaac. He and said I have looked forward to this boy's coming for many a year. Finally, he's given as a gift to them on the word of God comes to Abram. He says Abraham did your son, your only son Isaac and sacrifice him on the place that I will show you and Isaac his dad and the few helpers begin to make the journey and eventually the dad says to the helpers.
You stay here I am the boy will go yonder and we will return and worship with you even though God said take your boy and sacrifice in the dad said the boy, and I will be by why because the dad knew what the boy was going to find out the dad knew that God was Yahweh gyrating and when the boy said hey we've got the wood and we got the fire going, but we got nothing to put up here. Abram says Yahweh he is Yahweh gyrating and turning.
They look and see a ram caught in the thinking and on that day. Isaac discovered that God was Yahweh, the provider listing to Truth for Life. Alister, if you're benefiting from these foundational lessons from the pathway to freedom series, you might want to own all 12 Messages We Pl. them on a convenient USB drive. It's only five dollars shipping is free. You'll find on the mobile app or online@truthforlife.org/store and while you're visiting the online store you may also want to pick up the corresponding pathway to freedom study guide it's written to accompany this audio series working your way through it is a great way to study the 10 Commandments on your own or with your Bible study group study guide contains 12 sections that dive deep into the messages Alister teaches in this series you will explore how each of these ancient Commandments applies directly to your life. Once again, look for both the pathway to freedom study guide and the pathway to freedom USB mobile app and online@truthforlife.org/store. We live in a culture that fails to understand the seriousness of sin and that lacks the proper fear of God, and that's why, in addition to the study guide and audio messages where highly recommending Alister's book titled pathway to freedom how God's laws guide our lives.
Alister helps us become aware of the offense of sin, of God's authority and of our need for a Savior. He explains that the 10 Commandments were never given to restrict our lives, they were given to set us free. Unpack all that me when you read the book pathway to freedom is yours. When you donate to support the teaching you here on Truth for Life. Just visit Truth for Life.org/donate Bob Lapine you enjoy your weekend and will be worshiping with your local church this weekend. Join us Monday as we consider three ways we break the third commandment Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living