The angel’s voice thunders out the words of the covenant across the entire wilderness encampment. Along with the other nine commandments, this one was impressed into the minds of God’s people: “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” (Exo. 20:7).
The intent was lost
By the time Jesus of Nazareth began to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, the intent of this commandment was lost on the Jewish teachers. Continuing their error, Jewish scholars have insisted that the divine name was too holy to be pronounced aloud by the common people — quoting the third commandment as their authority. This misunderstanding of the third commandment led to the distortion of the divine name.
The Jewish scholars of the 6th to 9th centuries (Masoretes) copied the Old Testament texts. They would put vowel marks by the four consonants of the divine name (YHWH) to remind the reader not to say the divine name aloud. The reader was to say adonai or Elohim, depending on what was indicated by the vowel marks.
Our knowledge suffers
The problem affected us many centuries later when the Hebrew texts were translated into English. The translators incorrectly assumed that the vowel marks were part of the divine name. This series of mistakes produced the spurious version of the divine name known as “Jehovah.”
Here is what some of the world’s foremost Hebrew translators have to say in the Preface of the Revised Standard Version translation: “While it is almost if not quite certain that the Name was originally pronounced ‘Yahweh,’ this pronunciation was not indicated when the Masoretes added vowel signs to the consonantal Hebrew text. To the four consonants YHWH of the Name, which came to be regarded as too sacred to be pronounced, they attached vowel signs indicating that in its place should be read the Hebrew word Ado nai…(or Elohim)…The form ‘Jehovah’ is of late medieval origin; it is a combination of the consonants of the Divine Name and the vowels attached to it by the Masoretes but belonging to an entirely different word. The sound of Y is represented by J and the sound of W by V, as in Latin.”
So much mischief– because Jewish scholars didn’t understand the third commandment, Gentile “Christians” apparently don’t stand a chance of understanding it either.
Consider what these same translators proceed to offer to defend their use of LORD and GOD to represent the divine name: “For two reasons the committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) the word “Jehovah” does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom He had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church.”
Imagine that — the Jews teach that God’s name is too holy to speak and popular Christianity teaches that His name is absolutely insignificant.
In refusing to say the name or understand its significance, the understanding of the greatest scriptural principle escapes both parties. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles can understand God manifestation when they refuse to learn the lesson of His name.
Bearing His name
The Jewish leaders tried to limit the application of the third commandment to merely verbalizing Yahweh’s name. There is certainly an application here (if His name is treated disrespectfully) but it is far from the dominant purpose. Let’s not focus on the name itself, but on the action associated with the name. What are we to do, or not do, with His name?
The key to understanding the full implication of this command is in the word “take” (Hebrew, nasa). Nasa is translated “bear” 156 times, “lift up” 137 times, “take (up, away)” 116 times, etc. The lesson crystallizes. We are being commanded not to take up, not to bear the name of Yahweh Elohim (He Who Shall Be Mighty Ones) in vain.
The parable of crossing Jordan
A historical parable can expand the principle.
In Joshua 3, we read of Israel crossing the Jordan River. The priests were to take up (v.6 Heb. nasa, same word as used in Exo. 20:7) the ark of the covenant and to bear it (vs. 3,8 nasa) into the Jordan. The ark was to precede the children of Israel by about 2,000 cubits. When the feet of the priests who bore (v.13 nasa) the ark stepped into the river, the waters did not simply part, as in the miracle of the Red Sea, they withdrew to the city of Adam.
The glorious beauty of God’s word is most evident below the surface. The priests bore the ark, the most visible symbol of God manifestation. It was an illustration of what would be accomplished in the Name. We are priests. Peter states we are now a royal priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:9,5). Paul makes repeated parallels between the early ecclesia and the Aaronic priesthood (e.g. Rom. 12:1; Heb. 10:19). The saints will be priests in the kingdom (Rev. 5:10). We are the priests of the Abrahamic covenant. We bear the responsibility of God manifestation. We have taken up the name.
The Jordan is the path of life to death — winding its way from the living sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. Christ is the ark –God manifest in the flesh (Immanuel). The ark preceded the descendants of Abraham into the river of life to death, stopping the flow, by about 2,000 cubits. Jesus Christ would precede the spiritual seed of Abraham in the path from death to life — by about 2,000 years. The victory in Jesus would halt the flow of life to death — as far back as Adam.
This whole process began by the priests taking up the ark and bearing this symbol of Yahweh’s name. If we choose to take up that name, as the children of Israel did when they agreed to the covenant with Yahweh, we must not take it up and bear that name in vain (falsely or casually).
Taking up the name
When do we take up the name of Yahweh?
Jesus told his disciples; “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Note the point -the one name for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God has provided two institutions reflecting this principle. A new wife takes up the name of her husband –just as the bride of Christ takes his name, which is also the name of his Father. A son bears the name of his father — just as we become the children of God through Christ. In fact, we also become the children of Jesus Christ (Is. 53:10; 9:6; Psa. 89:29; etc.).
A son whose actions are evil will bring shame on the name of his father -the name the son himself bears. A wife who divorces her husband or commits adultery has taken up her husband’s name in vain. She has been false to the name she chose to bear.
We are not to take up the name of Yahweh our Elohim falsely or casually. He will not hold him guiltless that takes up His name in vain. It is a fearful prospect to fall into the hands of the living God, if we have abused His name.
Conduct the key
It is primarily our actions that determine our taking His name in vain — the blasphemy of His name. In Proverbs 30:9 we read that the name of God is blasphemed by stealing. David gave great occasion to the enemy to blaspheme by his acts of adultery and murder. Through Malachi, Yahweh rebukes the priests who have despised His name by offering unacceptable yet convenient sacrifices on His altar. Theirs was a casual service. This level of service is despising God’s name.
A similar message from Paul is perfect for our generation. “Let as many servants (the Greek denotes “slaves”) as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed” (I Tim. 6:1). Paul warns the slaves and indentured servants within the ecclesia to show honor to their masters — not complaining or showing bitterness. We aren’t slaves, therefore, this applies to us much more.
Yet we live in an environment that trains us and our children to complain constantly, to demand our rights. After all, we are told, isn’t it the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. We are trained by unions and employee committees to demand more money for less work, complain about working conditions and generally never be satisfied.
We are trained to covet by the multi-billion dollar advertising industry and our acquisitive, consumer-driven economy. This is not the way of the name.
Those who have chosen to take up the name and bear it before the world must not complain, must not demand their rights and must learn to accept abuse silently — turning the other cheek and returning good for evil.
Ignore world’s ridicule
Taking up the name requires a disciplined behavior that will often be ridiculed as naive, foolish and not in the best interests of our co-workers or family. We will be told we are cowards, afraid to stand up for what is right.
The truth is that it is far more difficult to bear the abuse that the flesh heaps on those who will not worship its Greer paper god than it is to go along with the crowd and accept its values.
Taking up the name requires a commitment to separation. After all, what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion has light with darkness? We have to come out from the world to be separate and touch not the unclean thing — ther He will receive us unto Himself. He wit be a Father to us and we will be His sons and daughters (II Cor. 6).
“The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Rev 22:3-4).
We cannot take upon ourselves the responsibility of God manifestation lightly. We must bear His image and His likeness. We have entered into a covenant relationship with Yahweh. We must not take His name, “He Who Shall Be Mighty Ones” in vain. He will no hold us guiltless if we do.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One