THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
GOD'S NAME.
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.
_What is meant by this Commandment?_
We should so fear and love God as not to curse, swear, conjure, lie or
deceive by His name, but call upon Him in every time of need, and
worship Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.
* * * * *
THE NAME OF GOD. [Ps. 111:9, Mal. 2:2, Rev. 15:4] A name is that by
which we know a person. God's name means all by which He is known to us;
hence not only the words God, Lord, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, the Almighty,
the Eternal, the Omniscient One, etc., but the Word of God and the
Sacraments, and all holy things.
This Commandment _forbids_ the wrong use, and _commands_ the right use
of God's holy name.
I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.
TAKING GOD'S NAME IN VAIN:
1. _Thoughtlessly_. God's name is taken in vain thoughtlessly by using
it as an exclamation in our conversation, by reading or hearing God's
Word without devotion, jesting about sacred things, quoting Scripture in
fun, and the like. Thoughtlessness is no excuse. We must give an account
to God for every idle word; [Matt. 12:36+] how much more for every vain
use of His name.
2. _Intentionally._ This is done by those who
CURSE; [Jas. 3:9, 10, Matt. 5:44, Rom. 12:14+] that is, by those who
call on God to do evil to themselves or to others. Disguised forms of
cursing are sinful also.
SWEAR. We are forbidden to confirm what we say by the use of God's name,
either
_Needlessly_ [Matt. 5:34-37+] in our ordinary conversation, or
_Falsely_ [Lev. 19:12+] before a magistrate.
There is a Legal Oath: [Deut. 6:13, Heb. 5:16] 1. Of Witness. 2. Of
Innocence. 3. Of Allegiance, 4. Of Office. The oath taken by our Lord
before the high-priest shows that the oath before a magistrate is not
forbidden. [Matt. 26:63, 64] When taking a legal oath, we must be
careful to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
False swearing or perjury is a great sin. It is punished by the State,
and will be punished by God. [Ezek. 17:19]
Swearing by anything besides God's name is forbidden also. [Matt.
5:34-37+]
CONJURE. [Deut. 18:10-12+] This commandment forbids all magic arts,
witchcraft, sorcery, pow-wowing, fortune-telling, and all attempts by
signs or formulas to discover what God has kept hidden or to attain what
He has withheld. If results are obtained by such means, _e.g._, by
pow-wowing, that is no justification for their use. [Matt. 16:26] If we
desire to obtain help through the use of God's name, we must pray and
not conjure.
LIE. The eighth commandment forbids lying in general; this commandment
forbids lying by God's name. It is broken by those who teach falsehood
and error and yet declare that they are teaching God's Word. [Gal. 1:8]
DECEIVE BY HIS NAME. This is done by those who assume Christ's name by
calling themselves Christians, and yet are hypocrites, and use religion
as a cloak. [II Tim. 3:5+, Matt. 15:8]
Sins against this Second Commandment are common, but not small sins. God
will not hold him guiltless who commits them.
II. WHAT IS COMMANDED.
We should
CALL UPON HIM. God has given us His name so that we might call upon Him
for His help and grace. [Ps. 145:18+]
IN EVERY TIME OF NEED. We should call upon God in every time of trouble,
danger or distress. [Ps. 50:15+] But if we call upon God only in times
of special need, and do not call upon His name at other times also, we
are not keeping this commandment.
AND WORSHIP HIM [Col. 3:16] in our hearts, in our homes and in church,
WITH PRAYER [Matt. 7:7+] for ourselves and for others, [I Tim. 2:1, 2]
PRAISE [Ps. 145:1] for His majesty and glory and wonderful works,
AND THANKSGIVING for temporal and spiritual blessings. [Ps. 106:1+]
QUESTIONS.--1. What is meant by God's name? 2. What does this second
commandment forbid and command? 3. How is God's name taken in vain
thoughtlessly? 4. How is God's name taken in vain intentionally? 5.
Define cursing? 6. Define swearing? 7. What kind of swearing is
forbidden? 8. What kind of swearing is permitted? 9. When taking a legal
oath, what must we be careful to do? 10. Define conjuring, lying, and
deceiving by God's name? 11. What is the right use of God's name? 12.
Why should we call upon God? 13. When should we call upon Him? 14. Where
shall we worship Him? 15. How shall we worship Him?
* * * * *
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 12:36. But I say unto you, That every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment.
Rom. 12:14. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Matt. 5:34-37. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven;
for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:
neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white
or black. But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for
whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Lev. 19:12. Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou
profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
Deut. 18:10-12. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh
his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a
charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a
necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them
out from before thee.
II Tim. 3:5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away.
Matt. 15:8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and
honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.
Ps. 143:18. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all
that call upon him in truth.
Ps. 50:15. Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and
then shalt glorify me.
Matt. 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Ps. 106:1. Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is
good: for his mercy endureth forever.
READING.--Balaam, Numb. 22; Herod's Oath, Matt. 14:1-12; Saul and the
Witch at Endor, I Sam. 28.
ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Cursing_: Job 3:1-7. Shimei, II Sam. 16:5-14.
_Swearing_: Herod; Peter, Matt. 26:89-75. _Conjuring_: Saul at Endor;
Bar-jesus, Acts 13:1-12. _Lying and Deceiving_: The Pharisees, Matt.
23:13-38. _Calling on God's Name_: Jesus, Matt. 26:39-44; John 17:
Jacob, Gen. 32:9-12; The First Christians, Acts 2:42.