The Name

Exodus 20:7

Command #1:

Prohibits the worship of other gods. 

Calls us to pursue the one true God. 

Command #2:

Prohibits the making of replacements for the Lord.

Calls us to be devoted to God’s truth. 

Command #3: 

Prohibits us from misusing the name of the Lord. 

Calls us to celebrate being known by the name of the Lord. 

The Hebrew word we translate into the idea of “taking” the name is that of Tisa… תִשָּׂ֛א. This term is commonly used to describe the action of lifting, carrying, or bearing. 

In Exodus 19:3-6, the Lord declares the identity of his people before they can take even one step toward obedience to his command.  

In Deuteronomy 28:9-10, the people called by the name of the Lord see their calling to represent the Lord to the unbelieving world. 

The Hebrew word translated as “in vain” is that of sh/a/ō – שָּׁ֑וְא, which is commonly used to describe something that is hollow or empty inside. 

In Matthew 7:15-19, Jesus Christ called his people to make sure that their lives matched their labels. This is still our calling today.