BibleProject | The 10 CommandmentsSample

Virtue Leveraging

If you want to borrow money from a friend, you might say, “I swear to God I’ll pay you back!”

But the 3rd Commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exod. 20:7 NASB) and swearing “to God” is one way to do that. So is using God’s name flippantly like a curse word. The Hebrew word for “take” in this command is nasa’, which means “to carry,” and it encompasses more than speech.

For the biblical authors, the way we carry God’s name is seen in how we treat our neighbors. Psalm 23:3 says, “[The LORD] guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name,” which might leave us wondering what a righteous path has to do with God's name. The psalmist is highlighting that others learn about God through God’s people. If the psalmist—who carries God’s name—is unloving or cruel, others can’t help but see God as unloving or cruel.

Paul’s letter to the Colossian church also echoes the connection between God’s name and right relationships with neighbors. In the third chapter of Colossians, Paul writes that doing “everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 17) looks like showing “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (v. 12). So bearing the name of Jesus means living like him and forgiving those who have harmed us just as he has forgiven us (v. 13). To do the opposite is to ignore the third command.

This command does not come from an insecure God who wants to curate a good image for social “likes.” It comes from the loving God who knows that connection with him brings people into the life and freedom he intends for everyone.

So, rather than preventing anyone from carrying his name, God wants all people to carry it well at all times, in every way. Likewise, the Apostle Paul challenges people to carry God’s name not only in speech but also in the actions we choose, saying, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the nameof the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17).

Reflection Question:

• When do you feel most tempted to carry God’s name in a way that doesn’t communicate anything true about God or that is harmful to God’s reputation?