On Thursday we studied the first two commandments: "You shall have no other God besides Me", and, "You shall not make an idol". Today we look at the third, fourth, and fifth commandments.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." (Exodus 20:7) You are probably more familiar with how this verse is worded in the King James Bible: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." The name of the Lord is often used as a swear word. This would be an example of misusing His name, and sadly it's one of the most common ways people misuse it. I cringe whenever I hear the name of God the Father or the name of Jesus Christ used in this manner. Another example of misusing His name would be using His name irreverently and hypocritically. For instance, when a person pretends to be religious (but actually is not) and they throw His name about as if they know Him. There are several reasons why a person might pretend to know the Lord and they may be familiar with just enough Bible and just enough church culture to talk about Him a way that at least temporarily persuades others into thinking he's a believer. Taking oaths in the name of the Lord can be another way of misusing His name. If a person goes to court to give testimony and swears to tell the truth "so help me God" but intends to commit perjury instead, that person has disrespected the name of a holy God who sees through all lies. Another way of improperly using His name is when a person likes to fling His name into the conversation needlessly to attest to the truth of whatever he's saying, such as adding in phrases like, "I swear to God!" Even though that person may be telling the truth, it's unnecessary to throw the Lord's name into the conversation in that way and it displays a casual attitude toward Him.
I am thankful that the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ has another name that no one knows but Him. (Revelation 19:12) This means our precious Savior who loved us more than His own life, who gave everything He had for us, who shed His blood to pay for our sins, has a name no one has ever been able to blaspheme. He deserves that! It's so sad when someone blasphemes the name of the One who suffered and died for us. I honestly cannot think of any worse curse that could come out of a person's mouth than a curse that includes the name of Jesus. In my opinion, God the Father probably feels the same way. I can't imagine anything that would be more offensive to the Father than to hear someone blaspheming the name of His Son, especially considering what His Son endured for the sake of mankind. But the Lord Jesus has a name no one has ever been able to misuse and the thought of that fills me with joy.
Now we move on to the fourth commandment. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11) God rested on the seventh day because His creation work was complete, not because He never intended to do any work again. The Lord Jesus stated that the Father is always at work in our lives. (John 5:17) But the labor of the creation was finished and nothing remained to be adjusted or improved upon, so the Lord rested on the seventh day. I don't believe He needed to rest, for He "will not grow tired or weary" (Isaiah 40:28) and He never has to "slumber or sleep" (Psalm 121:3-4). But He was setting an example for us to follow.
The Lord knew if He didn't make the keeping of the Sabbath a commandment some people would work themselves or their children or their servants or their animals to the bone. He knew some would be "workaholics" and never know when to rest or how to relax. He knew some would rest on the Sabbath but would expect others to keep working, so He made it a rule that they could not expect their children, their paid servants, or their slaves to work on the Sabbath. He was looking out for the welfare of animals and commanded that they be allowed to rest on the Sabbath as well. The keeping of the Sabbath honors the Lord and the creation work He performed, but more than that it protects the health of people and animals. This is why the Lord Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27) The commandment regarding the Sabbath was given primarily for our benefit. If a person takes a day each week to rest from as much work as possible and to focus their mind on the Lord and not on all the other problems of this life, that person will be able to face the rest of the week feeling refreshed in body, mind, and spirit.
We conclude today's study with the fifth commandment. "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12) I realize not everyone grew up in a household with godly parents or with parents who were loving and kind. We aren't going to get into a discussion about dysfunctional families except to say that when a person cannot respect or admire the behavior of a person it is sometimes possible to still maintain a reverence for the position that person holds. For instance, there are going to be a number of occasions in school or at work where we have to follow the instructions of someone we don't particularly like or agree with, but we are still called to show respect for the position of authority they hold. If a person had parents who inspired very little love and affection, perhaps that person can fulfill the spirit of verse 12 by mustering up some reverence for the position their parents hold in the home and by being thankful that their parents did at least provide food, clothing, and shelter for them.
But I think the majority of parents care about their children and the Lord expects the children to care about their parents. In fact, He requires it, so much so that He includes a promise for anyone who faithfully obeys verse 12 to the best of their ability: "that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you". He's saying to the Israelites something like, "Do you want to live a long time in the promised land? Then show respect for your parents. In your youth, don't backtalk them and rebel against them. As an adult who has left home, make sure your parents aren't going without the basic necessities. At one time they were keeping a roof over your head and clothes on your back and food in your belly. The least you can do is make sure they have the same. Also show them the honor that is due an elder. You may not always agree with their advice or their opinion, but you can listen respectfully. If you can't show any respect for your parents or be obedient to your parents, how do you expect to respect Me or be obedient to Me? You may not always agree with Me either. From time to time you may not be happy with circumstances I've allowed into your life. But I always have your best interests at heart like a good parent. Learning how to honor your father and mother is good training for learning how to honor Me."
Suppose your parents have already passed on and you didn't do much to honor them while they lived? Perhaps you were rebellious in your youth. Perhaps you just weren't a very loving or concerned person back in the days when they were still alive. Or perhaps your parents weren't likable people and you couldn't find it within yourself to honor them or you couldn't figure out how, considering the type of people they were. Well, maybe you could honor someone else's parents and so fulfill the spirit of verse 12. There are lots of people who have outlived their children or whose children live far away or whose children are out in the world living sinful lives not caring about their parents. Those parents need friends and you can be that friend. My own parents have both passed on and I can no longer do anything for them, but I can honor and respect others who are my elders. I can be a friend to them. I have many friends who are old enough to be my mom or dad and I can show them the care and respect I'm not longer able to show my own parents.
In tomorrow's study we'll take a look at the sixth and seventh commandments.
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