Among American Gods: The Name of God
For Meditation
This week, we’re excited to welcome Bill Mims as our guest preacher. Bill has served Third in many capacities, including as elder and on the personnel committee. Bill is currently serving as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia and is a former member of the General Assembly. Bill is married to Jane, and is father to three daughters and a beloved grandfather to their children.
Our scripture this week is Exodus 20:7, the Third Commandment, commonly referred to as the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain.
At first glance, it seems like a reasonably simple commandment to keep — don’t curse and you are in the clear! But as we look closer, we see that this commandment goes far deeper and has far greater implications for how we honor the Lord’s name with our speech, our actions, and our allegiance. When we reflect on it, how often do we take the Lord's name in vain as we use it for our own purposes and aims? Do we use the Lord's name to benefit ourselves or our agendas?
So this week, we’ll go deeper into this verse. We’ll explore how God’s name inextricably reflects his character, and how we cannot disconnect that name from his person, presence and power. And by disconnecting his name from his power, we are indeed taking the Lord's name in vain.
Then, ultimately, we'll look to Jesus, the Son of God, who ushers us into a new relationship with him-- the relationship between a Father and his children. And it is through Jesus that we are given a new name for God: the name of Abba, loving father.
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Exodus 20:7
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."