• The third commandment:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless
who takes his name in vain.

Question 99: What is required in the third commandment?

Answer 99: We are not to blaspheme or to abuse the name of God
                         by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths,
                         nor to share in such horrible sins
                         by being silent bystanders.
                   Rather, we must use the holy name of God
                         only with fear and reverence,
                         so that we may rightly confess him,
                         call upon him,
                         and praise him in all our words and works.

“I am Yahweh your God.” This is how God introduces himself in the introduction to the Ten Commandments. Especially this name — Yahweh or LORD — is meant by him in the third commandment. That would have been obvious (given the introduction) if he had simply commanded: you shall not use my name in vain. Instead, he again mentions in full “the name of Yahweh”. Why does he do that? What is so special about this name?

Yahweh⤒🔗

Moses is the first to whom God explains his name Yahweh. He finds himself as a shepherd in the desert near Mount Horeb. The Israelites are slaves in Egypt. Moses is instructed to go and tell them, “the God of your fathers” is coming to set you free. In his mind, Moses already sees himself arriving at their door with this message. He is not confident that they will accept him as a representative of their own God. They will certainly ask for further information. Then he would like to say more clearly who this God is. Therefore, he asks, suppose “they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?¹ When Moses is familiar with his name, it will serve as proof “that he holds a very special position with God and that God interacts with him in confidence”.² God says to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.”³ Or even shorter: I AM. Yahweh means, He is! Everything is contained in that name.

Seemingly, this revelation does not make us all that much wiser. It is rather as if God hides himself in this name. To a certain extent that is indeed the case. This name is saying so little to one who does not know him, but it speaks volumes for those who know his plans and promises and have every confidence in them. For a good listener like Moses, this name means: I am there indeed, and I am going to prove it by fulfilling the ancient promises. This includes everything that I have promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.⁴

Repeatedly the LORD introduces himself to Moses as the God of these well known forefathers.⁵ For Moses, these are people from a distant past, but what God had promised to them remained in effect. As Israel groans in bondage, he stands ready to fulfill these ancient promises. He is there! In that promising name, the imminent exodus from Egypt is guaranteed. Shortly thereafter Yahweh impressively lives up to his name. He sets his people free.

Soon this exodus will be history. However, what will never become history is his name! That is who he is. He continues to remember his covenant until all of his promises have been realized. He owes this to his name. He cannot deny himself. Herein lies the guarantee that the exodus of that time will not be repeated but that God will supply a sequel. His name is a guarantee for new deeds. Just think of Jesus’ coming to earth up to and including his return on the clouds. The LORD remembers his covenant — also today and tomorrow. We still have much to expect from him.

Yahweh in the New Testament←⤒🔗

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find that it hooks up intentionally with the meaning of the name LORD.⁶ From this we must not infer that the meaning of this name is forgotten. The opposite is true. Historically, the New Testament opens with the coming of Christ to this earth. Yahweh thereby does what he has promised and again lives up to his name. Mary rejoices in those days over the fulfillment of what “God spoke to our fathers” and Zechariah sings of the holy covenant he remembered and of “the oath that he swore to Abraham”.⁷

Besides the actual fact of his birth, the name “Jesus” also confirms that God is still Yahweh, for Jesus means: Yahweh saves. His parents did not decide upon this name. The angel Gabriel instructed Mary to give him the name Jesus. At that time we do not as yet get an explanation of this name.⁸ Independently of her, Joseph also received instructions afterwards through an angel — in a dream — to give him this name. This angel added that Jesus would save in the broadest and deepest sense of the word: not only from the power of the Pharaoh of that era — the Emperor of Rome — but from the power of sin.⁹ Thus the LORD continued his work of salvation. Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost became new milestones. The end result is a new heaven and a new earth.

We have to regard the name LORD against the light of the whole Bible. He lives up to his name on every page. Everyone may know that he is called Jesus — God rescues — and why he is called that. The important thing now is to honour his glorious name.

Do Not Use His Name In Vain←⤒🔗

Literally the commandment speaks of “lifting up” God’s name. You lift up his name when you take it on your tongue or lips and pronounce it. That may never be done in a casual way. No name is as respectful as this one. You need be well aware of what you are doing when you take this name upon your lips.

For instance, consider a lumberjack. He lifts his axe carefully to cut down a tree with it. He praises his razor-sharp axe but he also respects it. It is extremely dangerous to wield such an axe indiscriminately or even to deliberately threaten others with it. In both cases such a woodcutter would use (or rather “misuse”) his tools “lightly”, or “in vain”.

God has entrusted his name to people to use it with awe and reverence. It goes without saying that they may not take this name on their lips indiscriminately or with evil intentions. He calls this “using it in vain”.

The Catechism gives three examples of this:

1. Someone who curses calls God by his name. The occasion can be anything: intense anger or pain or the evil desire to hurt another person or — and this is also possible — nothing at all. In our society a curse is more of a stopgap than an expletive. Most of the time people who curse have no idea of what they are doing. That does not make it any less serious. Every curse is a slap in God’s face. He feels it.
2. Someone who swears a false oath doesn’t let out a blasting curse. He even pretends to be respecting God’s name. Put under oath — for example, by a commission of inquiry — he solemnly invokes God to help him speak nothing but the truth. With a face of steel he invokes God’s name as a cover up to his lying testimony. Perhaps there is not any improper word in what he has to say. Nevertheless, his speech — apart from being a lie — is a demonstration of contempt for God’s name. This is called “perjury”.
3. Finally, there is the matter of unnecessary swearing. This may seem to be the least serious. Someone claims to not know something ‘by God’ all the time. It is quite possible that he speaks the truth. Then such an unsolicited oath is not false, but it is unnecessary and therefore in vain. Of course, God wants us to be aware that he hears every claim and assertion. Therefore, our “yes” must be “yes” and our “no” must be “no”.¹⁰ However, anyone who mentions the name of God with every “yes” or “no” is not honouring him.

With Fear and Reverence←⤒🔗

Although the Catechism does not mention it, the Bible knows of yet another way of violating this commandment. This happens when someone invokes God’s name to defend practices that God would not approve of. A typical example of this is the use of “So says the LORD” by prophets who merely proclaim their own insights.¹¹ Anyone who uses his name in such a way — even if meant sincerely — blasphemes him. That is why Paul says of himself that he used to be a blasphemer.¹² It was not because he was cursing or deliberately blaspheming God at the time. He was a serious zealot for God. Out of supposed reverence for God, he hunted down the Christians. In retrospect, he acknowledges that he was blaspheming God’s name at that time. By extension, we can think of the Crusades with their persecution of the Jews, the dark practices of the Inquisition, and the excommunication of believers such as Luther, etc.¹³

Here we touch upon a sensitive point. People who contradict each other on fundamental points are appealing to the same Bible. Who is right? The Catechism does not immediately claim that its own method of interpreting the Bible wins over all others. First of all, it points out something else. Those who wish to invoke the holy name of God for their convictions should use it “with fear and reverence” only. The LORD calls on everyone to examine themselves seriously on this decisive point. Those who are too much in awe of their own way of thinking are tempted to coopt God’s Word for their own way of thinking, and thus misuse God’s name. Therefore, in this commandment God demands that our basic attitude be one of absolute awe and respect — not for one’s own ideas but for his holy name. Only then will the way be opened up to profess and invoke his name truthfully. With this we touch upon the deepest meaning of this commandment.

Confessing, Invoking and Praising Him←⤒🔗

Since a few centuries before Christ, the Jews prohibited the pronunciation of the name of Yahweh. They used a more general name instead, “out of supposed reverence for the Exalted Name”.¹⁴ It is true that a person can never be too reverent. For example, Paul once heard things in heaven that he was not allowed to utter.¹⁵ But of this name the LORD himself has said: “This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (Ex. 3:15). Precisely out of reverence for the commandment, we may not move on from “do not use it in vain” to “do not use it at all.”

This commandment is intended for grateful Christians. It has a celebratory focus. Redeemed people may freely mention his name in this world. That is confessing him. They do so especially when they honour Jesus as their Saviour. It is for this reason that for confessing “the holy name of God,” the Catechism refers to two texts: Matthew 10:32 and Romans 10:9, 10, which both speak about those who confess Jesus. Whoever honours him, honours the Father. And conversely, “whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him”.¹⁶ “Thus, anyone who tampers with the meaning of Christ’s lineage or atoning work is at odds with the third commandment.

Furthermore, redeemed people may call upon him. Upon their prayers he is ready day and night to fulfill the promises he made. He constantly remembers his covenant. Anyone who calls upon him in this regard may rest assured that he will take action. He owes it to his holy name — I AM.

Finally, he wants to be praised. In part, this happens when people confess and invoke him. They purposefully praise him with their psalms and prayers. That is not the end of it, because he wants to be praised in all their words and deeds. This is not a heavy burden, but a privilege. Freed slaves may serve him all hours of the day. He does not demand that they turn their existence into a never-ending church service. They are in the midst of life, doing rather ordinary things. They have fun and sometimes they just talk. All of that is allowed. God does not demand that every word and deed would be intentionally dedicated to his glory. However, he does want to taste in all their words and actions how great their awe is for his name LORD. He tastes that just as much when they enjoy themselves or play sports as when they pray to him or sing their psalms of praise.

Question 100: Is the blaspheming of God’s name
                        by swearing and cursing
                        such a grievous sin
                        that God is angry also with those
                        who do not prevent and forbid it
                        as much as they can?

Answer 100: Certainly, for no sin is greater
                     or provokes God’s wrath more
                     than the blaspheming of his name.
                     That is why he commanded it to be punished
                     with death.

The Catechism pays special attention to the gravity of the violation of this commandment. Is swearing really that bad? Nothing is worse than that. We did not hear the Catechism say this about idolatry and the worship of images. Why is it specifically said of this offense that there is no greater sin?

No Sin is Greater←⤒🔗

There is no sin that stirs up God’s wrath more than the blaspheming of his name. Could this be because no crime is directed in such an outright way against his person? Through idolatry people turn their back on him (first commandment); by worshipping images they do not address him personally, but only a representation of him (second commandment). But people never attract God’s attention so directly as when they mention his own name or even call upon him. Then a person speaks very directly about God himself, or even — as with many a curse — directly to him. That is why no transgression displeases Yahweh as much as when his name is blasphemed. Every curse hits him in the face.

What do Christians feel when their God is blasphemed? For them it is as if they themselves are afflicted. They breathe in, as it were, the curse that another person spews out. They feel such a blatant curse as something that cuts them to their core. It is therefore understandable that in the past all those who heard someone cursing had to lay their hands on his head. In this way they demonstratively distanced themselves from his transgression and put it back on the person who voiced the curse.¹⁷For us, this implies that we must not be guilty of this crime by remaining silent or through acquiescence.

In general, our guilt is always complicit if we do not “help to prevent” a crime as much as possible. Anyone who is aware of an attempted murder, or arson or burglary, and pretends that he knows nothing about it, does not get off scot-free. The difference is that the Catechism says this so emphatically of this sin. This has to do first of all with the fact that in our society we often witness this sin in particular. Moreover, the temptation is great to turn a deaf ear to it. Therefore, it is well that the Catechism points our conscience to the seriousness of this sin.

Christians are usually not in a position to put an end to swearing in their immediate surroundings. Nor is it required of them. On the other hand, they are not allowed to consider it as normal, and therefore they will help to counter it “as much as possible”. The way in which is left to each person’s own responsibility and ingenuity.¹⁸