Exodus 20: 7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
“OMG!!!” As an abbreviation for “Oh My God!” these three letters have become commonly used in text messages and on the internet. But there are two questions that must be asked:
1. IS HE REALLY YOUR GOD?
2. IF HE IS REALLY YOUR GOD, WHY ARE YOU MISUSING HIS NAME? WHY ARE YOU SO DISRESPECTFUL???
We live and work in Ghana, where people have several different names. Names and naming ceremonies are critically important. Children are not named until they are a few weeks old, just to make sure that they will live. Families think long and hard about the names they will give their children. It is quite common for a person to bear a Christian name, a name denoting the day of the week on which one was born, and a traditional name, plus the father’s name in addition. Frequently the traditional name will refer to a well – known proverb. As a Thursday – born female, my Twi name includes “Yaa.” In the north, many names are adapted from Hausa and there the name for a Thursday – born female is “Lamissi.” I also have a Konkomba name that means “God provides.”
When we began working in another part of northern Ghana, someone wanted to give me a traditional name with strange implications and I rejected it. Names can be blessings or curses and I had no desire to acquire a name that had a curse attached to it. If you are not a close personal friend of someone, it is impolite to use a traditional name unless you are in the proper setting. Yes, names are an important matter.
APPLICATION: God takes His Name seriously. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He told Moses,”God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) Perhaps God did not give Moses any other name because He knew that as soon as He did, someone would begin swearing oaths by it.
How did the use of God’s name as an exclamation start? It’s likely that in the beginning, people were calling upon God to witness that they were telling the truth. Perhaps in the beginning, calling upon God was actually a form of prayer. But we have become so used to throwing God’s name around that we have no idea how truly evil this practice is.
Imagine this: a female college student is sitting in her dorm room texting her friend and writes “OMG! LOL! ROFL!” Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light and the Angel of the lord appears in the room.
“You called?” asks the angel.
”Oh my God!” exclaims the teen. “Who are you?”
”I am the Angel of the Lord, the representative of the God whose Name you have been using in all your text messages. And you just called on God again.”
“But I thought that was just an expression,.”
“No, God really is the One True Living God, Creator and Master of the Universe, existing before all time and space, dwelling in dazzling and unapproachable light. And every time you use that “OMG” text, you are twisting God’s Name into a piece of rubbish.”
“I had no idea.” By this point, the young lady is trying to find a place to hide because the light from the angel is blinding. “What do I do now?”
“Well,” replies the angel, “are you aware that God has ordered people to be careful about how they handle his Name? And are you aware that God has warned that He will punish people who misuse His Name?”
“N..n..no!” stammers the student.
“Do you know what it means to repent?” asks the Angel.
“Um, to say I’m sorry?” questions the student.
“Well, it’s more than just mouthing words. True repentance means that you must have a change of heart and be grieved over the wrong things that you have done. If you don’t want God to punish you for misusing His Name, you need to repent.”
“But why should I be sorry?” asks the student.
“Do you love your parents and do your parents love you?” asks the Angel.
“Why yes! Of course I love my parents and they love me!”the student exclaims indignantly.
“Well, God loves you far more than your parents can ever love you. And some day your parents will grow old and die, but God will be with you forever. Isn’t a love like that worth some respect?”
“Um, sure, I guess.” Now the student is beginning to wonder about this.
“Why do you think that I have appeared to you today?” asks the angel. “God sent me here. God loves you, and He wants you to know Him so that you won’t misuse His Name any more.”
We’re leaving our college student and her angelic visitor at this point. But the question the Angel posed is for each of us: do we really know God and if we do, why are we misusing His Name? Do we realize that each time we misuse God’s Name, we are opening ourselves up for God to punish us? And do we realize that we have no choice in the means by which God will punish us? We too need to repent.
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us! We have shown no respect for you or for your Name. We have used your name as an exclamation, as a curse, and for that we deserve nothing but punishment. Lord, forgive us. Clean up our speech and help us always to have respect and awe for you. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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