Do Not Misuse My Name

OT Lesson: Exodus 20:1-17 (WEB)

God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labour six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”

NT Lesson: John 2:13-22 (NRSV)

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, He drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign can You show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. How has your week been? We experienced a dramatic change in weather. One day was in 70s F, and the next day was 20s F. Last Sunday night, I was watching the weather forecast on the news, and it alarmed me to learn that a storm was coming on Tuesday afternoon, covering from Chicago to St. Louis, with Indianapolis right in the middle, and even potential tornadoes. The forecast predicted hundreds of thousands of homes would lose power. Then, on Monday, a good friend of mine from New Jersey came to Indianapolis on a business trip and wanted to meet for dinner the next day which was Tuesday—the storm day. However, I was too scared about the storm to venture out and told him as much. Tuesday afternoon, it was cloudy but warm and lovely day. Finally, Tuesday night arrived, and surprisingly, nothing really happened. Here in Lebanon, it turned out to be just a bit windy, nothing more. So I became a chicken among my friends. But, I am grateful that we were spared here, especially since I learned on Wednesday morning from someone in Michigan that they had a severe storm the previous night. Many homes lost power, just as the weather forecast had predicted, and they even had a tornado, though thankfully, it did not pass through residential areas. Farmers there must not be happy but at least no homes were destroyed. So when nothing really happens in your life, and when your life is just boring, let us thank God and praise God’s name because that boredom means we are under the protection from God. We will praise God in the storm but I prefer praising God without storm. So boredom is my new friend. If you want something exciting, then just watch a movie. And speaking of movie, in the next Bible Study, we will watch the 1986 film, the Mission. You can watch the younger version of Robert De Niro.

Today marks the third Sunday of Lent, and we find ourselves midway through our Lenten journey with our Saviour to the cross. This Wednesday, it is our turn to host the Lenten Community Soup & Supper. I know some of you have already signed up to bring soup. For those who haven’t, please know you are more than welcome to contribute soups, appetisers, or desserts. Since I am not good at cooking, I bought some gumbo soup from the Costco.

Ten Commandments

Today, we explore the Ten Commandments, which are simply referred to as “the ten words” in Hebrew. These commandments, along with other laws given to Moses, share characteristics with ancient Middle Eastern legal codes, notably the Code of Hammurabi. This similarity has led many scholars to suggest that the laws of Moses were influenced by Hammurabi’s Code. While this influence is possible, I believe it is also likely that Moses was influenced by Egyptian laws, considering his upbringing and education as a prince in Egypt. However, there is a fascinating detail I noticed while studying the Old Testament in Hebrew that I’d like to share with you.

The Ten Commandments repeatedly use the term ‘You shall not,’ which in modern English can be both singular and plural, like one you or you guys. To avoid confusion, let us employ a bit of Old English, akin to the style found in the King James Version. In the Commandments, God uses the singular form ‘thou,’ which is quite telling. This distinction in gender and number is straightforward: male singular refers to one man, female singular to one woman, female plural to a group of only women, and male plural can refer to a group of men or a mixed-gender group. This is similar to modern Spanish, where ‘padre’ means father, ‘madre’ means mother, but ‘padres’ can mean either fathers or parents as father and mother together.

What makes the Ten Commandments intriguing is that they are addressed to a singular male, ‘thou.’ Linguistically, this means they were directed solely at individual men, excluding women completely. Thus none of the Ten Commandments apply to women. Again, I am talking about the linguistics, not theology. This might seem consistent throughout the Old Testament, but it is not. Most of the text uses male plural, which includes both genders. Therefore, when it comes to the laws in the Old Testament, they are meant to be upheld by both men and women alike. However, the Ten Commandments, being addressed specifically to men only—highlighted by the commandment ‘thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife’—suggest a different approach. If the intention was to include women, the wording could have been more inclusive, like ‘spouse’ instead of ‘wife.’

So, if I were to exaggerate a bit for effect, it is as if God is saying, “Hey guys, don’t murder. Ladies? Well, I wouldn’t recommend it, but um OK. Hey guys, don’t steal. Ladies? Hmm, I hope you don’t, but whatever.” Of course, we understand that is not the intended message, but it is an interesting linguistic observation worth noting.

Do Not Misuse My Name

Among the Ten Commandments, we find directives that guide our relationship with God as well as our interactions with other people. One specific commandment addressing our duties towards God instructs, “You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God.” This leads us to ponder: what exactly does this entail? As a result of this commandment, many devout Christians refrain from saying phrases like “Oh my God” and might even feel offended if others use it. But, does the commandment solely prohibit this specific utterance?

This respect for the name of God is also deeply rooted in Jewish tradition because of this commandment, where the actual name of God, known as the Tetragrammaton, is not spoken aloud. The Tetragrammaton, a term meaning “four-letter word,” holds a place of utmost sanctity and reverence. In English, the connotation of “four-letter word” often swings to either very negative or very positive extremes, with the Tetragrammaton embodying the positive extreme. You all know the negative four-letter words which begin with f or s. But there are good four-letter words such as love or care. To honour this sacredness of God’s name, Jewish people commonly use “Adonai,” meaning “the Lord,” as a substitute when referring to God’s name. This practice is mirrored in most English Bible translations, where God’s name is rendered as “the Lord” (Lord) in small capital letters.

But is it all that this commandment implies? Is the essence of this directive limited to the verbal articulation of God’s name, or does it encompass a broader principle regarding the reverence and respect we owe to our Creator? This is a question that invites us to delve deeper into the meaning and implications of one of the core commandments that shape our faith and practice.

Banjang

I sincerely doubt the commandment is that simplistic. My educational journey did not really start in America; I only attended graduate school here, so my experiences might differ. However, in Korea, from elementary through high school, each class traditionally has a student representative or leader, known as “Banjang,” which translates to “head of the class.” The Banjang essentially acts as a mediator between the teacher and the students. Teachers often convey that whatever the Banjang communicates should be regarded as if the teacher themselves had said it. So, in the teacher’s absence, the Banjang speaks on their behalf, directing classmates to study quietly or focus on a specific chapter telling them that the teacher had said it, for example. In these instances, the Banjang is using the teacher’s name appropriately, as intended.

But consider if the Banjang misuses this authority, saying things like, “The teacher said you need to buy me cookies,” or “The teacher demands you give me all your money.” This is a clear misuse of the teacher’s name, analogous to taking it in vain. The same principle applies to the commandment about not misusing God’s name. God cautioned against this because of the foresight that many would invoke His name for personal gain or to justify actions against His will. 

This reminds me of a song by Casting Crowns titled “Jesus, Friend of Sinners,” which starts with the poignant line, “Jesus, friend of sinners… we cut down people in Your name.” Misusing Jesus’ name occurs when we disparage or judge others under the guise of righteousness in the name of God. A historical example from the mid-1960s involves Richard Loving, a white man, who married Mildred, a black woman. At that time, their interracial marriage was considered a crime in Virginia, leading to their imprisonment. Many devout Christians condemned their union, claiming it opposed God’s will. However, such judgments were instances of misusing God’s name, violating the Ten Commandments. Instead of attributing their personal disapproval to God, they should have recognised it as their individual perspective, not a divine decree. They should have said, “I don’t link this and I don’t approve this,” instead of “God does not like this and God does not approve this.”

Jesus Was Angry

In today’s New Testament lesson, we encounter a moment when Jesus expresses profound anger, a rare sight indeed. He enters the temple and finds it turned into a marketplace, with people selling animals for sacrifices and money changers conducting their business. Jesus, makes a whip just like Indiana Jones, and drives them all out of the temple courtyard. This is one of the few instances where we see Jesus this visibly upset in the scriptures. It makes us wonder, where is the peace-loving Jesus who taught about non-violent resistance?

A couple of weeks ago, I shared an AI-generated image of Jesus flipping over the tables, which was quite funny. But what exactly sparked such intense anger in Jesus? Was it simply the commercialisation of the temple, or was there something deeper at play? I believe that at the heart of Jesus’ anger was the misuse of God’s name. The merchants and money changers were exploiting temple worshippers, charging exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals that were much cheaper outside the temple. This was made possible by a collusion between the merchants and the priests, who prohibited offerings bought from anywhere but the temple. Similarly, the temple required a special currency for transactions, conveniently provided by the money changers at unfair exchange rates.

These actions were justified under the guise of fulfilling God’s requirements, yet this could not be further from the truth. King David himself declared in his psalms that God does not delight in sacrifice or take pleasure in burnt offerings. Despite this, the temple authorities exploited worshippers in God’s name, a clear violation of what God intended. They were not only misusing God’s name but also blatantly breaking the Ten Commandments in broad daylight. This, I believe, is what truly angered Jesus.

Kneel-In

It is often remarked that the most segregated hour in today’s America is Sunday morning. Unfortunately, this observation holds a painful truth, though it is an improvement from even more divided times. About two decades ago, a friend of mine moved to Montgomery, AL. On his first Sunday there, he decided to visit the nearest Baptist church because he was and still is a baptist. The church happened to be a predominantly white church and my friend happened to be a Black man. He was met by an usher or greeter who, with a broad smile, informed him, “Good morning. You must be new in town. Welcome. Just so you know, if you go down two blocks this way, you will find a Black church. You may want to go there.” What a welcoming church!

Now, you might wonder if this was because it was a Baptist church. But consider this: On Palm Sunday morning of 1964, at the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN, a group of black and white students, some from a local Presbyterian college, knelt in front of the church, begging the entry and pleading to be allowed into the worship service. So the local Presbyterian college students wanted to worship at a local Presbyterian church. They were met by the pastor and elders who formed a human barrier, denying them entry and claiming that God did not want them in a white church. The church even went so far as to call the police, resulting in the arrest of these kneeling students, under the pretence that God did not want Black people in their church.

This misuse of God’s name for justifying segregation and racism is deeply troubling. I am not denying that. But it is much more important at least today to underline that the issue here is not just the racism or the segregation; it is the invocation of God’s name in vain to justify such actions. The pastor and the elders of the Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis should have been honest about their prejudices, saying, “We do not want Black people in our church,” rather than projecting their biases onto God by saying “God does not want Black people in this church.” By claiming their actions were aligned with God’s will, they not only perpetuated injustice but also misused God’s name and took it in vain. This serves as a stark reminder of the profound responsibility we hold in invoking God’s name, ensuring it is done with the utmost respect and alignment with His teachings of love and inclusion.

Conclusion

In reflecting on the message of the Casting Crowns song, “Jesus, Friend of Sinners,” which sings that we cut down people in Jesus’ name, we are reminded of the times we have mistakenly judged others in Jesus’ name. How often have we found ourselves in such situations? Ideally, we would cease all judgment of others. After all, Scripture tells us that God did not send His Son Jesus to condemn the world but to save the world through Jesus. If God does not condemn, how can we condemn in God’s name? However, due to our inherent sinful nature, it seems almost inevitable that we might fall into the trap of judging, condemning, or looking down on others.

Yet, if we must learn anything, it is that when we do judge, we should never do so in God’s name. So, from today onwards, let us make a concerted effort to refrain from misusing God’s name. Instead, let us commit to glorifying God’s holy name through acts of love and care towards others in God’s name, embodying the teachings of Jesus. In doing so, we not only honour God but also foster a community built on understanding, compassion, and grace. Amen.