Word of Salvation – Vol.53 No.28 – July 2008

 

The Name Above All Names!

A Sermon by Rev Sjirk Bajema
on Heidelberg Catechism, LD 36

Scripture Readings: Leviticus 24:10-23; Matthew 10:32-33

Congregation in our Lord Jesus Christ…

The first and second commandments have very clearly told us that we’re not to rebel against who God is and how He shows Himself in His Word. They are commandments which concern what we are within — they begin with our hearts and souls. They are about inward attitudes.

Now, with the third commandment, we move from that inward attitude to the outward display of God’s place in our lives. This commandment is saying: “Believer… you are to actively hold high God’s Most Holy Name in every possible situation, especially when the pressure is on to bring that Name down!”

If you like, we may say that while the first commandment is about whom we worship, and the second about how we worship, this third commandment is about where we worship. Our complete devotion to God is under the microscope. Here the word worship becomes very important.

The glory of the One to whom this Name belongs

So, in the first place, this Lord’s Day tells us… THE GLORY OF THE ONE TO WHOM THIS NAME BELONGS. This is about God’s character. Who God is, and what He’s done, is directly reflected in His name.

Many of us are familiar with these words from Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”  How much better, then, could a name be than the Name of God Himself? Who is greater, or more powerful, or wiser than the Ruler over all?
To really drive home what the Catechism in Answer 99 calls “the holy name of God” , let’s reflect on what God’s Name signifies in Scripture. In the first place, it represents all the attributes of God. Love’, goodness’, justice’, righteousness’, and we can go on. These are all shown in His Name. In the same way our nation’s flag represents our country, so God’s Name stands for all God is.

Secondly, God Himself is shown in His Name. This is what David sang about in Psalm 7:17, “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.”

If we study the different names used for God in Scripture they all point to who God is and what he has done. “The Most High” , “the Almighty” , “the God of Hosts” , “the LORD” : They show His work of creation and re-creation. He saves His people by the death of His Son.

Flowing on from this there’s a third aspect to the use of God’s name in Scripture: The connection of His name with His commandments. Moses declares this connection in speaking the Word of God about the coming great prophet. For there in Deuteronomy 18:19 we read, “If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.”  To go against God’s commands is also to reject God through dishonouring His Name.

Drawing all these strands together, we see that the Name of God is like a beautiful painting. It’s beyond compare; breathless, outstanding, a very precious thing! If you’ve been given a beautiful crystal vase you want to keep it nice and shiny. The same would happen with God’s Name. This is very much the burden of the Catechism’s teaching here. It takes the High and Almighty Name of God, and tells us how we’re to keep it glorious and powerful.

The scandal of blaspheming this Name

Thus we come to our second point…
THE SCANDAL OF BLASPHEMING THIS NAME.
What takes away from this Most Holy Name, and, so, from God Himself? The first part of Answer 99 explains, “That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders.”

Think again of that beautiful painting. But imagine how wrong it would be, that, having seen that beautiful painting, someone begins to speak of it in a derogatory way. Instead of appreciating its skill, its fine colours, and well balanced composition, that person says, “It’s just rubbish — anyone could do that!”  Yet, he knows as well as anyone else, that it’s not rubbish. He knows that only a skilled artist can paint like that — and he certainly never could! We would be very upset with this unfair critic. And if this is so for a painting made by human hands, how much more is it true of the name of God Himself?

Cursing, perjury, and unnecessary oaths, are all ways of misrepresenting the true picture. They break down what’s perfectly good. “Cursing”  does this as it makes a judgment. To “damn”  a particular thing is to condemn something to hell. But who is the Only One in a position to make such a judgment? Is it you — a mere human? Of course not! God is the Judge. Let’s not take away from what belongs to Him. Let’s not say that somehow God is incomplete.

We do the same when we lie using God’s Name. That’s what perjury is all about. Naturally with perjury we think of the law court where to lie is a severe offence. But it should be seen as a severe offence wherever we misuse God’s name by not telling the truth. Take so many in our society. They claim to be believers in God. But how many are members of a church? And how many of those members actually worship God on Sundays? They’re living a lie! God’s Name is taken in vain! And what about when a politician claims or pretends to be a Christian simply to win votes? That’s also perjury.

Then there are “unnecessary oaths”.  An oath, or our speaking in the Name of God, is proper only on very solemn occasions. Yet, where is it most of us hear God’s Name? Isn’t it in our work places, on the street, shopping centres, and increasingly from movie and television screens? Such expressions as, “Oh my God!” , or “Jesus Christ!”

But our Lord, whose name they invoke, says in Matthew 5:34-36, “Don’t swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.”  Why do people swear? Can’t they see that this kind of language only tears down?  There’s no way it’s helping anyone whatsoever!

Here we see so clearly the effect of sin. Mankind has been blinded. And that darkness even inhibits the believer’s walk with God.

Friend, picture yourself looking into a mirror. And while you’re looking into that mirror you’re doing something that requires concentration. Like, for example, shaving your face, or plucking your eyebrows. But instead of looking at where you’re shaving or plucking, you stare at your ear. Naturally, by not focusing on what you’re doing, you make mistakes. There will be cuts from your shaving, or you’ll poke your eye!

When we blaspheme what do we do to God? Don’t we deny His power, claiming for ourselves the right to be God? We don’t recognise God’s rightful authority. We aren’t looking where we should! Instead, we look to ourselves. And that’s right out of focus! You’re going to do yourself some terrible damage. He will punish us. That’s why Answer 100 takes it a step further with condemning those, who, though not blaspheming themselves, yet do nothing to stop it. And now the rub really hits against us, doesn’t it? For we have the responsibility for those others who break the third commandment. We cannot sit silently by and allow this swearing to continue.

Our first Scripture reading showed us how seriously God treats this sin. There the Son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the name of God with a curse. And the LORD told Moses in Leviticus 24:14-16, “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord will be put to death!’”

But some may say, “Oh, but things are different now!”  And historically there are differences. We’re no longer living by the physical laws under the old covenant. In fact, it was because Israel couldn’t do this that God’s own Son suffered all the guilt for us upon the cross. A punishment still remains, however! It’s primarily a spiritual punishment but it can also affect you physically!

Friend, are you willing to condemn someone to eternal damnation? When at work, or school, or in the street, the shopping centre, or wherever you hear God’s Name taken in vain, and you do nothing, you’ve condemned that person! We have to confront them with that wrong of treating God’s Name lightly.

Mind you, many of us are shocked when we hear God’s Name being blasphemed. Our intention is there to correct the blasphemer, yet the opportunity escapes us. But our intention, and so our preparation must be, that, where we can, we must correct the blasphemer.
This is quite a heavy command. And especially in our time when many have no idea of who God is and what he’s done. So, how are you going to tackle this? You know it’s something you’ve fallen short in. You haven’t done as you should’ve done. Yet, we know that the Lord, in His great love, has forgiven these shortcomings, as we’ve been sorry for them. But what about tomorrow, and the day after? Are you going to gently ask your neighbour what they mean when he or she swears in God’s Name? Could it be that the Lord is giving us an opportunity to witness about Him?

The blessing of beautifying this Name

Our second point has focussed on the negative. It was about… THE SCANDAL OF BLASPHEMING THIS NAME. In other words, what we’re not to do.

Let’s turn now, in our third point, to the positive side of this commandment. Let’s see… THE BLESSING OF BEAUTIFYING THIS NAME. In the words of the second half of Answer 99, the third commandment “requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do or say.”  Believers don’t always have to be on the defensive. We’ve got something to be proud of! And we’re especially equipped to use it the right way.

Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4-6, “when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those born under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father’.”

Dear believer, you live in a special Father-child relationship with God Himself. And out of that relationship there should flow a whole life of worship to the Lord. So when we do things it’s not thoughtlessly, or on the spur of the moment. We’ve considered our footsteps, our paths are known to the Lord, and the light of His Word shines them up. In the words of Colossians 3:17, we “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  After all, isn’t it Christ’s Spirit who lives in us, guiding and keeping us?

Perhaps there’s still a question in your mind. You want to know how you can be sure you are following the right way in worshipping the Lord. You don’t want to dishonour God’s Name in any possible way.
So, let’s reflect, for a moment, on the worship service itself. Public worship should be the highlight of our relationship with our Lord and Saviour. And since it is a highlight, have you come expectantly? Have you been keenly anticipating this meeting with God and His people?

Those words of pardoning grace this morning — did they wash over you as the rain coming down after a long drought? Did you see the Ten Commandments as God’s signposts for this coming week? And as you sang that song of commitment to His way, was it with the desire to try your very best?

Or is this all a bit of a drag? You come more because you’ve always come, or you have to come. Maybe you just haven’t been able to concentrate today. We bear the name Christian’ but isn’t it often the case, congregation, that we aren’t pointing to Christ? In the way we live and what we say, we easily deny His Name. In that way we also take God’s Name in vain.

Even jokes about biblical subjects and those St. Peter jokes can be offensive to the Lord. One Christian magazine had a children’s page entitled Abe’s Page’. Abe is short for Abraham. One of the parts in this section is called Lot’s Laughs’. Another is entitled, Gee God’. At first it seems like a good idea to use Biblical names rather than just calling it a children’s fun page. But are we using the Holy Name of God with reverence and awe, by saying, “Gee God… the Lone Ranger had nothing on you!”  You see, it seems God has become a good mate. He can take a good joke, sink one down with the boys at the pub, mix it with the worst of us.

But He’s nowhere near our level. In fact, He’s way above us. And any genuine meeting with this God will have you being most fearful. The words of Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, say it clearly. It warns us, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth.”

Remember your place! Then you meet Him face-to-face. And He’ll help you so that you won’t let His Name bear disgrace.

Amen.