The titles of God are not mere labels; they are revelations of His nature, declarations of His character, and signposts for His authority. Taking God’s titles in vain means taking His name in vain and taking Him in vain. Using them in a way that diminishes their significance, misrepresents His nature, or treats them lightly is a violation of this third most holy command. 

Beyond a Rigid Literalism

There is a kind of rigid literalism when it comes to this command that says, as long as I do not take the name of the Lord God in vain, then I have honored this commandment. So long as I do not say the word God, followed by the word Damn, or insert a curse word after the name of Jesus, then I am all good and honoring the law. But that, my friends, is reductionism at its finest.

As we have seen in the Ten Commandments, a world of application is under the surface. For instance, in the command to honor father and mother, there is a much larger application that applies to all elders and all persons in authority over us. In that command, you dishonor your father and mother when you are combative with your elders at church, or when you refuse to listen to a boss at work, or mouth off at a police officer who pulled you over. You disobey “father and mother” whenever you disregard the authority structures God has sovereignly placed in your life. My point in sharing that is that the application of the fifth commandment is much broader and more comprehensive than a rigid literalistic reading.

Understanding that there is also an expanded application here on the third command. For instance, the Bible is not saying you can disparage God all you want, malign His character, doubt His promises, or eschew His acts of creation and providence, so long as you do not say a curse word with His name. You could use your mouth to utter all sorts of godless atrocities, to speak about the character and work of God in every vile and venomous way you so choose, so long as you do not say the GD word, and you would be golden. That line of thinking is tremendously absurd.

The Meaning of God’s Name

In the Bible, God’s name encompasses more than the letters GO and D. When the Bible speaks about “His name,” it includes all of His attributes, character, and being.

For instance, when the Lord passes by Moses and proclaims His “name” in front of him, He says: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” The text explicitly says that God passed by Moses, hiding in the cleft of the rock, announcing His name. When God announced His own name, His superlative and perfect character was included as well. His perfect and holy attributes fall under the banner of His name, so if you doubt His love, you doubt His name. If you reject His mercy, you reject His name. If you provoke God to fury, despising His patience, then you do nothing short of taking His name in vain! To malign, doubt, reject, or disagree with His character is to take His name in vain. His name represents all of Him! Therefore, this command says we cannot take any of God in vain. We must not allow vanity into any part of our relationship with God because His name represents all of Him!

This is why when Psalm 8:1 says that His name will be proclaimed in all the earth, it means God Himself will be proclaimed. That is why when Psalm 20:1 says that the name of God will protect you, it means that God Himself will protect you! His name is synonymous with Him! This is why Proverbs 18:10 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower.

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