"The Holiness of God"
Exodus 20:7-11
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Ten Commandment Series

Introduction: Illus. “Shut Out the Truth,” There is a story of a woman who went to visit a friend about 50 miles from her house. She and her friend had a nice visit, but when it was time to leave she realized she had locked her keys in the car. She decided to call her husband, who had a spare key. The husband was annoyed at the thought of having to bring the key 50 miles, but he agreed to do so. Shortly after the call her friend happened to try the back door, which she found unlocked. The woman rushed to call her husband, but he had already left. “Your husband is really going to be mad now. What are you going to do when you see him?” her friend asked. The woman replied, “What any red-blooded American wife would do,” she replied grinning. She walked over to the car, locked all the doors, and closed the door shut!”

Have you ever done anything like this? Done something that wasn’t quite right, and then tried to cover it up? This morning we look at the aspect of a holy God calling us to actions of holiness. We look at the other 2 commands that teach us to fully love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This morning, as we continue in our series on the 10 commandments, we look at commands 3 and 4: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord…” And, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

I. The Holy Name of the Lord- (Exodus 20:7; Matthew 5:33-37)

Quote: “There is nothing wrong with having nothing to say—

unless you insist on saying it.” (Illustrations Unlimited, p. 476)

Sometimes in life we speak because we think we have to say something. In our culture it is quite uncomfortable, for many, to sit in silence and not be in conversation. But like this quote tells us, it is better to not say anything, unless you have something important, or helpful, or encouraging to say. Likewise, there are times when we should not speak because when we do, we might take the Lord’s name in vain.

a. Moses- Last week we talked about how the Israelites had been

freed from their slavery from Egypt. This freedom took them out into the wilderness where they waited while Moses met with God to get the 10 commandments. During this time of waiting, the people had Aaron make for them an idol that they could worship. Moses was quite upset about this when he returned with the 10 commandments, and I’m sure the people were quite humbled when Moses read the first 2 commands: “You shall have no other gods before Me…” AND “You shall not make for yourself idols.” The people had done both!

As Moses continued to read, they heard the third command: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord…” This third commandment is about reverence. It is to understand our place and God’s place. God is the holy God; the creator of all things; the giver of life; the One who sustains us, and the world we live in. This commandment instructs us to respect God’s name as holy. It is a name that is above all other names.

So, the way we show our respect and worship of God is to respect God’s name. We need to treat God’s name with honor in the way we speak God’s name and the way we speak about God. Do you use God’s name with reverence?

1. The obvious way that we take the Lord’s name in vain is by

using the name of God as a swear word. Even the phrase “O my god” is taking the Lord’s name in vain. Example- When the kids were younger, they liked some of the music from “The Backstreet Boys.” We had a tape of their music, and on one of the songs there was a part where they said this phrase “O my….” Every time that part came on the tape, we would turn the volume down on the song. This helped to teach the kids that they shouldn’t speak this phrase. Even still, whenever they hear someone say it, they look at me and Tami with shock.

In Hebrew, the word for vain is “shaw.” This word has a broad meaning: it could mean iniquity, falsehood, vanity, or emptiness. But simply put, it means to show disrespect. To use God’s name in vain means to take God’s name lightly. It is not in keeping with God’s name for a holy purpose.

In Exodus 5, Moses relays God’s instructions to Pharaoh of releasing His people from slavery. Pharaoh scoff’s at the authority of God’s name when he says in verse 2, “…‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.’”

C. S. Lewis once said: “We want, in fact, not so much a Father in heaven

as a grandfather in heaven—a senile benevolence who, as they say, ‘likes

to see young people enjoying themselves’ and whose plan for the universe

was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, ‘a good time was had by all.’” (…the Tardy Oxcart, p. 233)

For most of you this statement may be going too far, but the truth is, whenever we take God’s name lightly, we do not give God the honor, praise, and worship He deserves. We need to have the same respect as the Jews had for God’s name. To them it was so holy that they didn’t use the name “Yahweh” for God. In fact, they didn’t even write it as a rule. Instead, they called God Jehovah. We have lost this understanding in our society, and even in much of the church, that God’s name is holy!

2. Secondly, we take God’s name in vain by making a

profession of faith in God, and then not living up to it. When we say that we are a Christian, do our actions make our words credible? When we say that Jesus is our Savior and Lord, then we need to seek to be changed people. If our lives don’t show our faith, then we take God’s name in vain. How often have you heard people claim to be a Christian, but then their lifestyle in no way matches this statement. They dishonor God by living like the world, and not by God’s standards!

b. Jesus- Another way that we take the Lord’s name in vain is by

swearing falsely. When we make a promise, or a commitment, and then don’t keep it, we take God’s name in vain. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-37, 33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Have you ever said to someone: ‘I will call you,’ OR ‘I will pray for you,’ OR ‘Let’s get together soon,” and then forgot to follow through on this? Have you ever made a commitment to someone, or even to the church, and then not followed through on this commitment? When we make a promise, or give our word, or make a commitment, it is like saying: ‘I swear to God I will do it. I promise in God’s name I will do it.’ When we don’t uphold this promise, we profane God’s name by not living up to our word.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said: “Learn to say no; it will be more valuable than to be able to read Latin.” (Illustrations Unlimited, p. 476)

I know in our day and age reading Latin isn’t important. But in Spurgeon’s time it must have been. Sometimes the best thing we can say is “No.” Sometimes the best thing we can do is to not make the commitment or the promise in the first place. If we limit our promises and commitments, then we will be more able to keep the ones we make.

EX. This year I have said “yes” to 3 commitments. One is being the Moderator of the Evangelism Committee for the Presbytery. By being moderator, I am also on what is called “Council.” This adds extra meetings and duties to my schedule. Along with this, I agreed to help coach Tyler’s baseball team. This commitment can take 4 or 5 days of each week. Even more, I am the President of our condominium complex. As we have gotten to almost halfway into the year, I realize now that I am over extended. But I will honor my commitments, because I gave my word! Next year I will not be president or moderator of the committee. I will learn to say “no.”

How about you? Where are you over extended? Where do you need to

say no? If you are already committed, then finish this commitment. But figure out your priorities, and then say yes to that which God is calling you to do, and no to that which keeps you from fulfilling God’s call on your life.

II. The Day of the Lord- (Exodus 20:8-11; Matt. 22:37; Hebrews 4:9-10)

We next move to the fourth commandment, which again says: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

a. Focus on God- Illus. “Too Much Prayer?” There is a story of a

very bright five-year-old named Johnny. One day he told his daddy he wanted a baby brother, and asked if there was any way he could help make it happen. His dad looked at his son, thought for a moment, and then replied: “I’ll tell you what, Johnny. If you pray every day for 2 months for a baby brother, I guarantee that God will give you one!” Well, Johnny was ecstatic at this thought and went off to his bedroom to start right away. He prayed every night for a whole month, but then he began to get skeptical. He talked to some people, and found out that what he was doing had never happened before in the history of the neighborhood. You don’t pray for 2 months, and then all of a sudden have a baby brother. So, he quit praying………After another month, Johnny’s mother had to go to the hospital. When she came home, he was called into his parent’s bedroom. To Johnny’s surprise, right next to his mother, was not just one little baby, but two. Johnny’s dad looked at his son and said: “Now aren’t you glad you prayed?” To which Johnny said: “Yes, but aren’t you glad I stopped when I did?” (More Hot Illustrations, p. 163)

The purpose of the fourth commandment is for us to focus on God; to remember God. There are many ways that we can remember God:

It can be a purely mental act, where we think about God in our mind. OR, it could be an activity such as reading the Bible. OR, it could be praying each day. OR, it could be listening to Christian music. OR, it could be memorizing scripture.

But in this verse, the word “remember” is a verb, in the emphatic imperative tense. What this means, is that this word remember conveys the sense of observing or remembering without lapse. It is to hold this remembering as a continuing priority. So the Sabbath becomes a day that helps us to remember.

Just as God’s name is to be set apart as holy, as more important than any other name, so the Sabbath is to be a day that is set apart as holy, as more important than any other day. It becomes that special day that draws us back into the focus of who God is and what God’s will is.

Now, you might want to ask: Why shouldn’t we keep every day as holy to God? And my answer would be: We should! And yet, we can’t set every day apart as a day we focus on God. God has given us a call to live our lives, and to work, and to be in relationship with others. God knows that we need other focuses in our lives as well. So God only asks of us one day that is to be totally focused on Him. The other days we should remember God as being an important part of our lives, but not in the same “setting apart” as we do on the Sabbath.

So the first purpose of this day is to focus on God.

b. Keep things in perspective- The second purpose of the fourth

commandment is to help us to keep things in perspective; to keep our priorities in order. The less time we spend in worship, the easier it is to let other things in life gain priority over God. Thomas Watson said: “The busyness of the week-days makes us forgetful of God and our souls…When the falling dust of the world has clogged the wheels of our affections, that they can scarce move towards God, the Sabbath comes, and oils the wheels of our affections.”

There is much to do in life; much that keeps us busy; much that diverts our thinking about the things of God. Being in worship at church, and giving a day to God keeps our minds in perspective about the things of God and His place in our lives. It helps to strengthen our commitment to the Lord as well.

“The Blind Man and the Elephant,” (…The Tardy Oxcart, p. 442)

The Blind Man and the Elephant, It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant~(Though all of them were blind), That each by observation~Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant, And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side, ~ At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant ~ Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, "Ho! what have we here?
So very round and smooth and sharp? ~ To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant ~ Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal, And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands, ~ Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant ~ Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like ~ Is mighty plain," quoth her;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant ~ Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear, Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most; ~ Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant ~ Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail ~ That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant ~ Is very like a rope!

And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion ~ Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right ~ And all were in the wrong!

So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant, Not one of them has seen!

-John Godfrey Saxe

During the week we see God in our own way, in the context of the world we live in. But when we come to worship on Sunday, to give the Lord this day, to hear the Scripture, sing the songs, pray the prayers, indulge in the sermon, and rejoice in the music, our perspective again becomes clear and we see who God is and what a holy day this is!

c. Rest- The third purpose of the Sabbath is for rest. We have the

privilege of sharing in God’s rest. Thus the Sabbath is a regular reminder of the eternal covenantal relationship that is the ultimate purpose of creation. We see how in the creation, and the exodus, both emphasize humanity’s dependence on God. To rest on the Sabbath day is to remember that God’s people, as a part of God’s created order, remain totally dependent on their creator.

Even for us today, although the day of the Sabbath has been changed from Saturday to Sunday, to honor the day of Christ’s resurrection, it is fulfilled in Christ. And so, through Christ we gain entrance into God’s own rest, and we can come into the Lord’s presence and before His holy throne.

Hebrews 4:9-10, “So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people

of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as

God did from His.”

When we don’t take time to rest, when we work too much, we begin to lose many things in life: enjoyment, time with others, loss of energy, and so much more. But even more than the Sabbath being a day to rejuvenate our bodies, it is a day to rejuvenate our spirits. It is not just stopping routine activity, but setting the day apart to be with God, and to fully experience God’s presence and love in our lives.

Conclusion: What a blessing we have to participate in the holiness of God by revering the name of God and setting it apart as holy, and by having such a special day as the Sabbath to remember our Holy God and draw upon the rest and focus of that special day. How do we love the Lord our god with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength? By keeping His name holy on our lips; by keeping our promises and commitments, by dedicating the Sabbath not just as a day for rest, but as a day to truly become one with God, and seek to serve Him this day. Let us draw close to God this day in holiness! Amen.