Taking the Name

"Blessed be the Name of the Lord, blessed be His glorious Name!"  What is in any name?  Whether its God's name or yours, what does it contain?  For instance, what do you think when you hear the name Lindsay Lohan?  Now what do you think when you hear Abraham Lincoln?  So, just from saying a name, you get a pretty good picture of the display of what people saw of them.  Some people do things in the name of others.  Way back when, knights would go into battle proclaiming that they were doing things for their king or someone that was close to them.  What would happen if someone that was performing a task in some one else's name and they acted like a complete scoundrel?  What would everyone think about the one whose name was being used?  

Ready for me to make a point?  Good, me too!  Take everything in the first paragraph and apply it to the following statement: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."  Yep, I'm going there!

99.9% of people know exactly what that statement was, but for those that do not I will tell you.  That is one of the 10 Commandments.  It is part of what all Christians are held to by the entire world.  The thing is that most (Christian or not) do not even know what that command is about.  Most common thoughts about it is that it has to do with what you say.  Truth is that it has nothing to do with saying it.  

If you look up the use of the word "take" in a concordance, it is defined as to lift, lift up, to bear, carry.  At this point I think that it would be safe to put a word to what is contained in a name.  That word is character.  You, and each person with a name, are defined by the character in our name.  God's character is contained in His name.  His name is not God, its Jehovah, or יְהֹוָה (Old Testament ).  Ancient Hebrew is all pictures for letters.  Each word is therefore a comic strip.  If you get the meanings of each of those letters you get "An open hand of grace is nailed to reveal grace."  While I'm on that same line of thinking, lets look at the Hebrew for "take": נָשָׂא=multiplying the name with authority.  Sheds a whole new light on it dont it?

What happens when we try to multiply His name with authority in a way that He has not called us to (taking His name in vain)?  You want to know how to get people to come to Christ?  Try showing them that grace that was revealed when the hand that gives it was nailed to a piece of wood to reveal it. Whether they are "good people" or not, show them love.  If they do something wrong, give em a nice try and encourage them to do better next time.  

But this is not what Christians are famous for.  Lets face it, Christians worldwide do not have reputation for being kind.  To put it simply, God's character is contained in Exodus 34:6. " And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth."  

Lets display the character of our God.  Let us take His name in a way that spreads His character like wildfire.  I can tell you that if you speak to others in love and kindness, the will look at you funny but they will want more and then want to know where you got it.  Your witnessing opportunity is then open like an airplane hangar.  

Go and be loving my friends.

Grace and Peace be with you always!