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Which is the Second Commandment?

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

1. We learned in the first Commandment that we should fear and love our God above all things. That is the will of our Father in heaven. If we fear and love God, we shall gladly fulfil His commandments and do His will. And it is only if we fear and love God that we shall do so. All our obedience to God and His commandments must come from a heart that fears and loves God. In every commandment our God demands again that we fear and love Him. Therefore our Catechism begins the explanation of every commandment with these words: "We should fear and love God."

2. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain." Because we fear and love God, we must not take His name in vain. God has a name, just as you and everybody has a name by which he is known and called; indeed, God has many names. You already learned several of His names. (God, Lord, Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, the Almighty, Creator, Savior, etc.) These names God has given Himself in His Word. Through His names He shows us who and what He is, what He has done and still is doing for His children. God is called Savior, and He really is the Savior; He is called Creator because He has created heaven and earth; He is called the Almighty, for with Him nothing is impossible. God's name is God Himself as He has revealed Himself to us.

3. We are not to take God's name in vain. To take God's name in vain means to use His holy name thoughtlessly and without any need. Many persons, it is sad to say, very often use the name of God, and especially that of Jesus Christ, in their speech without thinking of their Savior, without even knowing that they do so. They use it even when they talk of vile things. They take God's name in vain and mock God. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Gal. 6,7.

4. Our Catechism shows us more plainly how God's name is taken in vain: "We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name." We should not curse. To curse by God's name means to call down upon oneself or another God's punishment. Peter cursed. Matt. 26,74. He said God should punish him if he knew "the man" Jesus. Christians should never curse. They bless and praise God, their Father; how, then, can they curse their fellow-men and wish them God's punishment? Blessing and cursing should not come out of the same mouth. Jas. 3,9.10.

5. We should not swear by God's name. We swear when we use God's name to affirm the truth of what we say, as we hear it done so often in daily life. Our Lord says to His disciples: "I say unto you, Swear not at all. ... But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." Matt. 5,34,37.

6. We should not use witchcraft by God's name. We use witchcraft when we try to perform things which by natural means we cannot do, such as fortune-telling, calling and asking the dead (as the Spiritualists claim to do), etc. Such works are in themselves grievous sins, works of the devil. But such sins are much greater when God's holy name is used in performing them. Christians should have nothing to do with these works of darkness, these works of the devil. (Read Deut. 18,10-12.)

7. We should not lie or deceive by God's name. Lying by God's name means telling a lie and using God's name and Word in order to make the lie seem to be the truth. So the false prophets use God's name and Word in order to hide their false doctrines and make them appear as God's truth. "Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues and say, He saith." Jer. 23,31, The hypocrites deceive by God's name. They use God's name, they talk about God and His Word in order to hide their evil life. "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7,21. Think of Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5.

8. To take God's name in vain is a grievous sin. God is greatly displeased with it. How can we, who fear and love God, grieve Him by taking His holy name in vain? And God has threatened to punish all that misuse His name. "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." Ex. 20,7.4

9. God has revealed His name to us in order to bless and save us. He wants us to use His holy name in the right way. "We should call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks." That is the right use of our Lord's name.—He wants us to call on Him, to beg for His help, especially in all our troubles; for He alone can help us in all our needs. God says: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Ps. 50,15.—We should pray in His name; for in every true prayer we use His name aright. He wants us to come to Him daily and speak with Him, as a child speaks to his father.—We should use His name in praising and thanking Him for His manifold goodness, for all His benefits, all the great things He does for us. If He has delivered or helped us, we should glorify Him. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name." Ps. 103,1. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; because His mercy endureth forever." Ps. 118,1. If we rightly use the name of our God, we shall be blessed by it. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe." Prov. 18,10.

REMEMBER:—

1. God has given us His holy name that we may be blessed and saved by it.

2. He forbids us to take in vain and misuse His sacred name by cursing, swearing, using witchcraft, lying, or deceiving, or by thoughtlessly speaking it.

3. He commands us to use it aright by calling upon it in all our needs, by praying, praising, and giving of thanks. We should fear and love God and so use His blessed name.

MEMORIZE:—

I say unto you, Swear not at all, but let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." [tr. note: sic on quotation mark] Matt. 5,34.37.

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues and say, He saith. Jer. 23,31.

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. Ps. 50, 15.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless His holy name. Ps. 103,1.

QUESTIONS.

1. How does our Catechism begin the explanation of every commandment after the First Commandment? 2. When only can and will we fulfil all the commandments? 3. What, therefore, does God demand of us in every commandment? 4. Enumerate some of God's holy names. 5. For what purpose has God revealed His name to us? 6. What does it mean to take God's name in vain? 7. What does it mean to curse by God's name? 8. When do we swear by God's name? 9. Whose work is witchcraft? 10. What people lie by God's name? 11. What does God say about the false prophets? (Jer. 3,31.) 12. What does it mean to deceive by God's name? 13. What has God threatened those who take His name in vain? 14. What is the will of God with respect to His name? 15. How should we use God's name? 16. What does it mean to call upon God? 17. When especially should we do so? 18. Recite Ps. 50,15. 19. Why should we praise the Lord and give thanks unto His name? 20. Recite Ps. 103,1.