22nd October 2025

22nd October 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20:7)


Message (Alan Burke)


A few weeks back I was up in Coleraine at our house just making sure that everything was sorted for the winter, you know like the guttering is fine, there is oil in the tank, the heating works and all the radiators work. Now this is kind of important because we’ve had work done piece by piece and recently a room was plastered and the radiator was off the wall. I thought everything would be fine but before I realised the radiator that was off the wall wasn’t working, I’d no tools with me and looked around to see what I could find to turn the valve, checked the garage couldn’t find any pliers and being a man who won’t accept that he’s beaten I got an old fork that I squeezed the fork onto the bit of the valve to turn it without pillars. Hey presto the valve was turned, the heat started to come into the radiator. The fork was only fit for the bin, I had not used it as it was intended but I had misused it. Here in the Third Commandment we are warned not to misuse the name of the Lord, we are not to take it in vain. Now obviously that is very different than me taking the fork to the valve but what then are we being taught?


Well let’s think of the fullness of what God’s name is. Later in Exodus (33) Moses asks the LORD to show himself and he does but how he shows himself to Moses is by passing before him and proclaiming his name (Ex 34:6-7) saying “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”. 


Psalm 8:9 tells us; “In all the earth, O LORD our Lord, how glorious is your name.” How can the LORD’s name be glorious in all the earth, how can the name of the Lord be glorious in all the earth? Well it is because nature, all of creation, every part of it is part of the revelation of the Lord God and his name. His name is glorious over all the earth by virtue of who he is, it is a revelation of the LORD God himself. When we start to understand that the name of God is understand the sum of who he is and what he has done we begin to see that taking the name of the Lord in vain is much much more than using it as a curse word. Only then do we begin to understand that the scope of taking the Lord’s name in vain is much much greater. If we do a quick summary of what the scripture teaches about taking the Lord’s name in vain we start to see that it isn’t just to do with speech. There are many, many other ways in which we transgress this command, that we don’t readily think of that are made clear to us throughout the scriptures. 


The Westminster Larger Catechism in Q113 asks ‘What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?’ The answer is a comprehensive exposition of the scriptures teaching and it is; A. The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God’s decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the Word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or any thing contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful and offensive walking, or backsliding from it. 


The truth is, we have not kept this commandment, we have taken the LORDs’ name in vain, it is much more than a slip of the tongue when we hit our thumb when hammering a nail or burn the pavlova in the oven. It is not within our ability to keep any of God’s law and the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. But do not despair for Christ Jesus has perfectly kept the Law of God on our behalf so that we may be declared righteous before our Lord and God.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q106 What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A. In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
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