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Hallowed be Your name
Is there no respect?
Man’s failure to respect that which is sacred has, through the ages, been
detrimental to the culture of the day as well as being displeasing to
God. God’s name represents His person just as your name represents you. The
scriptures in both Testaments are replete with instructions and examples emphasizing the sacredness
of the names of the divine.
Personally, I am old enough to have experienced the days when mothers who
heard their children use God’s name as an expletive or use other “swear
words” and unbecoming language would threaten with “I’ll wash out your mouth with
soap and water.” Using the name of Jesus and using substitutes for God’s
name such as “gosh” or “golly” was also punishable. Things have changed since
then. We now hear mothers themselves using such expressions in casual and otherwise
wholesome conversations in front of their children and in public. Women, in their
push for equality, it seems, feel that the use of such language is
one way of being equal.
Perhaps my mother’s early efforts contribute to my reaction to the now so
commonly heard, “Oh My God.” My involuntary reaction to hearing this phrase, especially
from unexpected sources, is similar to the chills that run up my spine
when a student playfully causes hard chalk to screech on the chalk board.
The popular TV program, “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition,” serves as an example. For
me, a very fine program that encourages the Biblical concept of helping the
less fortunate is ruined by the frequent and, I fear, deliberate use of
the “Oh My God” phrase. The frequency suggests that these people must be
coached to use this expression. I have renamed this show “The OMG Show”
and avoid viewing it. I am startled, shocked, to hear this expression freely
flowing from unexpected sources such as the tongues of “ladies”, mothers, teachers.
In bygone days this type of language was commonly heard from the worldly,
those who were not making any effort to be God’s people. It is
shocking to hear it in casual conversation among parents, teachers and church leaders.
Recently, individual articles in religious journals as well as a couple of special
issues (See Gospel Herald, March 2010 – God the Father for one) have highlighted
the greatness of God and the importance of giving Him due respect. Similar
emphasis has been noted in recent worship service themes. The contrast between these
and what is being heard in daily conversation has prompted me to compose
this article on a topic that has been on my mind for a
long time.
It is clear that God’s names have always borne special significance and that
He has expected such to be recognized by those who would please Him.
This should not surprise us. Our own names are important to us. We
are pleased and complimented when people remember our names and use them in
addressing us and when they, in general, show respect for our names. The
opposite is also true. We are demeaned and displeased if our names are
used in careless and disrespectful ways.
An interesting item entitled “Blasphemers of Ireland Beware” appeared in the January 18th
edition of MacLean’s Magazine. It begins, “Be careful how you invoke the name
of god . . . any god . . . in Ireland.” and
tells us of legislation which bans the publication of material, “grossly abusive or
insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion.” Surely the names
of God and Jesus Christ should be held sacred by all Christians.
Ireland’s 1937 constitution already outlawed blasphemy. Its 1961 Defamation Act included the possibility
of both a fine and up to seven years in prison. These laws
recognize, in fact, require that language usage show respect for what others hold
sacred. They are primarily geared to avoid our offending each other. This reminds
us of the workmen who adjust their speech when their minister drops by.
They may be concerned about offending his sensitivities or, perhaps, more about hiding
their true character from him. Being careful not to offend others is important
but how much more careful ought we to be not to offend almighty
God by our careless, casual and disrespectful use of His name? We cannot
hide our true character from Him.
Number three of the Ten Commandments reads, “You shall not make wrongful
use
of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not
acquit anyone who misuses his name.” (Ex.20:7 NRSV). An online Reader’s
Digest service has an item entitle, “If God Had Texted the Ten
Commandments” that the
reader will find interesting. For number three we find “no omg’s”. When
Ezra
led the people of Israel in national confession, he instructed them to
stand
up and “bless the Lord our God” and declared, “Blessed be your name,
and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.” (Neh.9:5)
The title of this article is the words used by Jesus in the
beginning of the “model prayer”, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
. . .” (Mt.6:9). We often include this or similar phrases in our
prayers. These are “empty words” if we do not show respect for God’s
name in our everyday communications. We sing hymns such as, “We Trust in
the Name of the Lord our God,” “Glorify the Lord” and “Exalt His
Holy Name.” Do we mean what we sing and pray?
There was a time when God’s name was held so holy by the
Hebrew people that they were afraid to speak it. The scribes, whose occupation
was to hand copy the scriptures would stop copying and ritually purify themselves
with water before transcribing God’s names. (You are encouraged to google “scribes, God’s
names” and read more about the extremes to which the scribes were required
to go when transcribing God’s names.) How would one of them react to
the casual ways that His name is used today by many? How, indeed,
does God feel about this?
To those whose response to these comments is, “God knows that I don’t
mean any disrespect,” we ask, “What do you mean? Using the name of
God as an exclamation (punctuation point) in a slang way has meaning or
does not have meaning. If it has meaning, it is disrespectful to God
and His people. If it does not have meaning, it is being used
in a vain, empty way which cannot be pleasing to God.
The Psalmist, after declaring several verses expressing praise for God’s wonderful works, concluded,
“Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding.” (Ps.111:9,10)
Let us demonstrate at least “the beginning of wisdom” and some “good understanding”
in the use of the name of our Holy God. We fear that
the casual way that we vocalize God’s name in our culture is evidence
of a growing disrespect for God Himself and hence in the way we
respond to His word and apply it in our daily living.
Let us show a very high respect for God, His name and His
word.
Eugene C. Perry
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
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