Respect God’s Name
Wonders of the universe.
God made these things.
His understanding is infinite!
Ps 147:5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.
God is an amazing person, and deserves nothing but the greatest of respect from every human being, and especially Christians.
Therefore, as a young person, you must learn to respect the name of God.
The secret to greatness lies in knowing the importance of revering God’s name and then doing just that.
Abraham had concern for Gods name. We read in Gen 14:21-24 that after Abraham delivered the Lot and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah from their enemies the king of Sodom offered all his goods that Abraham recaptured to Abraham. But Abraham didn’t take any! Why? It was because he didn’t want God’s name to be mixed with that of these evil kings. Yet today so many church leaders have no qualms taking money from unbelievers for the cause of God.
Moses had concern for God’s name. We read in Ex 32:7-14 how when the Israelites made the golden calf and worshiped it God wanted to destroy them all and start anew with Moses, and make Moses’ name great. But Moses, who had more concern for God’s name than for his own name, pointed out that doing so would cause others to poke fun at God. That was why God had such great regard for Moses.
In the same way, we read in 2 Sam 7 of how David had concern for the name of the Lord. He was concerned that the ark of the Lord was in a tent while David lived in a house of cedar. Because of his concern, God chose to have the Messiah be a son of David.
Even before David became king, he had a great concern for the name of God. In 1 Sam 17:26 we see his reaction to Goliath’s taunt. It concerned David that the name of God was being treated with dishonor. This concern was what made David a man after God’s own heart.
How do we know that it is very important to God that you revere His name? Well, of the ten commandments, which one is number two? It is the one that tells us to not take God’s name in vain.
Ex 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."
In the Old Testament, people who took God’s name in vain were stoned to death.
Lev 24:16 ‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.’
Further, how did Jesus teach us to pray? What was the first thing we must keep in mind when we come to God in prayer? It is that God’s name is to be hallowed or revered or esteemed.
Mt 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’"
How do we dishonor God’s name? It is by boasting in the Law and then breaking it. When we preach to others and then don’t take that word seriously ourselves, we give cause for God’s name to be blaspheme i.e. we give cause for people to poke fun at God.
Rom 2:23-24 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.
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