The Ten Commandments: TWO

Martin Luther recommended daily meditation on the Ten Commandments, using each Command to Instruct, to provide inspiration for Thanksgiving, to reflect upon in Repentance, and to conclude with Praise to God.

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The Second Commandment

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks.

God said to Moses “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites:  I AM has sent me to you.”  Exodus 3: 14

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.  ~ Exodus 20: 7

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God.  I am the Lord.  ~ Leviticus 19: 12

Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob:  “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale.  When they see among them their children, the work of My hands, they will keep My name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.  Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.”  ~ Isaiah 29: 22-24

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, “ This is what the Sovereign Lord says:  It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.  I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes.  For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.  I wills sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  ~ Ezekiel 36: 22 – 27

Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above.  Praise Him, all angels, praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.  Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him all you shining stars.  Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.  Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.  He set them in place for ever and ever; He gave a decree that they will never pass away.  Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children.  Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.  He has raised up for His people a horn, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, the people close to His heart.  Praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 148

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.” But I tell you, Do not swear at all:  either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No,” “No”; anything else beyond this comes from the evil one.  ~ Matthew 5: 33-38

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heave and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ~ Matthew28: 18-20

Believe in Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles in themselves.  I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing, He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in My Name and I will do it. ~ John 14:11-14

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The Name of the Lord God is intrinsic to His identity, and, like His Word, His Name has power.  We are privileged to call upon the Name of the Lord God for help in every trouble, for forgiveness and renewal, and to praise Him.  We are commanded to baptize in His Name, whereby He promises gifts of faith, forgiveness and salvation.  Luther’s explanation of the Second Commandment reminds us not only of what we should refrain from doing—abusing the Lord’s Name by cursing , swearing, using satanic arts or witchcraft, lying or being deceitful—but also reminds us what we are privileged to do, that is, to call upon God’s Name liberally and for all things—when in trouble, to make requests and petitions, to offer praise and to give thanks.  Jesus promised His disciples that whatever was asked in His Name, in faith and obedience, would be granted.   We are privileged to call upon God our Father, in the Name and through the sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ. 

Lord God, Heavenly King, Almighty God and Father, Your Name is holy above all of the earth.  You have created all things by the breath of Your mouth, and given Your people Your holy Name by which You are to be called upon and praised.  You do not remain aloof and mysterious to Your creation, but desire to be known by Your people.  You revealed Your Name to Moses and to the people of Israel, as You worked out their salvation and escape from Egypt by Your power, Your mercy and through the shedding of innocent blood on behalf of Your people.  You presented Your Name in the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ Your Son, through Whom You worked eternal salvation by the shedding of innocent blood, for all who believe on Your Name.  You command us to pray with perseverance and confidence, trusting in Your goodness and in Your power.  You command us to baptize into Your Triune Name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; You give us a new and holy heart, You bring us into Your family and Your Kingdom of faith and offer us eternal life.  Your Name is holy and greatly to be praised.

I thank You, Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—for the blessings which You give by Your Name, and the privilege to call upon You in prayer.  You are greatly to be praised for Your goodness, for Your creative work and for Your redemptive plan for creation.  Thank You for revealing Yourself to us in the person and through the saving work of Jesus Christ, the Name which is above all names and is greatly to be praised.  

Lord God, I confess that I do not reserve Your Name only for thankfulness and praise, but that I have profaned it by taking it in vain, by casual use and thoughtless exclamation.  Even more, I confess that I have not done as You command, to pray without ceasing in confidence and with perseverance, knowing that You are a just and loving God who desires to give good gifts to Your children.  Too often my thoughts have been full of selfish desires, my energy consumed by useless anxiety.  Forgive my failure to rely upon Your goodness. Teach me to call upon You truly in all circumstances.  I confess that I have misrepresented Your name by failing to live as a follower of Christ, naming myself Christian but daily failing to love my neighbor and failing to serve others with the sacrificial love which You showed to the world.  Teach me to love as You loved, and redeem my actions to serve Your will and Your people, even as You redeemed this fallen world and will bring all things to perfection in Christ.  

Lord God, with all of creation and all the angels, I praise Your holy Name.  You, O God, are strong and You, O God, are loving.  You call Your people by name and claim us as Your people; like sheep who know the voice of the Shepherd, we trust in You.  I look forward to an eternity to sing the praises of Your Name, the One Who sits upon the throne to Whom belong praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever.  You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; You hold all things within Your mighty hands, and You work all things together for the good of Your people and for the glory of Your Holy Name.  You are worthy of praise forever.  AMEN