Warning: The truths contained in the following teaching are not for the faint of heart, or the lukewarm! You can be sure that haSatan (the adversary) will do all he can to keep you from understanding and applying the concepts and truths contained herein, but it is our prayer that every one who receives these notes will carefully consider and apply the contents to their lives.

1. Introduction
2. Profane Worship
3. Profane Living
4. Conclusion
5. Footnotes

You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain, for the L-rd will not hold {him} guiltless who takes His name in vain. (Ex 20:7)

(See note 1)

The phrase, "You shall not take the name of the L-rd your G-d in vain..." has been very carefully honored by the people of G-d through the centuries. We have carefully guarded "The Name", so as not to profane It, or treat It as common.

We have so carefully guarded "The Name" that we have completely forgotten how to pronounce it. Therefore, we simply refer to our G-d by the epithet, HaShem (Hebrew, for "The Name").

(Note: "The Name" is not J_hovah or Y_hweh! These pronunciations come from a misunderstanding of the vowel points which were placed within "The Name" by the scribes of the Masoretic Text (See note 2). These vowel points were intended to tell the reader which word to substitute for "The Name" when publicly reading the scripture (i.e. Ad_nai, El_henu, etc. The incorrect pronunciations of "The Name" are actually offensive to our people, and definitely should not be used when sharing the "Good News" with them.)

Even the phrase "I Am," which has been accepted as the general meaning of "The Name" was carefully revered, even until the time of the Messiah, so that it would not be spoken in reference to a mere man.

And G-d said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Ex 3:14)

Y'Shua therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered Him, "Y'Shua of Nazareth." Y'Shua said to them, "I am {He."} And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, "I am {He,"} they drew back and fell to the ground. (Jn 18:4-6)

We even guard other names (even foreign ones) which refer to our G-d as we are doing in this document (ex. L-rd, G-d, etc.).

We have concentrated so completely on this one aspect of not profaning "The Name" that we have come to believe that to take "The Name" of the L-rd in vain is to use it as a curse word.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O G-d! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take {Your name} in vain. (Ps 139:19,20)

Yes this is a very important consideration, but we have failed to recognize that the words "in vain" mean "for nothing", "empty", of "no effect," etc. With this in mind we now have the sensitivity to move on...

In a very strong and intrinsic way, to become identified with HaShem is to take His name. We must be very careful how we bear "The Name."

The L-rd will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the L-rd your G-d and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the L-rd, and they shall be afraid of you. And the L-rd will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the L-rd swore to your fathers to give you. (Deut 28:9-11)

Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O L-rd G-d of hosts. (Jer 15:16)

"On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name," says the L-rd who does this thing. (Amos9:11,12)

II. Profane Worship

To worship HaShem in the way that the non-believers worship their gods profanes His Name, and brings judgement. (What does this say about the supposedly new practices creeping into congregations these days (i.e., hypnotherapy, past life regression, visualization techniques, etc.)

When the L-rd your G-d cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, "How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise." You shall not worship the L-rd your G-d in that way; for every abomination to the L-rd which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. (Deut 12:29-32)

And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through {the} {fire} to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your G-d: I {am} the L-rd. (Lev 18:21)

Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: "Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives {any} of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given {some} of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. (Lev 20:2,3)

HaShem, our G-d, is not our buddy! He is not the old man upstairs? He is the Holy One of Israel and He must be regarded as such! When we each stand before Him, and the light of His holiness hits us, we will definitely know that He is holy, for His holiness will be overwhelming.

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censor and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the L-rd, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the L-rd and devoured them, and they died before the L-rd. And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the L-rd spoke, saying: "By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified..." (Lev 10:1-3)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the L-rd sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His {robe} filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy {is} the L-rd of hosts; The whole earth {is} full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe {is} me, for I am undone! Because I {am} a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The L-rd of hosts." (Isa 6:1-5)

Approaching HaShem with our lips but not with our hearts is tantamount to considering His name as something common.

As for you, O house of Israel," thus says the L-rd G-d: "Go, serve every one of you his idols, and hereafter, if you will not obey me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols." (Ezek. 20:39)

"For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name {shall be} great among the Gentiles; In every place incense {shall be} offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations" Says the L-rd of hosts. But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the L-rd is defiled; And its fruit, its food, {is} contemptible.' You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," Says the L-rd of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the L-rd. (Mal 1:11-13)

III. Profane Living

We who are known by "The Name" must live our lives in such a way as to correctly represent HaShem in all that we say, do, and think. In this way we will not profane His name or cause others to do so.

We who minister and speak in His name must take great care to be accurate and correct in how we represent Him, for we are His ambassadors.

And the L-rd said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'None shall defile himself...{being} a chief man among his people, to profane himself . . . They shall be holy to their G-d and not profane the name of their G-d, for they offer the offerings of the L-rd made by fire, {and} the bread of their G-d; therefore they shall be holy." (Lev 21:1-6)

Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name {by} what they dedicate to Me: I {am} the L-rd. Say to them: "Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the L-rd, while he has uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I {am} the L-rd." (Lev 22:2,3)

Now then, we are ambassadors for Messiah... (2Cor 5:20)

To live in disobedience and rebellion is to take "The Name" in vain, treating It and Him as of no importance.

Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I {am} the L-rd. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I {am} the L-rd who sanctifies you, (Lev 22:31,32)

We must not live in such a way as to give the unbeliever cause to blaspheme HaShem.

Two {things} I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny {You,} and say, "Who {is} the L-rd?" Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my G-d. (Prov 30:7-9)

Thus says the L-rd: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its {punishment,} because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name." (Amos 2:6,7 NIV)

To swear an oath, or enter into a covenant, is to bring HaShem in as a witness and enforcer. He will protect His name and we should do the same.

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your G-d. I am the L-rd. (Lev 19:12 NIV)

IV. Conclusion

Let us live our lives, not only guarding how we use and pronounce "The Name," but how we represent the One whose name we bear.

For the L-rd will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the L-rd to make you His people. (1Sam 12:22)

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all {who are} in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:14-16)

Nevertheless the solid foundation of G-d stands, having this seal: "The L-rd knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Messiah depart from iniquity." (2Tim 2:19)

¹ All Scripture references are from the New King James version, unless otherwise specified.

² The Masoretic Text is the original set of manuscripts from which the King James Version is translated, and which are the base manuscripts for the Hebrew Bible read in Synagogues around the world.