A few years ago, I did what everybody does at some point: I Googled my name. I’m not really sure why, besides the fact that I was just bored and wanted to see if I appeared on any kind of nefarious websites.
When I looked at the search results, I found that my exact name had thousands of hits. Almost none of them were for me, though. As it turns out, the starting quarterback for the University of Missouri also had the name “Brady Cook.” We’re nothing alike in any kind of way, so it became a running joke amongst me and my friends to ask if they had seen my highlight reel.
I don’t know if I’ll ever run into this other “Brady Cook,” but if he did, I would like to think he saw the humor in the joke. What he probably wouldn’t appreciate though, is me signing autographs for kids, inking sponsorship deals, or going on ESPN to describe “my” accomplishments—all under his name. I’m not him, despite sharing a name.
The third commandment talks about much the same thing, albeit in a spiritual sense. When God tells His people to “not use [His] name in vain,” He’s talking about acting and speaking in a way that brings dishonor to the name of Jehovah.
How would someone do that? Lots of ways. They could use His name as authentication for an oath, they could use it as a byline in a swear word, or they could claim to speak on God’s behalf. It’s really any scenario whereby we appropriate the name of God to serve our own purpose or selfish ends.
Think back to Exodus 3. When God told Moses His name, He said “I Am who I Am.” God doesn’t really need a name. He’s all encompassing, all knowing, and all powerful. For us to speak of Him in a way that dishonors what His position is, at the very least, disrespectful. At the worst, it’s condemnatory.
To keep the name of God holy is to keep reverence for God Himself. If I were to use His name when I stubbed my toe or when I made a false promise, people will begin to think less of Him.
Think of it in everyday terms. Can you imagine how meaningless my name would become if every time someone cut someone else off in traffic, they yelled “Brady!” (Unless I’m actually the one who cut them off, of course).
God is holy, and for Israel (or us) to throw the name of God around so flippantly is to minimize His actual importance. Let’s keep the name of God where it belongs: in a position of honor, respect and reverence in our hearts.
