ROOTED - Monday, August 4, 2025

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

Reflection: Question #49
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro 
Question: What is required in the Third Commandment?
Answer: The holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works.
We definitely trivialize God’s name in America, in my opinion. Piggybacking on the last Rooted from Saturday, I wish to continue considering how we may take the name of God with seriousness. Notice the answer to question 49. It instructs us to have “reverent use” of God’s name. Once again, we have the high call of God to use his name with intention and in earnest, not flippantly and blithely as if we were talking about our “buddy” or “the man upstairs.”
I recently had an unsettling conversation with a man who was under high levels of stress… a person I have rather liked. He decided to take his stress out on me… unloading his strongly negative opinion of God, ministry, and my vocation. He had little polite to say about God. It was cutting and harsh. I have thought about that exchange lately. You see, his words about God were honest and blunt. And, yes, he used God’s name dishonorably. But we can often do the same thing in less blatant fashion by simply failing to recognize the holy and reverent name of God for what it is. We may not profane God’s name outright, but there are plenty of ways we dismiss his name and dishonor it by forgetting its holy nature. I am reminded that, in particular times in scribal, Jewish history, the scribe copying a new scroll by hand would wash his hands anytime he came upon a name of God. Furthermore, the scribe would wash his whole body anytime he wrote the holy name “the LORD” (Yahweh)! Certainly, I am not advocating we wash ourselves when we use God’s name, but this illustrates a super-high view of God and all that he is. Our use of God’s name does not have to be disrespectful to be dishonoring… it merely has to be flippant. May God help us to take the name of the Lord in high regard!

Prayer 
Lord, once again, we ask you to help us as we learn to regard you and your name with reverence, showing us patience and grace as we falter!