Am I incorrect in my interpretation of this commandment? I do not understand how anyone can claim their word or will carries God's authority without being self-serving (though not necessarily aware of this) or an outright charlatan.
Is swearing an oath with God as your witness a violation, as God is witness to everything, and instead you are just using his name to give your word credibility before others? Is using mention of God in state ceremony and legal documents not an effort to counterfeit His authority?
Throughout history and the present it seems that the ambitious and powerful use the name of God to further their own interests. Have there not been cases in which God's followers were corrupted and convinced to break other commandments such as committing theft and murder in God's name?
Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Exodus
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Exodus 20:7 - taking the Lord's name in vain
by Gold Sphincter » Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:14 pm
- Gold Sphincter
Re: Exodus 20:7 - taking the Lord's name in vain
by jimwalton » Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:16 am
First, the text.
The name is equivalent to the identity of the deity and expresses the divine essence. Many people, self-serving or charlatan, commandeered the divine identity for illicit use or their own gain (think identity theft in our modern world). the command says that God's identity and authority were not to be used to pursue one's own self-interests. It was not to be invoked for inappropriate or self-aggrandizing, manipulative, or deceitful purposes.
In other words, if you are going to make a pledge "with God as my witness," it was to be done in good faith, full honesty, with a commitment to stay true to it (Lev. 19.12). To use such a phrase, and then to fail to perform the oath, is to call into question the reality of God's very existence.
Second, your specific questions.
No one is claiming their word carries God's authority. What they are promising is that their commitment WILL NOT FAIL. Using God's name properly, they are making a rock-solid promise of fulfillment. By swearing on God's name, the other party would be guaranteed. Subsequently, however, God is saying that if you misuse his name to deceive or manipulate, He Himself will bring punishment upon your head (Ex. 2.7, the end of it). We will not escape if we so pervert the good name of God.
> Is swearing an oath with God as your witness a violation as God is witness to everything and instead you are just using his name to give your word credibility before others?
Swearing by God's name is not a violation. Gn. 24.3, 1 Samuel 20.12, Daniel 12.7, and other places. As long as his name was used respectfully and as a rock-solid guarantee of following through, it was OK.
> Is using mention of God in state ceremony and legal documents not an effort to counterfeit His authority?
No, it's not to counterfeit his authority. Its purpose is to guarantee what is being promised.
> Throughout history and the present it seems that the ambitious and powerful use the name of God to further their own interests.
That's true, and God will not hold them guiltless. They are accountable for their guilty will be judged for their disobedience.
Have there not been cases in which God's followers were corrupted and convinced to break other commandments such as committing theft and murder in God's name?
Um, not that I know of. Perhaps if you know of such an example we can discuss it.
The name is equivalent to the identity of the deity and expresses the divine essence. Many people, self-serving or charlatan, commandeered the divine identity for illicit use or their own gain (think identity theft in our modern world). the command says that God's identity and authority were not to be used to pursue one's own self-interests. It was not to be invoked for inappropriate or self-aggrandizing, manipulative, or deceitful purposes.
In other words, if you are going to make a pledge "with God as my witness," it was to be done in good faith, full honesty, with a commitment to stay true to it (Lev. 19.12). To use such a phrase, and then to fail to perform the oath, is to call into question the reality of God's very existence.
Second, your specific questions.
No one is claiming their word carries God's authority. What they are promising is that their commitment WILL NOT FAIL. Using God's name properly, they are making a rock-solid promise of fulfillment. By swearing on God's name, the other party would be guaranteed. Subsequently, however, God is saying that if you misuse his name to deceive or manipulate, He Himself will bring punishment upon your head (Ex. 2.7, the end of it). We will not escape if we so pervert the good name of God.
> Is swearing an oath with God as your witness a violation as God is witness to everything and instead you are just using his name to give your word credibility before others?
Swearing by God's name is not a violation. Gn. 24.3, 1 Samuel 20.12, Daniel 12.7, and other places. As long as his name was used respectfully and as a rock-solid guarantee of following through, it was OK.
> Is using mention of God in state ceremony and legal documents not an effort to counterfeit His authority?
No, it's not to counterfeit his authority. Its purpose is to guarantee what is being promised.
> Throughout history and the present it seems that the ambitious and powerful use the name of God to further their own interests.
That's true, and God will not hold them guiltless. They are accountable for their guilty will be judged for their disobedience.
Have there not been cases in which God's followers were corrupted and convinced to break other commandments such as committing theft and murder in God's name?
Um, not that I know of. Perhaps if you know of such an example we can discuss it.
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