Q. 53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.
Observations. We will be spending a fair amount of time on this commandment.
(1) Worship should and must approach God as He has revealed Himself, the God of glory and majesty. This entails reverence and respect. Psalm 5.7: But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You, I will worship toward Your holy temple. We must register very serious concerns about the tone and tenor of much of the “praise” music we have heard. We must seek worship with those who share this view of God’s glory and majesty.
(2) In the Lord’s Prayer that He taught us, Hallowed be Thy name, we are instructed to “hallow,” “sanctify,” and see God as holy. Isaiah 8.13: The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. The preceding verse (8.12) instructs the child of God to not fear people, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. It is the LORD who is the object of fear. He is the ultimate authority to Whom and before Whom all, including the foul spirit, Satan, must bow and submit. We learn from Job that he, the universal blockhead, is on a long ball-and-chain. It is the LORD whom we are to trust and to Him that we will answer. Isaiah 12.2: Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He has also become my salvation. Psalm 25.12-15: Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
In this town of Jacksonville, NC, one is hard-pressed to find genuine and widespread reverence and fear of God. There are many hot-houses of enthusiasts. There can hardly be said to be reverence. The places with rich hymnal and liturgical traditions are largely liberal in orientation. It is hard to know which is worse. I think the enthusiasts are co-equally as erroneous as the liberals.
What is meant by the name of the Lord thy God? By that name we understand everything whereby God makes Himself known. We understand the name of the Lord thy God to include His names, all of his excellencies and attributes, as well as ecclesiastical and personal ordinances, e.g. the sacraments, as well as His infallible word and His works of providence. We have said much in this answer already. We will be working this commandment over seriously since it is a gold mine.
A. This indeed involves church leaders, especially, in serious studies of the nature and character of the Triune God. An educated clergy is necessary for the advance of the Church Militant. We are pleased that many Catholic[1] Churchmen have embraced the first four Creeds of church history as substantial reflections of Scripture on the Triune God. It behooves senior elders (bishops), elders, Sunday School leaders, and deacons to be schooled in the Name above all names. Additionally, we are very pleased that there are serious Catholic Churchmen who are Confessional Presbyterians, Reformed, Lutheran and Anglicans who have held and are holding the line on the character of His Majesty. This scribe believes that Chapters 1-3, for starters, of Westminster Confession are sterling indeed. We recommend Stephen Charnock’s Attributes of God for starters. They should be memorized en toto. But let it be noted that this third commandment implies a very, very serious approach to the character of God. It will not yield to yapper-clapperholics.
B. It is to be noted that this is profoundly lacking in broad evangelicalism. May we be agents of kind, courteous and bold enunciation of this Law, as well as the Gospel. Thankfully, some Reformed communions still requires their children to memorize this little catechism. Lutherans have their own little catechism also. The catechism, frankly, in the rear of Anglican Prayer Books aren't worth the paper they are printed on; they arrogantly refused to learn from other magisterial Reformers on this point.
C. Our music should reflect this awe, reverence, and filial fear[2] of His Name.
D. We think this very point the point of the spear in modernity or post-modernity if you will, one’s view of God. Different views of God.
We offer an adapted prayer from “Family Prayer” in the old Book of Common Prayer According to the Use of the Reformed Episcopal Church in the United States of America:[3]
Our Father and most merciful God, in particular, we beseech thee to continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Defend us from ourselves and our forgetfulness, amidst the other dangers of this night. Grant us an hearty awareness of Thy presence as we sleep and when we arise in the morning. Grant that we may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the coming day, including the joyful remembrance of thy Name. May our prayers and worship befit Thee and Thy grand majesty. Our God, we pray for a reformation and amendment of and for better minds and hearts—to walk in thy faith and fear. Keep us, we heartily pray, from this wicked and wilful shallowness and grant us grace to walk with humility with the assured fact that, were it not for Thee, there we would go hastily. Grant us grace that we may so live...in such a state, that we may never be afraid to die: so that, living and dying, we may know that we are always thine, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Jesus Christ, in whose Name we offer up our imperfect prayers. Amen.
[1] Since we live in America, we need to notify and teach many Confessional Protestants that they are the True Catholics, not the Romanist Catholics. Their Gospel is false and the title “church” ill-fits them.
[2] Somewhere up the road we will distinguish between the two types of fear—one in the justified saint and the other in the condemned and unjustified person.
[3] "Evening Prayer for Families," Book of Common Prayer According to the Use of the Reformed Episcopal Church in the United States of America (Philadelphia: The Reformed Episcopal Publication Society, Limited, 1932).
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