The Third Commandment tells us not to take the name of the Lord in vain.

I suppose for most people that means only one thing, don't use swear words, and especially don't use God's name as a swear word. And of course

that's right. But it's more than that, isn't it? What God is forbidding here is using his name

lightly or thoughtlessly, as though neither God nor his name were of any importance to us.

What marks out the true believer is, as the Fifth Psalm puts it, that he or she loves the Lord's

name and exalts in Him.

Think about this in terms of the two Testaments of the Bible, old and new.

You remember that in the days of the Old Testament, the high priest was to bless the people.

The specific blessing, sometimes called the Aaronic Benediction, is recorded in numbers 6, verses 24 to 26.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon

you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

These are beautiful words, and they describe a wonderful privilege, God shining on his people. Think about it, the face of God

turning towards his people in love and smiling at them. But do you remember the words that follow?

God says about the priests, so shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

When the people of God received this blessing, God was putting his name on them. So to take the

name of the Lord your God in vain was to be someone who accepted the Lord's benediction and then went away and lived as if he

or she had never received it. Seems almost impossible, doesn't it? That someone would feel

the smile of God in his benediction and then live as though it really didn't mean anything to him or to her.

But before we look down our noses at Old Testament believers, I think we should remember the

other occasion when God's name is said to be put on people. And this time, people like you

and me if we're Christians. Do you remember it?

Yes, it happened when you were baptized.

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