READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l In order to benefit from the blessings of belonging to the Kingdom of God we have to adhere to certain rules and regulations which we may find onerous especially as laid out in the Old Testament. Obeying the law is not a pre-requisite to salvation. In Exodus 20 God says that he has already brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt before he gives the Ten Commandments. However, having saved them, God then expected their adherence.
1. The Purpose Of Salvation
The Book of Exodus contains two stories of salvation. The first is the story of Moses and how he was placed in a basket in the reeds, encountered God on Mount Horeb in the burning bush and then represented God before Pharaoh. This is mirrored in the second account of the salvation of Israel. God brought the Israelites to safety by passing through the sea of reeds (mistranslated as the Red Sea in many translations). They encountered God on Mount Sinai and were commissioned as a Kingdom of Priests. They were sent to represent God to the nations.
God always saves with a purpose in mind. It is important to understand this because Churches today are in error by thinking that salvation is the end goal and forgetting why we were saved. In Exodus 19 3-6 God speaks to Moses on the mountain telling him firstly that the Israelites are saved to be his treasured possession and secondly that they are a priestly nation. Carmen Joy Imes in her book Bearing God’s Name says that a treasured possession refers to someone who enjoys a special status in relation to the King and is entrusted with greater responsibility. This is especially impressive as we recall that the Israelites were formerly a nation of despised slaves.
2. The Calling Of The Saved
The Ten Commandments were given in the context of God commissioning the Israelites as His ambassadors. We usual treat the commandments as a list of moral guidelines. When we get to the third commandment (v7) we think this means that we should not use the name of the Lord in an irreverent flippant manner. This is a wrong interpretation. The Hebrew word for ‘take’ here is NASA meaning lift or carry almost always used literally. In Exodus 28:9 we are told that the apron of the High Priest bore two onyx stones each bearing six names of the 12 tribes of Israel. The breastplate would also bear the 12 names. The High Priest therefore would carry the tribes into the presence of God as their representative. The Priest would also wear a golden headpiece engraved with the words “Holy unto the Lord” and therefore he was to carry the presence of God back to the people. God called the Israelites a Kingdom of Priests so as his treasured possession their vocation or ‘calling’ was to represent their God to the rest of humanity. We have the same calling to represent God to the World. Are we concerned about His reputation? Do we reflect Him well?
There are usually three types of people in church.
a. Those more concerned with misrepresenting God and sometimes they prefer that people don’t know that they are Christians
b. Those overzealous in representing God
c. Those ambivalent about representing God
Is our Church as a whole bearing the name of the Lord well? We need to apologise to pre-believers that we have not done a better job. Why can’t we bear God’s name better? It’s not for lack of trying. There is something broken within our hearts that prevents us from reflecting God. No one has ever been able to represent God rightly. The Bible is full of people who have failed dismally. But God does not abandon us. In 2 Chron 7:14 God tells us that if we turn from our wicked ways He will forgive us. In Ezekiel 36:22 God says that somehow God will work through His chosen people to sanctify His Holy Name. The Hebrew scriptures end and we are left wondering how this could be possible.
3. The Fulfilment Of The Saviour
When Jesus was commissioned to begin his ministry he was baptised. A voice was heard declaring “This is my Son”. (Matt 3:17) In Exodus 4:22 God calls Israel his firstborn son. The baptism is symbolic as Jesus goes through the same waters that Moses and the Israelites had to pass through. So finally here is someone who is worthy to bear the name of God! Jesus teaches his disciples to pray “Hallowed be thy name”. (Matt 6:9) Once again we are taught to ascribe honour to the name of God. Only Jesus is a worthy representative of God! We cannot look to ourselves to bear the name of God well. There is only one person we must look to and that is Jesus. When we emulate Jesus in humble sacrificial love we are closest to representing God well. The selfless caregiver, the parent who sacrifices their career for the family, the spouse who gives up a lucrative job to save their marriage, the CEO who turns up to distribute food to the poor, the boss who refuses to lay off staff for a cheaper alternative are all representing God well!
God is in the business of turning hopeless slaves into his treasured possession. If we feel that we are too flawed to be worthy of God, let us look at the story of Paul. in Acts 9:13-16 we read that Paul was in direct and violent rebellion to God and yet God called him and used him mightily. God can call anyone regardless of their failures.
Let us be aware of our calling and empty ourselves to emulate Jesus in order to represent God to the World and bear his name!
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
Let’s do a biblical word study!
The Hebrew verb translated as “use” or “take” in Exodus 20:7 is נשׂא ‘nasa’.
a. Using STEPBible.org, go to Exodus 20:7 and click on the word, ‘take’.
b. You will see on the right-hand column that this verb, נשׂא ‘nasa’ occurs about 659 times. Click on that hyperlink.
c. Scroll down to Exodus 28:12 and 28:29. How is the word נשׂא ‘nasa’ translated in these passages?
d. Because these instances of נשׂא ‘nasa’ occur within the same book and are used with the same noun “name”, one can argue that Exodus 20:7 should be read as “you shall not bear the name of the LORD your God in vain.” - Recall Sermon
a. What does it mean for God’s people to bear his name?
b. What purpose and vocation did God have in mind for them as bearers of his name? - Relate Personally
a. How do you feel when you think of yourself as being God’s representative or ambassador?
b. Is it a burden or a calling? - Commit to Action
a. In your life, what is one thing you’d do differently if you knew God’s name was on your forehead, metaphorically speaking?
