NEITHER SHALL YE PROFANE MY HOLY NAME

In the Scriptures a name frequently reveals the character of the person who bears it. It not only identifies who the person is but also conveys some facet of their personality or work. In demon­stration of that we could consider the meaning of the names Jesus, Matt. 1. 21; Emmanuel, Matt. 1. 23; and Melchisedec, Heb. 7. 1, and even the name Legion, Mark 5. 9.

There is significance in each divine name and God attaches importance to His several names. This is seen in Exodus chapter 6 verse 3, where, speaking to Moses, He said, ‘I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them’. Each name draws attention to the specific character in which God revealed Himself at different stages in His dealings with men. To the patriarchs He revealed Himself as El Shaddai the all-sufficient resource of His people, to the children of Israel as Jehovah, the eternal, self-existing, covenant-keeping God, their Redeemer. Four times in the concluding verses of Leviticus chap­ter 22 our attention is drawn to that sacred name as we read, ‘I am the LORD’, vv. 30, 31, 32 and 33. A name that the people were exhorted not to profane, to defile or treat as common, but instead to sanctify as holy.

They were to reverence His name because of His authority, He is ‘the LORD’, v. 31, because of what He had done for them, redeeming them from ‘out of the land of Egypt’, and because of His relationship to them - ‘your God’, v. 33. Of necessity, rever­ence for His name will beget obedience to His word, manifest in keeping and doing His commandments, v. 30. This is truth that is timeless in its character and relevance.

Many times in the New Testament, reference is made to the name of the Lord and that in a wide variety of contexts. For example, it is found in connection with salvation, Acts 4. 12; bap­tism, Matt. 28. 19; gathering, Matt. 18. 20; prayer, John 14. 14; giving thanks, Eph. 5. 20. In Colossians chapter 3 verse 17, the apostle says ‘whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus’. May we revere the name of the Lord Jesus and make it manifest in all we say and do today.