THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
The Third Commandment is repeated in sub
stance ten times in the Old Testament. It occurs
in substance three times in the New Testament.
The penalty for breaking
it was death. God said:
“Whosoever curseth his
God shall bear his sin
* * * He that blas
phemeth the name of his
God shall surely be put
to death.”
He also said: “Thou
shalt not revile God nor
curse the ruler of thy
people.”
Profanity is both fool
ish and wicked. It is bad
English, an insult to re
fined friends and a sin
against God. And all this
without the least pleas
ure or reward. How silly
to be profane.
By-words are only a
less rude profanity. “By
golly,” “By-the-Gods,”
“The dickens” and terms
of more or less rudeness
would be better left un
thought and unsaid.
There’s a wooden pro
fanity which is little less
profane. Slamming the
door, stamping the floor,
or even kicking the dog
in anger at God or
friends, or circumstances.
“Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah
thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Ex. 20:17.
It’s all in vain. The artist has let us into a
new, and to many of us an unthought of,
way of taking the name of God in vain.
The helpless widow
and orphan have in des
peration thrown them
selves on the mercies of
the worshiping people as
they leave the Lord’s day
worship.
The worshiper in the
high hat is very devoutly
quoting a psalm as he
passes them. He is re
freshing his memory by
looking into his prayer
book. Thus both mind
and eyes are employed—
and he does not see the
widow or hear her cry.
He is taking God’s
name in vain. “Whosoever
hath this world’s goods
and beholdeth his brother
in need, and shutteth up
his compassion from him,
how doth the love of God
abide in him?”
If we talk obedience
and obey not; if we teach
tithing and tithe not; if
we preach forgiveness and
forgive not; if we sing,
“Lord, I care not for
riches,” and then covet;
this—all this—is taking
His name in vain.
IN AFFLICTION’S SCHOOL
I TEAVY is the head that wears a crown. It is not
*• *all glory, it is not all sunshine to be a king. David
was surrounded by foes in his own kingdom and was
constantly in fear of invasions by enemies from that
heathen world. That accounts for the many psalms
in which he cries to God for help and deliverance.
In the school of affliction where else had he to go but
unto the God of Israel in whom he trusted? It was
when David was firmly seated upon his throne and
prosperity smiled upon him that he lost his hold
upon God and fell from grace.
Few kings can stand prosperity, and affliction
mat drives them to look unto the hills whence the
saints must get their help is a blessing rather than a
curse. Under the rod of affliction are we driven to
Him who smites that He may heal. After all his
sore trials Job could say, “It was good that I have
been afflicted.” The heavier his affliction the
stronger was his faith in God; for apart from Him no
deliverance could come nigh. Peter realized this
v. hen many of Christ’s followers “went back and
walked no more with Him,” and Jesus put the chal
lenge up to the Twelve by asking, “Will ye also go
away?” The very thought of leaving the Master
whom they loved and trusted drove him to make the
noble reply, “Lord, to whom shall we go; thou hast
the words of eternal life.”
There are many Christians in our day who are
full of doubts and questionings, and who have lost
the firm hope and trust they once had in God. They
have heard and read much from lights that shine in
the scientific and literary world that puts the light
of God’s Word under a cloud. They see more of the
cloud than they do of the great light that shines in
Scripture. Doubts steal into their minds and they
lose their trust in God. Let them ask themselves,
“What light does the world with all its wisdom have
that can be a substitute for the wisdom that streams
from Him who is the light of the world?” When
trust in Him is gone, all is gone.
-o--—
Stubbornness is not strength of will so much as
lack of reason.