Frame on commandment no. 3

Have I mentioned how much I’m enjoying reading bits of John Frame’s The Doctrine of the Christian Life (in preparing to preach on the 10 commandments)?

In addition to the previous posts, here are a few jottings arising from Frame on the 3rd commandment:

1st commandment: who to worship / the object of worship (Frame’s situational perspective)

2nd commandment: how to worship / the regulation of worship (Frame’s normative perspective)

3rd commandment: the attitude with which we worship (Frame’s existential perspective)

“Naming in Scripture accomplishes three purposes: exercising sovereignty (control), giving revelation [characterizing] (authority), and locating (presence).” (p489)

“The one who gives a name to someone else has some measure of control over the one who receives it. The parent names the child, the conqueror names the conquered city, and the Lord names his people. Yahweh names himself, for there is no one higher than him. The fact indicates his aseity, his self-sufficiency, his control over all things pertaining to himself.” (p489)

Gen 32:22-32 – Jacob wresting with God at Peniel – Jacob tells God his name and asks God’s name – much like having power over God

Knowing someone’s name gives some authority over a person – cf. manipulation of gods in paganism (p489) – exchange of names can initiate a relationship and bring benefits or burdens

In Confucian societies, one must not refer to a superior by their name, only by a title.

“God also places his name upon his people (Num 6:27; Dt 28:10; 2 Chron 7:14; Dan 9:18-19; Rev 13:6), identifying his future with theirs. As long as they bear his name rightly, not in vain, he will protect them by his power.” (p490)

Names in the Bible describe. To name someone is to say something about them.

Name = reputation – good name / bad name – 1 Kings 4:13 – Solomon’s name (his fame) was in all the surrounding nations

A name marks a person out.

Our name closely identified with us. We wouldn’t like it if someone forgot our name, or made fun of it or laughed at it, or mispronounced it, or damaged our good name.

“God is also identified with his name. To praise his name is to praise him; to despise his name is to despise him. Glory is due to his name (Pss. 29:2; 66:2; 96:8). We are saved for “his name’s sake” (Ps 106:8; cf. 1 Sam 12:22; Ps 23:3; 25:11; 79:9), because … we bear his name. We give thanks to his name (Ps 140:13) and trust his holy name (Ps 33:21). God redeems his people for the sake of his own reputation, his glory, his name.” (p491)

“Indeed, God’s name has divine attributes. It is glorious and awesome (Dt 28:58), majestic (Ps 8:1,9), and holy (Lev 20:3; Ps 33:21; 99:3; etc.). So, like the word of God, God’s name is God himself. This helps us to understand why the names of God should always be used in a reverent way. For when we deal with God’s name or names, we are dealing with God himself.” (p491)

“Moving from narrow to broad, God’s name is (1) the proper name Yahweh, (2) other names like Elohim [God], El Shaddai [God Almighty], and El Elyon [God Most High], (3) his whole revelation of himself and the human reception of that revelation (i.e., his reputation), and (4) Yahweh himself.” (p491)

The temple / tabernacle bears God’s name (Dt 12:11; Ez 6:12; cf. Ez 43:7)

God’s Name is in his angel (Ex 23:21)

Jesus is the only name given under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)

At the name of Jesus every knee must bow (Phil 2:9-11)

Jesus is the name of God par excellence.

God’s name is in the gospel (Acts 9:15)

“… there is also a sense in which the whole creation bears the name of God.” The heaven and earth are God’s throne and footstool (Is 66:1; Acts 7:49) and therefore his temple. Mt 23:16-22; 5:33-37

“because God has created all things and remains sovereign over them, to swear by anything is to swear by him…. in one sense the whole creation bears his name. The whole creation is under his control, it authoritatively reveal his name, and God is present throughout it.” (p493)

It is wrong to misuse anything God has made.

Ex 20:7 - “take” = not the common Hebrew verbs for speak (amar or davar) but nasa’ = lift up, bear, carry
As God’s people we belong to him and take that identity where ever we go. Do not dishonour God’s name, his good name, his reputation.

Shav’ – “in vain” – empty, trivial, meaningless (Job 7:3); unsuccessful action (Job 15:31; 35:13; Ps 60:11; 89:47; Jer 2:30; 4:30; 6:29; 46:11; etc.) – human wickedness (Job 11:11; 31:5) – lies (Dt 5:20; Ps 12:2; Job 31:5)
Ps 26:4; 41:6 – meaninglessness / falsehood

Idolatry as shav’, vanity Ps 31:6; Jer 18:15

Blasphemy a very serious crime - capital crime for sojourners as well as the people of Israel (Lev 24:15f)

Reviling God’s name (Ps 74:10, 18), despising his name (Is 52:5f), cursing God’s name (Rev 16:9; cf vv 11, 21)

We are always in God’s presence and we always use his name with an attitude of reverence. It should always be an act of worship to speak God’s name and so our attitude of worship matters.

The use of God’s name in oaths (e.g. membership vows, ordinations, marriage vows), confessions (creeds) and blessings (praise / prayer) “correspond roughly to the church’s kingly, prophetic, and priestly ministries, respectively, and therefore to the situational [control], normative and existential perspectives.” (p497)

Scripture commands us to take oaths and vows in God’s name (e.g. Ex 22:10-11; Ps 22:25; 50:14; 61:8, 65:1). Taking oaths in God’s name, not in the name of another god, is a mark of allegiance to him (Dt 6:13; 10:20; Is 19:18; 65:16; Jer 12:16).” (p498)

“God gives us his name to be proclaimed, not to be hidden as a private treasure. The Christian should always be prepared to speak about Christ (p503) and on his behalf, whenever an unbeliever asks him to give a reason for his faith.” (p504)

Although Jesus condemned some for calling other people fools (mwros) in Matthew 5:22, he uses the same term of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:17. Just as there is righteous and unrighteous anger, so there is a righteous and unrighteous use of strong, denunciatory language. (p505f)

If people think about it at all using God’s name as a swear word may express resentment against God – complaining against him