We have seen that God’s Name and that of His Son Jesus has very deep meaning. When we speak of ‘God’ we are touching upon every aspect of His wonderful purpose of love and truth. That God’s Name should be used in vain as a mild expletive or expression of exasperation, is therefore one of the most insulting things a man can do to his Maker. For this reason everyone who wants to please God and honour Him will make every effort not to use God’s Name lightly. In many societies world-wide such blasphemy has become a standard part of modern language; to break out of what may have been the habit of a lifetime will not be easy. A heartfelt prayer for God’s help in this will surely not go unheeded by Him. Those within our sphere of control and influence, e.g. children, could also be reminded of the seriousness of blasphemy: “For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain” (Deuteronomy 5:11).
On the other hand there are those who insist that unless we constantly use the Hebrew words Yahweh or Jehovah (different ways of pronouncing the same word) when talking about God, then we are seriously astray. Foremost among these are the Watchtower Society, who insist that unless a Christian calls himself a “Jehovah’s Witness” then he has no relationship with God.
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Author: Duncan Heaster
Keywords: Yahweh, YHWH, Jehovah, Jehovah's Witnesses, Watchtower Society, God
Bible reference(s): Exodus 3:13-15, Exodus 6:3, Exodus 9:16, Exodus 20:7, Exodus 20:24, Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 6:27, Deuteronomy 5:11, 1 Kings 5:5, 1 Kings 8:16, 1 Kings 11:36, 2 Kings 21:4, 2 Kings 23:27, 1 Chronicles 22:10, Psalm 99:3
Source: Bible Basics.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.