Dear Neighbor,
What is forbidden in the third commandment?
It was the work given to the priests, to listen to the word of God, and take it to heart to give honor to His name. (Malachi 2:2) Where has God made himself known? We have two revelations.
First, the natural revelation. The apostle Paul wrote about this in Romans 1:18-23. God has revealed Himself in nature but men did not honor Him as God or give thanks but their foolish hearts were darkened. They worshiped the creation rather than the creator. They gave honor too created things but dishonored God.
Second, the special revelation. God has made Himself know to man in His word. The old testament was referred to as the law and the prophets, represented by two old testament figures in the transfiguration. (Mark 9:1-13) God spoke to man in the law, God spoke to man in the prophets and in these last days, He has spoke to us through His Son. (Ephesians 2:20) In the transfiguration, the Father God told Peter, James and John to listen to His Son. Jesus said, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:23)
The seventeenth century puritans wrote: “The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abuse of anything whereby God maketh himself known.”
One example of this is profaning the name of the Son of God, by using His name in place of a filthy curse word to express discuss.
Michael Peek
Your Servant for Jesus’ Sake
