Reading
SAA Notes
BE FAITHFUL! This is what God requires of us. The third commandment – Take not the Name of God in vain! – is about keeping your word as a Christian. Every promise involves God’s Name, even if it is never actually mentioned. God held His people accountable for their pledged word.
SJA Notes
* God Above, please refine us today as through the fire, Your word being written on our hearts.
“… But then you turned around and profaned my name …”
We often want to be “better” christians. Better at doing what we should, better at serving and ministry, better at our jobs and better with our families.
Even when our heart-religion is true, even when we rest in Jesus and His sacrifice, His atonement – Even then we can return to our sin like a pig returns to the mud, like a dog to its vomit.
As with Israel, so with us.
Israel covenanted with the Lord to free their slaves, then went back on the covenant, breaking it.
This covenant was a big call – great change and earthly-perspective sacrifice on a personal and a city-wide scale.
God’s people decided it was all too hard.
Sometimes we can feel that it is all too hard, too much pressure, too big a problem.
This passage should convict us, turn the mirror of God’s word on our own motives, our decision-making, our choices – What is our word worth? What are our promises?
This is what God’s word tells us is the life of His people. This is working out our faith in fear and trembling.
REMEMBER THE LORD. BRING HIM GLORY. SHOW JESUS TO THE WORLD.
* Gracious Father,
Thank You for making a covenant of love with us, and that in Jesus You keep both sides of that covenant.
Please help us reflect You in our own promises, our own covenants. Mark us as faithful as You are faithful, steadfast and true as You are.
Amen.