CHAPTER THREE; Principle of the Decalogue

C. The Third Commandment

• Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (Exo.20:7)
• The principle is reverence or respect for God. There’re a number of different ways
that people take God’s name in vain.
1. By the irreverent use of His name, i.e. profanity, cursing, etc.
2. By false swearing, i.e. perjury. In Old Testament days it was common for people
to swear by the name of their gods. God told Israel that they could take a vow
or swear only in His name.
• The purpose of calling upon God’s name was to call God to bear record that what
they said was true.
• This was a practice that God allowed in the Old Testament but in New testament, it
was not permitted.
• When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not stack to pay it;
for the Lord thy God will surely require it for thee; and it would be sin in thee. But
if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy
lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast
vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thou mouth. (Deut.
23:21-23)
• I’ll go into thy house with burnt offering; I will pay thee my vows. Which my lips
have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was I trouble. (Ps. 13:14)
• When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in
fools; pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow; than
that thou shouldest vow and not pay. (Eccl. 5:4-5)
• But I say unto you, Swear not at all; …. (Mat. 5:34)
• …swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but
let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (Jas. 5:12)
• 3. By a hypocritical lifestyle. By professing Christianity and not living it, one
profanes God’s name.
• Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things
of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things
which they hallow unto me. I am the Lord. (Lev. 22:2)
• If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book,
that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD. (Deut.
28:58)
• For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
(Isa. 57:15)
• He sent redemption unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant forever; holy
and reverend is his name. (Ps.111:9)
• This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoured me with their
lip; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for
doctrine the commandment of men. (Matt. 15:8-9)
 • After this manner therefore pay ye; Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by
thy name. (Matt. 6:9)
• Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts. 4:12)
• Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with and things in earth, and things
under the earth. (Phi. 2:9-10)

D. The Fourth Commandment

• Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour; and do all
thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt
not do any work, thou, nor … nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six
days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hollowed it. (Exo.
20:8-11)
• The sabbath consisted of the seventh day of the week, but it also signified a number
of other things. The word sabbath means to rest, to cease activity.
• The Jewish sabbath began at sundown on Friday and Israel until sundown on
Saturday. Other days which were consisted to be sabbath days by the Jews were the
Day of Atonement, the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast Tabernacles.
• In addition, every seventh year was a sabbath year, i.e. a year of rest for the fields
during which there was no planting, no cultivation and no harvest.
• Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, when ye come into the land
which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord. Six years thou
shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the
fruit thereof. But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a
sabbath for the Lord; thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard …
And if ye shall say, what shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow,
nor gather in our increase. Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth
year, and it shall bring forth fruit for thee years. And ye shall sow the eighth year,
and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of
the old store. The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is mine for ye are
strangers and sojourners with me. (Lev. 25:1-5, 20-23)
• Also, all debts were cancelled in the sabbath year whether they were paid or not.
• Another sabbath year was the “Year of Jubilee” which was the year after a series of
seven sabbath year, i.e. every fifth year.
• It was during the year of Jubilee that al properly which had been bought or sold
during the preceding years reverted to its original owner and all slaves were freed.
• The sabbath celebrations were bound by numerous laws and restrictions. All work
was forbidden on the sabbath. Both animals and man on the sabbath.
• ……. Which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. (Acts. 1:12)
• Unnecessary travel was absolutely forbidden and ‘a sabbath day’s journey”
consisted of about 3,000 feet.
• The purpose of the sabbath was rest. God rested after creation on the seventh day
not because He was tried, but to set a precedent for man to follow.
• More significant is that the sabbath was the sign and seal of the covenant God made
with Moses and the people of Israel just as circumcision was the sign and seal of
God’s covenant with Abraham.
• The sabbath covenant was never intended for Gentiles under grace, contrary to what
groups such as the Seventh Day Adventists declare.
• And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying; Speak thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, Verily my sabbath ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify
you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you; every one that
defileth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that
soul be cut off them among his people. Six days may work be done but in the seventh
is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath
day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the
sabbath, to abserve the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual
covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever fr in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and refreshed.
(Exo. 31:12-17)
• The sabbath was only for Israel and never were the Gentile (Church) obliged to
observe it. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and
them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them … And hallow my
sabbath; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am
the Lord your God. (Ez. 20:12,20)
• Who also hathmade us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of
the spirit for the letter killetn, but the spirit giveth life. (II Cor. 3:6)
• Paul calls the law the ministration of death. He says the law kills. The law had a
temporary glory, but it ceased at the cross.
• Seventh Day Adventists and some other groups argue that the sabbath preceded the
law, was one of the Ten Commandments, etc., therefore it cannot be set aside.
• However, there were other practices that started before the law such as sacrifice, the
priesthood, etc., but they all ended with the law at the cross.
• There are principles in the sabbath. The first and primary one is rest.
• The Christian, like the Jew, cannot work continuously without rest.
• The Seventh Day Adventists maintain the sabbath must be observed, but the fact is
they don’t observe the sabbath in the same manner as the Jews.
• See, for the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth
day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his
place on the seventh day. (Exo. 16:29)
• The Jew was not permitted to travel beyond the limitations previously described.
He was not permitted to have a fire or cook. Six days shall work be done, but on the
seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord;
whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire
throughout your habitations upon the sabbath say. (Exo. 35:2-3)
• And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that
gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks
brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put
him in word, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord
 said unto Moses. The man shall be surely put to death; all the congregation shall
stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him
without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded
Moses. (Num.15:32-36)
• Here we have an account of a man who gathered sticks for firewood on the sabbath
and God commanded that he be stoned.
• Saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the sabbath,
that we may set forth wheat; making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and
falsifying the balances by deceit. (Amos.8:5)
• And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell,
that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day; and that we
would leaver the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. (Neh.10:31)
• In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and
bringing in sheaves and lading asses; as also wine , grapes, and figs and all manner
of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I satisfied
against them in the day wherein they sold victuals … what evil thing is this that ye
do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God
bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel
by profaning the sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates should be shut,
and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath; and some of my
servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath
day. (Neh.13:15-19)
• The Jews could do no buying, selling, or trading on the sabbath. Seventh Day
Adventists and similar legalistic Sabbath keepers maintain that others should keep
the sabbath when they don’t keep it to the letter themselves.
• They want to bind you with a law that they don’t even keep.
• And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech
until midnight. (Acts. 20:7)
• The early church always worshipped on Sunday. It is true that the apostles went to
the synagogues on the Jewish sabbath but the reason for that was that this was where
they ministered to their fellow Jews about Jesus.
• Remember that it was to the Jews that the apostles first went.