Some of the Ten Commandments are easy to understand, both what they mean and why they matter, to people of pretty much any religion, culture, or background.  As examples, “You shall not murder”[1] and “You shall not steal”[2] are similar to rules in most ethical systems and legal codes.  But when looking at Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” – someone who doesn’t believe in God can wonder why this matters.[3]  Even Christians might wonder why this is important enough to be in the Ten Commandments. 

One way I look at it is like this: imagine you’re in a room with 3 people: John, Jane, and David[4].  What if you constantly were talking to John and Jane about David but never talking to or even looking at David.  Acting like David isn’t even there.  This treats David as a non-entity worthy of no respect.  In the same way, flippantly saying “God” without any reference to the actual God treats Him as a non-entity worthy of no respect.  If David would be offended by this, how much more would Almighty God be offended?

Also, the commandment says to not “take the name” in vain.  The idea of a “name” doesn’t just refer to God’s literal name – Yahweh – but is also associated with God’s reputation and authority.  This is some of the sense of “hallowed be your name”[5] in the Lord’s Prayer.  So, imagine robbing a bank “in the name of” the police.  Whether or not the actual police authorized you to rob the bank, using their “name” this way hurts their reputation and could lessen their authority in others’ eyes later.  In the same way, any misrepresentation of God’s authority or failure to give Him the respect He deserves takes His “name in vain”.  Committing sin “in His name” is never what He wants, but unbelieving observers might not know that.  Therefore, His reputation is injured in the eyes of many.

Lastly, implicit in the command to “not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” is the command that we should do the opposite.  We should glorify His name, so that His name will be “hallowed” on earth.  God cares about His reputation, and so should His people.  After all, our God is the God who declares:

“I am the LORD; that is my name;
            my glory I give to no other,
            nor my praise to carved idols.” – Isaiah 42:8

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] Exodus 20:13
[2] Exodus 20:15
[3] From an unbeliever’s perspective, it’s just pointless to say “God” at all.
[4] All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
[5] Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2