Happy Is The One
A personal journey into the Ten Commandments
Contact
  • Home
  • The Word
  • Meditations
    • Decalogue
    • Sabbath
    • Fear of the Lord
    • Wrath of God
    • Let God Be God
    • Love of God
    • Eucharist
  • Lectio Divina
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Forgiveness Friday
  • About

The Name

31/1/2015

0 Comments

 
In Volume I of The Schocken Bible, Everett Fox translates Exodus 20:7a as ‘You are not to take up the name of YHWH your God for emptiness’.
     I found this translation to be a revelation!
     I was more familiar with the translation of the third Commandment which reads, ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain’. I’d always interpreted that as not using the Name as a swear word, and had never really bothered to seek for meaning beyond that. But it had always been like a loose thread my mind would pull on, especially as the Lord's Prayer begins, 'hallowed by Thy Name'. Wondering what I was praying with those words would inevitably bring my thoughts to the third Commandment.

     The Fox translation, and the notion of not calling on God or referring to God in an empty way, revolutionised my prayer life.
     It can be so easy during a church service, when prayer is corporate, to fall into the habit of reciting the prayers rather than praying them, to choose sound over substance. Now I hold myself accountable for whatever I pray. If I call on the Lord, then my intent is communication. And just as if I were addressing anyone directly, I expect God to respond.
     So this third Commandment is yet another instruction in how to maintain a close, loving relationship with God. It is very hard to take God for granted or to maintain the pretence that God can be neatly contained when you are being mindful of the way you are using God’s Name.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    IT IS WRITTEN
    May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
    Psalm 19:14



    Picture

    Author

    Hi! As you'll gather from my first blog entry, 'The beginning of happiness', God called me to keep the Ten Commandments some years ago. Thank you, God! Here you'll find some musings about the journey. I'd love to hear about your journey with the divine, too. - Lyndal Wilson

    Archives

    May 2021
    July 2018
    June 2018
    January 2017
    February 2016
    August 2015
    January 2015
    November 2013
    July 2013


    Categories

    All
    Adultery
    Divorce
    Eucharist
    Forgiveness
    Grace
    Lord's Prayer
    Love Of God
    Name Of God
    Sabbath
    Ten Commandments
    The Law
    Time

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.