By Jeffery M. Leonard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Samford University
Honor God
Exodus 20:7–11; Psalm 145:1–7
What’s in a name? Well, in the Bible, a great deal actually. Biblical names often capture the character of the person they belong to.
Abraham’s name means “father of a multitude” or “exalted father,” both meanings that tell us about the man Abraham would one day become. “Isaac” is a wordplay on the word “laughter,” capturing Sarah’s derisive laughter when she heard she would have a son and her joyous laughter when she finally did. “Jacob” is connected in a folk etymology to the word “heel,” reminding us of the time he grabbed Esau’s heel and tried to steer him in the direction Jacob wanted him to go.
A person’s name in the Bible is often much more than a title; it is a statement of a person’s reputation and character. This is the reason God replied so forcefully to Moses when Moses asked God what His name was in Exodus 3.
When God told Moses he was the man chosen to set God’s people free, Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” God’s reply was that He would be with Moses, and that would be enough.
God had seemed to do very little for the Israelites as they descended into slavery and oppression in Egypt. Moses’ objection seems to capture this fact as he asked, “Fine, then what is Your name?” God responded strongly — “I AM WHO I AM! You tell them I AM has sent you!” — not because Moses had inquired about His title but because Moses was questioning God’s reputation. He was questioning God’s character.
We are to honor God’s name and everything about Him. (Ex. 20:7–11)
The pages of Scripture draw an extremely strong connection between God and God’s name. His name is treated as a representation of all God is and all God has done. It becomes a monument so closely connected with God that to mistreat the monument is to mistreat God Himself. The connection between God and God’s name is so important in Scripture that a prohibition against misusing the Divine Name is included even in the Ten Commandments. Interestingly, the Decalogue’s command concerning the Divine Name goes beyond merely forbidding abuse of God’s name. The command in Hebrew is literally, “Do not take up the name of the Lord your God for nothing”; it is a command against invoking the Divine Name thoughtlessly or for an empty purpose.
We are to honor God through our worship. (Ps. 145:1–3)
As if to underscore why the name of God should be treated with special reverence and care, the psalmist explains why he is determined to “praise your name for ever and ever” and “extol your name for ever and ever.” The reason, he insists, is because, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” When the psalmist praises God’s name, he is praising God for who He is; he is praising Him for His greatness.
We are to honor God through our testimony and actions. (Ps. 145:4–7)
The psalmist goes on in verses 4–7 to speak not just of who God is but of what God does. Here, the psalmist assembles a litany of terms that flesh out the meaning of God’s name: “your works,” “your mighty acts,” “your wonderful works,” “your awesome works” and “your great deeds.”
God’s name is the tangible expression of His reputation. To utter His name is to recall all God has done.
It is important to note that reverence for the Divine Name is not limited just to the Ten Commandments or even to the pages of the Old Testament. The Lord’s prayer itself begins with the words “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.” “Hallowed” is an old English expression meaning “let be holy.” Thus, Jesus’ instruction is that even His disciples should approach God with reverence and continue to treat His name as holy.
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