There are some things that we would never do. Just about anyone would agree, you’d never ever use your mother’s name as a curse word. We love our mothers! They carried us for nine months, cooked us meals, kissed our bruises, and nurtured us into who we are today. We would never do something to dishonor their name. Why then is it so easy for us to use our heavenly Father’s name as a curse?
We know that using the Lord’s name in vain is a sin. In Exodus 20:7, God made it the third commandment of the Law of Moses. “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.” So, why do we treat this command so flippantly? We will say we love and fear God and then follow His holy name up with all sorts of vulgarity. Maybe we just don’t understand the significance in the name of God.
In the Bible, we see many names given to the Lord. He is called Yahweh, which means “I am.” He is the uncreated Creator. There was nothing before Him (cf. Isa. 43:10). There is none like Him. God is.
He is called Adonai which means “lord.” “O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Psa. 8:1). He is our Master. He is our highly exalted God. He is worthy of our service and worship.
He is called El Shaddai meaning, “almighty God.” “… I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1). He is all powerful. He commanded the sun, moon and stars into existence. He formed man from the dust of the ground. There is nothing too hard for Him (cf. Jer. 32:17).
He is El Olam. This means “the everlasting God.” “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God” (Gen. 21:33). God is without beginning. God is without end. He will never die, and He gives everlasting life.
He is called El Roi, or “the God who sees.” This name signifies God’s ability to understand and take care of all of our needs. When the Lord cared for Hagar while pregnant and abandoned in the wilderness, she proclaimed, “…You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” (Gen. 16:13). He is a compassionate and merciful God.
There are many other names that proclaim the greatness of God’s eternal, loving, mighty character in the Bible. We have an abundance of ways to express our love to our heavenly Father. If we really do love and respect Him, then let’s never use His name to express something evil or careless.