And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. Leviticus 24:15
The third commandment is apparently one of the easiest commandments to break, and appears to be the one most frequently broken. Profanity flows out of most people like a second breath, with scarcely a thought. Small children pick up on that and practice using the Lord’s name in vain to show their companions how ‘big’ they are. I used to think that most teenagers would be legally dumb if the words ‘like, ‘I mean’, and ‘y’know’ were removed from the language, but that list appears to now include the expression ‘Oh my God!’ To the grief of the Christian who has to encounter such abuse of the Lord’s name, profanity seems to be embedding itself deeper into more and more conversations. According to our text today, increased usage doesn’t make swearing any less wrong in God’s sight. God calls it a sin, and a serious one at that!
If we were to read the next verse, we would find out how serious this sin is. A person who cursed his God was to be taken outside the camp and stoned to death. Why such serious consequences for such a seemingly minor thing, for what some might call a slip of the tongue? For one thing, it is not a slip of the tongue, because the tongue merely flaps in harmony with whatever is in the heart. A cursing tongue is hinged to a cursing heart and it is the heart that is guilty. But consider for a moment what an insult to God a curse is. Imagine if your neighbour was working in his yard, and struck his thumb with his hammer. Immediately, he blurts out a curse using, not God’s name, but yours. As you walk down the street, you hear people around you using your name as a form of profanity. Anytime anything goes wrong, people exclaim your name in anger and frustration. Wouldn’t you feel rather insulted? Actually, you would feel really insulted! Your name is important to you, representing who you are, and identifying you to those you know and meet. To have your name used as profanity would be degrading and humiliating. How must God feel about the millions who curse His Name every hour?
God’s Name is much higher and more holy than yours or mine. Those who curse His Name insult God, defy God, reject God. We would never want to do that ourselves. We would never curse God, although many Christians come close to cursing Him through their use of minced oaths. But what do we do about those around us who have no fear of God, and take His Name in vain? For one thing, we need to avoid as much as possible those who curse God. We also need to make sure their vile talk does not affect our hearts.
Regularly considering God’s holiness, appreciating His love for us, and lifting up our hearts – and voices – in praise and worship will help to keep us from the sin of cursing our God. – Jim MacIntosh