Hallowing the Name

On the morning of January 8, 1697, a young Scotsman named Thomas Aikenhead took the long walk from Tolbooth prison to the gallows where he was hanged, having been tried and convicted under two different statues of Scottish Law. His crime? Blasphemy.

Aikenhead was the last man sentenced to death for blasphemy in Scotland. In the U.S. today, his actions would be championed as an exercise in free speech. The ACLU would likely defend his right to express blasphemy publicly and freely. Things do change in 300 years!

Familiar to many readers, the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer is that God’s name would be treated with due reverence: “Hallowed be your name.” The third of the Ten Commandments states, “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.”

God notes those who dishonor and defame His name in a careless, flippant, or vulgar manner. Such will not be left unpunished. The blasphemous use of the names of God and Jesus Christ is commonplace in our society. The speech of too many, even of some professing Christians, is punctuated with euphemisms such as “gosh,” “jeez,” and “gee.” The mindless use of such terminology is an irreverent slap in the face of Almighty God.

Instead of being a verbal means of expressing surprise, irritation, or anger, the name of God should be treated with the highest respect. Psalm 29:2 declares, “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

When God’s name and reputation are treated in a demeaning, trivializing way, it is a grave offense. And with that offense come definite consequences. As long as our nation tolerates open blasphemy we can expect to be under the hand of the judgment of God.