He will not be left guiltless

He will not be left guiltless
We see the second part of the third commandment, the person who takes the LORD’S name in vain will not be left guiltless. We have seen in the previous examples, everyone who has cursed and blasphemed the LORD’S name all have received punishment for their sin. If you are concerned someone’s speech is offensive and may be violating the third commandment, we need to stay calm and allow God to dole out the punishment.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

What about the name “I AM”?
When reading through the Gospels, it appears as though Jesus says His name is “I AM”. Is this correct? Does this accord with Scripture? The answer is yes and no.

The LORD’S name has four letters yud-hey-vav-hey. The last three letters combine to form the word “hoveh” which means present tense. The Hebrew language lacks the word “is”. In English we say, He “is” tall. “She “is” pretty. In Hebrew the sentences would read “He tall.” “She pretty.”

Using hey-yud-hey forms the word haya. Haya means past tense. If you add a yud before the verb, it changes it to future tense. Haya becomes yihiye.

The four letters of the LORD’S name is a multilayered understanding. God is the past, present and future. God’s name is the name of existence, or more clearly, God is Existence.

God gives an explanation of His name to Moses in Exodus 3:14:
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

As previously stated, Hebrew does not use is, was, am, were, etc. The Hebrew reads: “Ah-yah asher ah-yah”. This loosely translates as I exist that I exist. The word ah-yah is in the perfect tense meaning the existence is in the past, present and future.

It is very likely Jesus uses this phrase ah-yah when He is speaking to the Jews at the Temple.

 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds. (John 8:48-59)

Looking at the Greek, a better translation of the text into English would be: Before Abraham came into being, I exist. This directly correlates back to the Hebrew used in Exodus 3.

Since Jesus was not speaking Greek, but Aramaic or Hebrew, the wording probably was the exact phrase used in Exodus 3:14. Furthermore, when anyone quotes a verse from Scripture, it is not just the one verse which was being quoted, it was the text around the verse. In Exodus 3:15, we are given the complete name of God to be used for all generations: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me.” Jesus is proclaiming He is the LORD. The Jews thought Jesus was blaspheming God’s name. They picked up stone to throw at Him, the punishment rendered to anyone found blaspheming the LORD’S name.

On the night Jesus is arrested, he is in the garden. Jesus is asked if He is Jesus the Nazarene.

When Jesus had spoken these words, He went away with His disciples across the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden which He entered with His disciples. 2 Now Judas, who was betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 3 So Judas, having obtained the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  (John 18:1-6)

In the Greek text, Jesus utters the same Greek word “imee” as He said in John 8:58). The text is better translated as “I exist”. Again, Jesus was not speaking Greek. When Jesus uttered the Aramaic or Hebrew, the soldiers fell down. This accords with Scripture.

When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. (Psalm 27:2)


May he also rule from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
9
May the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
10
May the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring gifts;
May the kings of Sheba and Seba offer tributes.
11
And may all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him. (Psalm 72:8-11)


“Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge,
Who carry around their wooden idol
And pray to a god who cannot save.
21
Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.
22
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23
I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
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They will say of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25
In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be justified and will boast.” (Isaiah 45:20-25)