the roadmap to national restoration 2014 apr 04
learning righteousness and wickedness from the ten commandments 2012 nov 19
1st commandment: have no other gods before God 2012 nov 20
2nd commandment: you shall not make idols 2012 dec 09
God will do three things — hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land — after His people do three things — humble themselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr 7:14). The cooperation of atheists and the ungodly is not required. We are examining the summary of Torah, God’s definition of righteousness and wickedness, in the Ten Commandments, in order to understand what He considers wicked about our ways, from which He is waiting for us to turn.
The Ten Commandments are given in Deu 5. The 3rd commandment, Do not profane YHVH’s name, I believe is also explained in Deu 11:26-14:29; in fact, I believe that the 2nd and 3rd commandments are tied together, not only in the explanation of it, but also in the execution of it.
If you will notice, the very next verse in Deuteronomy, Deu 15:1, begins speaking of a seventh year release of debt, and continuing on in the next chapters, the topic turns to the feast days of the Lord, which are High Holy Sabbaths. The explanation seems to have gone straight from the 2nd commandment to the 4th, Honor the Sabbath day, skipping the 3rd. Howver, I do not believe the 3rd was skipped:
“You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things. But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.” Deu 12:2-5
“But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord.” Deu 12:10-11
“If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.” Deu 12:21
“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.” Deu 14:22-23
In the ancient world, places were associated with names, and each place was named after a god, the god who was worshiped in that place, or who the people believed looked after that place. YHVH, however, was going to put His name in one place, and His people were to bring their tithes, sacrifices, and offerings of worship, to that one place. Sacrifices or worship to other gods at the place of His name, would profane His name. Sacrifices to Him at any place, not in the place of His name, would profane His name.
Why is God making such a big deal about this? I believe it is because the natural history is teaching a spiritual reality. Before the coming of Messiah Yeshua, the place of God’s name has been His temple in Jerusalem. That second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and not yet rebuilt as a brick and mortar building. But, Yeshua assured us, that if it ever were to be destroyed, He would rebuild it in three days (Joh 2:18-21). His Body, His ekklesia, is the third Temple, the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), the place of His name. The place of His name is profaned if it is associated with idolatry or abominations.
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” Deu 12:32
Therefore, He admonishes His people to observe His commandments without adding to them, nor taking from them (yes, even the command to eat cleanly, which the word of a man and not God, has taken away from God’s people), for in so doing, they will not profane the name of the Lord. The prophets confirm that what profanes YHVH’s name, is disobedience and idolatry.
“You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” Deu 14:1-2
Furthermore, He goes farther than any other god, by calling His people, His children. Children bear their family’s name. Children who do not behave in the normal way of their family, profane their family’s name. And so there is a normal way of walking for the children of God – His children are to walk in His way, because His name is upon them. To not walk in His way, is to profane His name, and to declare yourself not a family member.
Please visit the studies on ‘do not profane YHVH’s name’ linked in this explanation for the fascinating in-depth analysis. But the real reason for the in-depth analysis, is so that we can recognize any wicked way among us, in falling short, and repent of it! As His people do so, He will hear us from heaven, will forgive us these sins, and will heal our land!
The studies on ‘do not profane YHVH’s name’ linked in this explanation:
‘you shall not make idols’ + ‘do not profane YHVH’s name’ (deu 11:26-14:29) 2012 dec 09
exekiel 36 and the 3rd commandment 2012 dec 20
This series is continued:
4th commandment: honor the sabbath day (deu 15:1-16:17) 2012 dec 21
5th commandment: honor your father and mother (deu 16:18-18:22) 2013 jan 07
6th commandment: do not murder (deu 19:1-21:9) 2012 jan 16
7th commandment: do not commit adultery (deu 21;10-23:14) 2013 jan 24
8th commandment: do not steal (deu 23:15-24:7) 2013 feb 13
9th commandment: do not bear false witness (deu 24:8-9) 2013 feb 25
10th commandment: do not covet (deu 24:10-26:15) 2013 feb 28
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