The Third Commandment – Part 2

The Third Commandment – Part 2

Exodus 20:7

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

In Genesis 32:24–32, Jacob encountered God, and they “contended” with one another. The word used there means “to wrestle.” During that encounter, God gave Jacob a new name—Israel.

Then, in verse 29, Jacob did the unthinkable: he asked God for His name. God refused, replying, “Why is it that you ask My name?” Only two other times in the Old Testament do we find someone daring to ask this question. Both shed light on the unique and holy nature of God’s name.

In Judges 13, the parents of Samson were visited by the Angel of the Lord—an appearance of God, or perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ. After hearing God’s words, they desired to honor Him, so they asked His name. His reply was:

Judges 13:18

“Why do you ask My name, seeing it is Wonderful?”

Once again, God questioned the request. Did He reveal His name to them? No. Although Isaiah 9:6 later calls the Messiah “Wonderful Counselor,” God’s response in Judges was not an unveiling of His name but a revelation about its nature. The Hebrew word here can mean “incomprehensible.” God’s name is, in essence, unspeakable and unknowable.

This reveals something vital: the human mind cannot take in the fullness of God’s glory expressed in His name. For Jacob, for Manoah and his wife, even the idea of hearing God’s holy name was unbearable. In withholding His name, God was not being evasive—He was protecting them.

Tomorrow, we will look at the third and most famous moment: when Moses stood barefoot before a burning bush and asked God for His name.

Matthew 6:9

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.’”