Why is God’s name a big deal? Is He an egomaniac to care so much about His name? No, I don’t think so. His name is a big deal because it’s so closely related to who He is. And yet who He is remains somewhat of a mystery. We don’t have access into His inner divine essence. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways not our ways (Isaiah 55). Even our language is insufficient to truly describe who He is. He is so above our comprehension that we only know His attributes by way of analogy. For example, when Scripture speaks of God upholding the universe, it doesn’t mean God has a massive hand that is literally holding onto things. It means He is powerful and sovereign in such a way that we just can’t get it… except by way of an illustration. When Hebrews says He is a “consuming fire,” it doesn’t mean his substance is of flames. More likely this speaks to His holiness and righteousness. He uses analogies to accommodate Himself to our limited capacities. Divine accommodation to human frailty. Stooping to us in baby-talk.

When we take His name in vain (or bear His name lightly), a horrible reversal takes place. Instead of a transcendent Being revealing himself to us, we create a god of our own making. Robbing God of His true name. Instead of Yahweh: I am who I am…. He becomes ‘you are who we say you are.’ We make Him into a mascot for our life-story, a pet to make us feel better or entertain us, or a genie to give us our ‘best life now’ or our ‘best world now.’ We can only know God as He has revealed Himself to us. Instead of receiving that revelation, we often turn God into something we want; profaning who He is.

The profaning of God’s name reaches a climax in His Son’s earthly life. Jesus didn’t assume humanity to become a divine cheerleader. Rather, He came to be profanity for us. He was despised and rejected; one from whom men hide their faces. We esteemed Him not. Yet He opened not His mouth as He bore our iniquities (Isaiah 53). We profane God. But, God silently and humbly bore our profanity in Himself. He took our profanity and nailed it to the cross in His body. So that we might share in His overflowing goodness and love. That we might be remade like Him and enjoy Him. This humble savior is the same God who is utterly transcendent beyond comprehension. So now, may we confess, call upon, and praise His incredible name in reverent adoration.

~Luke Yeager