One of my favorite TV shows is Friends (I know—not the most wholesome show, but it does make me laugh). There are several recurring side characters in the show, but one of the most memorable characters is Janice, Chandler’s on and off girlfriend who appears in nearly every season of the series. Janice is mainly known for one thing—exclaiming in her loud, nasally, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice the phrase, “OH. MY. GOD.” And Janice isn’t the only one to make this exclamation. Between Janice, the six friends, and other characters, the phrase is said 1,069 times over the show’s ten seasons.[1]
Growing up in a conservative Christian household, I was taught to never use this phrase. In my mind, I was just asking to be struck down by the Lord if I dared to utter those three little words in a row. It was such a big deal because it was prohibited in the third commandment – “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7a, ESV). But what does it really mean to take God’s name in vain? Is this commandment just telling us we can’t use the phrase, “Oh my god,” or is there more to it?
Let’s look at the context of this command. The nation of Israel had just been released from her bondage in Egypt and led into the wilderness by Moses and the Lord, who took the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When Israel came to Mount Sinai, God began giving them His Law, which began with the Ten Commandments. The third command is the one we will be focusing on here-
“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.” Exodus 20:7
Taking God’s name in vain is clearly a serious crime, but what does it even mean to take His name “in vain”? Something that is “vain” is worthless, pointless, empty, wasted, futile. Therefore, someone takes God’s name in vain when they are using it in an irreverent manner, rendering it worthless and empty.
Saying “OMG” is a violation of the third command because it uses the name of God in a flippant, irreverent way. But it’s not the only way you can break this command. You can break the third commandment by swearing an oath using God’s name (Leviticus 19:12, Hosea 10:4, Matthew 5:33-37). You can break the third commandment by committing blasphemy and speaking about God in an intentionally disrespectful, contemptuous manner (Leviticus 24:16). You can even break the third commandment by claiming that God gave you a message in a dream (Jeremiah 23:25). Jews would not even speak God’s personal name (Yahweh) out loud to prevent themselves from breaking this command.
Why is violating this command such a big deal? There are three main reasons. First, God’s name represents His character. Author and Bible teacher, Jen Wilkin, wrote in her latest book,
“God’s name represents the sum total of his character. He is holy, just, compassionate, omnipresent, omnipotent, sovereign, gracious, merciful, patient, infinite, and good… To misuse the name of the Lord—to take his name in vain—is to misrepresent the character of God.”[2]
The name of God is the name above every name (Philippians 2:9). His name is hallowed—holy, set apart, something to be greatly honored and respected (Matthew 6:9). God’s name is holy because He is holy. God’s name is set apart because He is set apart. God’s name is to be honored and respected because He, the self-existent and eternal One who created the entire universe from nothing, deserves to be honored and respected. And He is dishonored and disrespected when His name is taken in vain.
Second, God’s name represents His power. God is an omnipotent (all-powerful) God, so it makes sense that His name would represent His infinite, immense power. His name was used to cast out demons (Acts 16:6-8), heal the sick (Acts 3:16), and raise the dead (Matthew 10:8). It is by His name that we are saved from our sins (Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, Proverbs 18:10). Many of us probably end our prayers by saying “in Jesus’ name.” This is because His name is so powerful! And we are asking God to use His power to provide for us and answer our pleas. However, when we use His name in vain, we are admitting that we don’t believe God or His name are really all that powerful.
Third, we will be judged by the words we say. Jesus taught in Matthew 12-
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37
Maybe this seems a little legalistic to you. If you’re a Marvel fan like I am, perhaps it reminds you of a scene in the first episode of Loki (another great show) where Loki is taken to the Time Variance Authority and has to sign off on a stack of papers verifying that they record everything he has ever said. However, the words that we speak point to something deeper about us-
“Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45b
What comes out of our months is indicative of what’s in our hearts. So, when we take the Lord’s name in vain, we aren’t just saying some harmless phrase or doing some harmless act. We’re actually revealing that we don’t truly honor or respect God in our hearts. We’re revealing that we don’t believe God is the all-powerful Creator of the universe who deserves our fear and worship and determines how we should live. This is why taking the Lord’s name in vain is such a big deal. It’s not just about our words; it’s about our hearts.
So, how can we live in a way that is reverent and respectful and honoring towards God? We can put away any corrupting, obscene talk (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 3:8). We can glorify God in our everyday actions (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17). And we can praise His name-
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!… Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;” Psalm 8:1a, 29:2a
[1] Michael Loscalzo, “Oh, my God!,” last modified December 2, 2018, https://towardsdatascience.com/oh-my-god-cb69dd74839c.
[2] Jen Wilkin, Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands (Wheaton: Crossway, 2021), 49.
