There were times when I wondered if the Name Police would show up at my door. What qualifications did I even have for conferring a permanent label on a human being? Many of our nine children are christened with Biblical names. Not just the characters ... Lukas, Micah, Zachary, Benjamin... but qualities like Mercy and Hope, and the cry of the throng shouting "Hosanna".
In that impulsive choice a few decades ago, a fist full of letters has become the handle for addressing those precious people both in voice and on paper.
"See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my Hand." Isaiah 49
I watched a fascinating
episode about the holiness of God's name, and the repercussions of defaming Him. The speakers pointed out that of all the ten commandments, there is only one that includes backlash.
"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
It would be possible to hold the second half of that sentence as a threat. But perhaps it is more like the warning label on a bottle of bleach.
"Do not use or mix with other products as hazardous gases may result."
Would it be better if they kept those consequences a secret?
Understanding them has probably prevented injury over the years. God is also in the business of protecting His children, and takes pains to warn us about the dangers we might unwittingly succumb to. When we revere the epithet of the Creator of heaven and earth, we cast a boundary of respect. Which is fitting.
