Commandment No. 3 SPEAK ONLY TO BUILD & FIRM UP A LOVE-RELATIONSHIPhip with God

Commandment No. 3   Speak Only to Build & Firm Up a Love-Relationship with God

Our study module on Commandment No. 3 tackles the use of the spoken word in relation to God.

The Old Commandment

Thanks to Lucifer, the Old Testament gives Commandment No. 3 a narrow, limited scope:

⁷ You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name. EXODUS 20

God’s name is most sacred. No one should take it lightly, moreso blaspheme, profane or dishonor it. He who loves God should lead his neighbors in exalting it.

³² Do not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. LEVITICUS 22

Imagine a man in a courtroom, his left hand atop the Holy Bible, pledging to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Yet when he opens his mouth to speak, out comes lies and deception. That is an example of swearing falsely in God’s name. The man is guilty of breaking Commandment No. 3.

¹² Do not swear by My name if you do not intend to keep it; that will profane the name of your God. I am the Lord your God. LEVITICUS 19 

Exodus 20:7 is actually a call for integrity—for every one to say what he means and to mean what he says, doing it even if he does not feel like doing it.  

⁴ If a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil—in any matter one might carelessly swear about—even though he is unaware of it, when he learns of it he will be guilty [of sin]. LEVITICUS 5

¹¹ If he fails to fulfill his oath, he is guilty. If he ignores his oath, he is twice as guilty. SIRACH 23

The Lord Y’shua expounded Exodus 20:7. That means the Christian without integrity is no Christian at all. 

³³ You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and [your] “No” [be] “No;” [for] anything [more you say] beyond this comes from the evil one. MATTHEW 5

God keeps His word (1 Corinthians 10:13). Everyone is called to imitate His example.

¹⁹ Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? NUMBERS 23

² He does not take back His words. ISAIAH 31

⁵⁶ Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses. 1 KINGS 8

²³ By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked. ISAIAH 45

²⁴ Surely, as I have promised, so will it be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. ISAIAH 14

³³ I will (never) betray My faithfulness. ³⁴ I will not violate My covenant or alter what My lips have uttered. PSALM 89

The only occasion when God will revoke His word is this: 

⁷ If at anytime I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, tore down and destroyed, and ⁸ if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster. ⁹ And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in My sight and does not obey Me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. JEREMIAH 18

Keep Your Word to God

²² If you make a promise to the Lord, keep it as soon as you can. Don’t wait until you are about to die to set things straight. SIRACH 18

¹ This is what the Lord commands: ² When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. NUMBERS 30

Repentance, baptism, Sabbath observance, tithing, marriage and priesthood entail making promises to God.

²² But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty (of sin). DEUTERONOMY 23

¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. ² Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. ³ As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. ⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. ⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, stand in awe of God. ECCLESIASTES 5

Keep Your Word to Your Neighbor

A promise to a neighbor is a promise made to God. “Whatsoever you do to your neighbor, that you do unto Me,” says God in Matthew 25:40. Do therefore what you promise to do for your neighbor (Numbers 30:2).

²³ Even before you make a promise, be prepared to keep it. Don’t try to test the Lord’s patience. ²⁴ Think! Do you want Him to be angry with you on the day you die? When you face His Judgment, do you want Him to turn His back on you? SIRACH 18

God hates liars, but is pleased with those who keep their word (Proverbs 12:22 tev). Why? Because integrity nurtures love-relationships. It promotes truthfulness, virtue, godly character, responsibility, dependability, trust, openness and camaraderie; and does away with falsehood, deception, buck-passing and moral indifference. 

God has made a personal promise to integrity-practitioners: 

¹⁴ Fulfill your vows to the Most High ¹⁵ and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me. PSALM 50

One major cause for broken words and promises is expediency. Expediency is a euphemism for Machiavellianism which teaches goals to be achieved “no matter what the cost is.” Integrity-practitioners are hard to come by in a world that gives more value to expediency.

Another major cause is lack of discipline. You see it in persons who are quick to speak. They swear, promise to do something, without making prior assessment of what they can do and cannot do, and of the collateral considerations that might affect their capacity to deliver on their word.

²⁵ It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. PROVERBS 20 

Because of expediency and lack of self-discipline, people promise to pray for us but will not. People bargain with God (saying “If you do this for me, I will do this for you”) but do not deliver their part of the bargain after their petitions are granted. People make an appointment but do not come on time. People borrow but do not return what they borrow as promised. People say “Go ahead, do it, you have my support,” but leave us in limbo, at times at an irreparable damage to us. People blame other people for their sins.    

Broken words cause frustration, hurt, misunderstanding, resentment, depression, anger and hostility among neighbors. This in turn causes the unwary to stumble, hinder the spread of love, and wreck love-relationships.

¹³ Do not offer parts of your body to sin, [your tongue in this instance] as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. ROMANS 6

Have you been caught by your own words, trapped by your own promises? Well then, this is how to get out of it: Hurry to your neighbor and beg him to release you (Proverbs 6:2-3 tev).