Exodus 20:1-7
New International Version
The Ten Commandments 20 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Monday - March 14
“Just as the First Commandment instructs the heart and teaches faith, so this commandment leads us outward and directs the lips and tongue into a right relationship with God. For the first things that burst forth and emerge from the heart are words… If you are asked, ‘What does the 2nd Commandment mean?’ or, ‘What does it mean to take the name of God in vain or to misuse it?’ you should answer briefly: It is a misuse of God‘s name if we call upon the LORD God in any way whatsoever to support falsehood or wrong of any kind… God‘s name cannot be abused more flagrantly than when it is used to lie and deceive. Let this be the simplest and clearest explanation of this commandment. (Martin Luther, The Large Catechism: 2nd Comm.)
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