Week of 6.5.2022 | Day Two
Names are important to Yahweh, especially His own name. The Third Commandment shows us just how important Yahweh’s name is by commanding us to honor it and not misuse it. As Yahweh’s children, we represent His great name. We must live in a way that honors God with our actions as well as our words, not wasting our words about Him.
Yahweh is faithful and trustworthy, desiring His people to be like Him. He opposes empty praise, or words said to (or about) God that sound honoring but come from a person who does not truly love God. Jesus speaks about the vain worship of people whose hearts were far from God in Matthew 15:8-9, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'”
The Bible also teaches us that Jesus’ name is the name above every other name because He is the One who brings salvation to all who believe. One day Jesus will return as our King and His name will be honored for eternity by those who trusted in His name!
Read
Ezekiel 36:18-28
Discuss
What did God’s people do that caused God to pour out His wrath?
According to verse 22, why is God going to act?
According to verse 26, what is God going to do to vindicate the holiness of His great name?
How do you think this Old Testament passage relates to Jesus?
Help kids understand that this section of scriptures is an incredible picture of how serious God is about protecting His great name as well as how gracious He is to His people. He knew they could not obey His commands because they had a heart of stone. So He made a way to give His people a new heart! He sent Jesus! When we put our faith in what Jesus did, we are changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Go over the Gospel with your kids to make sure they understand how this heart change happens.
Pray
Take time to pray, thanking God for what He has done for us through Jesus, taking our heart of stone and transforming it into a heart of flesh that can love and obey God.
Family Challenge
This week’s commandment focuses on honoring God’s name, in word and action, which starts in the heart. The end of Luke 6:45 says, “…Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Memorize this verse as a family.
If your kids enjoy doing art, let them write and decorate the name JESUS on a piece of paper as a reminder of the name that is about every other name! Play this week’s worship song, Jesus Christ is Lord, as they color.