WEBVTT

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In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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The second commandment with Luther's explanation is the basis for this

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mornings

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homily. When Martin Luther published his large and small

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catechisms

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he supplemented the written texts with illustrations.

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These were woodcuts, depicting Biblical images.

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Pictures were aids to learning especially for those who couldn't read.

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So, Luther worked with artists and he likely chose the images for the

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woodcuts himself.

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The purpose was to convey the catechetical teaching with stories from

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the Bible.

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And at the same time, the catechism helped the learner, understand the

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divine stories.

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Well, the woodcut that Luther chose for the second commandment must

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have grabbed the attention of readers in his day and it is one that

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still rather shocking

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even on our own time.

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The image depicts a scene from Leviticus chapter 24, the blasphemy of

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Shelomith's, son.

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Shelomith was an Israelite woman who had a son with an Egyptian man.

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The son who is not named in the story came into the Israelite camp and

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he got into an argument with a man of Israel.

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And in the course of things, the son, blasphemed, the name of God and

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cursed.

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Now witnesses to this event, brought the son to Moses

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and they waited for the Lord to declare his will.

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Leviticus twenty four explains what happened next and the Lord spoke

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to Moses, bring out of the camp

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The one who cursed and let all who heard him, lay their hands on his

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head and let all the congregation stone him, and speak to the people

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of Israel saying, whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And

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whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely

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put to death.

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All the congregation shall stone him.

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The Sojourner, as well as the native.

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When he blasphemes the name shall be put to death.

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The text continues.

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So Moses spoke to the people of Israel and they brought out of the

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camp, the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones.

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And thus, the people of Israel did

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as the Lord commanded Moses.

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The stoning of Shelomith's

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 son is the image in the woodcut illustrating, the second

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commandment in the small catechism.

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Now Luther's, choice of image is unique here in that it depicts not

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the sin against the Commandment, but rather the punishment incurred

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with breaking the commandment. And it's worth noting here that the

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selection of this story from Leviticus may actually reflect the fuller

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wording of the Commandment in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

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You shall not take the name of the Lord

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your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless

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who takes his name in vain.

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Now

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this wording was included in many later

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editions of the small catechism.

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Although we commonly use a shorter form of the Commandment in our

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texts today.

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But in his explanation, to the second commandment in the large

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catechism Luther emphasizes, this added divine threat, and the

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seriousness of the sin associated with misusing God's name. Luther

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says,

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That the misuse of the Holy Name of God, is the greatest sin that can

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be committed outwardly.

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Now, certainly we know from the scriptures that the punishment for sin

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is death that that's clear for all sins.

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The heart that turns away from fearing loving and trusting God and

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turns toward sin, and deceit and lies will not go unpunished.

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God will not permit us to use His holy name as a cover or a mask.

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for sin. The word of God in the second commandment is an active word

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but it is a convicting word, a destroying killing word of God.

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There is no escaping it.

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And in our own sinfulness, none of us can stand before God guiltless

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and innocent even regarding this commandment.

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Looking in its mirror

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we see ourselves and our own need to repent each day to turn from our

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sinning and turn to God seeking forgiveness.

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And so we shouldn't think that the second commandment is to be passed

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over lightly as if it's not a big deal.

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That one doesn't apply to me.

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No.

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We should be very concerned about what we speak of God and how we use

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his name.

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As Luther says, the first commandment instructs, the heart to fear,

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love, and trust in God

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above all things. It teaches us, what it is to have

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A God. The second commandment instructs, the lips and tongues in the

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right relation to God.

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It teaches us how to use the name of God.

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So how does faith call upon God's name?

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The second commandment is clear.

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We are not to call upon God's name, by swearing thoughtless, or

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by using his name

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as a curse.

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We are not to use God's name to try to manipulate him or other people.

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We are not to use God's name in support of falsehood, or wickedness or

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lies.

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So how does faith call upon God's name?

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The second commandment shows us, we are to use his name to seek from

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him, all good things for ourselves

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and for other people. We are to call upon his name in times of trouble

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and distress.

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We are to praise God's name, thanking him for all he does for us, and

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we are to use his name in the service of truth

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and for all that is good.

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In short, we are to use God's name in the way that he has given us to

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use.

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He gives us his name to confess, and to proclaim before the world.

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God's name is Holy and he doesn't want to give it to us so that we can

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go about misrepresenting him.

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I think this is important for us to remember, we are not to use God's

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name as an authorization for our own sin.

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His name is not a

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license for us to commit Commandments, 4 through 10.

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For example

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God doesn't give us his name as justification to hate or harm someone,

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if we figure that God is on our side.

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God's name is not sanction for speaking badly of others when we're

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sure that God wouldn't object.

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We have the responsibility of wearing and bearing his name.

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We go out in his name and with his word we present ourselves as

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Christians to others and we profess his name in the world.

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But when we substitute our own false words,

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for his true words under the cover of his name

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then we have a problem with the second commandment.

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You are not to use the name of the Lord, Our God to excuse, or

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conceal, our sins.

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There's no hiding it . In this commandment

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we see our sin.

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And so the only thing that we can do is to use God's name in the way

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that he has given us to use.

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Lord have mercy.

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God forgive us.

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Jesus save us.

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That is a right use of God's name. With hearts and lips and tongues

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we confess to God that we have sinned against him

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and he has mercy, he forgives and he saves. We are not to use his name

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to cover and conceal

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our sins.

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God is the one who uses his name to cover our sins.

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God's name is connected to who he is and what he has done for us in

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Jesus Christ.

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He gives us his name with water to wash over our sins and cleanse

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us. When we were baptized God put his name on us,

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each of us.

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His name covers us. His name makes us his own.

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And in his name and in this water, he connects us to Christ. To

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Christ's death on the cross and to Christ's Resurrection from the grave.

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And in his name is our salvation,

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our life

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and our every hope. God has given us his name and invited us to call

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upon Him.

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Have you thought, how often we do this every day?

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Even here at Concordia Seminary, we pray in his name.

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In his name

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there is surety, there is certainty.

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There

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God is present, God hears, our prayers.

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And we publicly acknowledge this

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when we begin, our worship service is in the name of the Father and of

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the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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We confess our sins before him and one another.

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And we have our sins forgiven, in his name. Throughout our worship,

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our singing, our daily prayers, and devotions

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we use God's name. With hearts and lips and tongues together with all

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God's people of all times and all places

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we praise His name.

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As Christians bearing, the name of our God

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we believe, we love, we serve in his name. And we may be called to

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proclaim his name to the ends of the Earth

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so that others may hear and believe in him.

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For, in his name is forgiveness and life and salvation.

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And in his name, we pray, praise and give thanks in the name of the

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Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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Amen.