Why You Should Never Mock God

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

People often think the word vain here means “empty” or “futile” Although there is some truth to this perspective, it is not the true source of meaning in the word. For the word vain can also refer to vanity. I hear Carly Simon’s “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you” playing in my head as I say this. For you see, to use God’s name in vain, is not to use it in an empty way but rather to use it in a way that is all about your vanity and pride. Pride is the worst of the seven deadly sins. It is the one that Lucifer was guilty of when he started a rebellion against God. So, you may be wondering, in this sense of the word, meaning prideful, what would be an example of using God’s name in vain? This would be whenever you mock God, because what you are really doing is belittling God (who you should praising) in order to raise yourself up (who you should be humbling).

So, the first part of the commandment says don’t use God’s name in vain – meaning don’t be prideful and mock God. And the second part says, “the Lord will not hold him guiltless,” who does this. Which is to say, the Lord will punish you for using his name in vain. Or to put it more simply, pride comes before the fall.

Let us look at some examples of people mocking God, and the immediate punishment they received because of it. First let us look at the blasphemous remarks of comedian Kathy Griffin and the subsequent trials and tribulations that followed shortly thereafter. Only the ignorant or naïve would think it’s just a coincidence.

In a similar fashion, internet influencer Logan Paul also spoke of the Lord in vain, and he, too, found out right away the error in his ways, and even says as much:

As you can see the Lord wastes no time in passing judgment on you if you use his name in vain. For some, like Kathy Griffin and Logan Paul it happens pretty fast. But sometimes it happens even faster; immediately even. Watch what happens to comedian Heather MacDonald after she mocks Jesus:

This punishment happens so fast, it’s almost as if you could picture God striking her down with a lightning bolt. Surely that is a ridiculous thought to have. God doesn’t pass judgment on those who mock him in such a way. Or does he…

There is this one pastor who mocked God and his Holy Word this past year, and he really did feel the wrath of God in the form of a lightning bolt:

There’s a reason that insurance companies use phrases like “an act of God” when they draw up their policies. This was clearly an act of God. Another example of nature being used as a means to pass judgment on the blasphemous and prideful is what happened in Brazil. They put on this Satanic festival, where sin and pride were paraded through the streets, and wouldn’t you know it, within a couple of weeks a landslide swept through and destroyed those same streets.

As it says in the Book in Proverbs, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18). To understand this, and to act humbly instead is what it means to fear the Lord. I can hear some of you saying, what kind of God wants us to fear him, and would punish us if we are prideful. The same God, that tells us he is a jealous God through his prophet _____ . The same God, who was betrayed by his top angel, who tried to start a rebellion against him. Don’t you get it? This is the point of life. We are here on earth to prove to God, who has already been betrayed, that we won’t betray him. We will show the humility that Lucifer and the other fallen angels never could. And in so doing we will be invited to fill the void left in heaven by their departure from His Grace. This is why it’s so important to Never Use the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

As Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke, “For whosever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

If you liked this video, it would mean a lot to me if you would subscribe to my channel. That being said, I cannot take any credit for the things I create. I owe it all to God and his benevolent mercy and grace. Thank you, God. Amen.