Almost everyone thinks the third commandment is about language. Watch your mouth. Do not use God’s name as a curse word. Dr. Carmen Joy Imes, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology, takes us back to the Hebrew of Exodus 20:7 and shows that the command was never about how you say God’s name. The verb was never “take.” It was “carry.” And that single word reopens the entire meaning of Sinai.
Drawing on the research behind her book Bearing God’s Name, Dr. Imes traces what it actually meant for Israel to be stamped with God’s name and sent out as His representatives. We get into the high priest who wore the names of the twelve tribes on his body, the invisible tattoo that marked a people as God’s own, the ancient practice of branding slaves, and the moment God sealed His name onto Israel. From there the conversation moves through the exile, into the Gospels, and lands on what it means for anyone who claims the name of Christ today.
In this episode you will learn:
– Why “take the Lord’s name in vain” is a mistranslation and what the Hebrew actually says
– How the verb “carry” or “bear” changes the meaning of the entire command
– Why the high priest wore the names of the twelve tribes on his shoulders and chest
– What it meant for Israel to be branded with God’s name like an invisible tattoo
– The ancient link between tattoos, slavery, and belonging to a master
– How this one command reframes all Ten Commandments
– Why the exile became a crisis for God’s reputation among the nations
– How Jesus embodies Israel’s mission and bears the name perfectly
– What it means for the church to carry God’s name well, or in vain, today
About the Guest:
Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology (PhD, Wheaton College). She is currently writing a commentary on Exodus for Baker Academic.
Her books include:
Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters- https://a.co/d/061d6FBj
Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai (the academic edition of her dissertation)- https://a.co/d/0eEUSMse
Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters- https://a.co/d/0hKapQEQ
Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters- https://a.co/d/03N5TJYz
Her books are available on Amazon and through InterVarsity Press.
Website: carmenjoyimes.com
YouTube: Carmen Joy Imes (home of Torah Tuesday and her weekly teaching)
Stay Connected:
Website: johnnyova.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejohnnyova
Get Johnny’s book, The Revelation Reset: https://a.co/d/hiUkW8H
