Moloch Revisited

Reading:   Leviticus 18:21

We are taking a little slide backwards here in that I am revisiting a verse already blogged...I was unable to read scriptures today but did spend some time discussing this verse from the blog Moloch, the Executioner, so, as set up in my blog parameters, I can only blog about scriptures I read during the period of a day and this, then, was the only verse I actually read on this day...

LEVITICUS 18:21

21    And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 

I'm not going to rehash the various demons of Mr. Moloch, as I believe I have sailed that ship sufficiently in the afore mentioned blog.  Today I will harness the second half of the verse, "...neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God."

It's of interest to note that the commandment of not taking the Lord's name in vain is repeated several times throughout the scriptures in various forms of identity.  Here are three examples:

Exodus 20:7    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. 

Leviticus 19:12    And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 

Ezekiel 43:8     In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 

These examples illustrate the many ways in which we are warned against the detestable, flippant, cursing of the holy name of our Lord.  There are many more verses that cover this topic but the point is we must not allow ourselves the ease of following suit with the masses - to defile a name that we profess to hold in the most hallowed and sacred regard.

In the Priesthood session of General Conference (April 2003), President Gordon B. Hinckley gave a great address on Loyalty:

...[Everyone] is entitled to the knowledge that God is our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son is our Redeemer. The Savior gave the key by which we may have such knowledge. He declared, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). 

 Judas Iscariot has gone down in history as the great betrayer, who sold his loyalty for 30 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). 

 How many in our time, to quote the words of Paul, "crucify ... the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" with profane and blasphemous language? (see Hebrews 6:6). 

 You know of the profanity of the school grounds and the street. Avoid it. Never let it cross your lips. Show your loyalty to the God of heaven and to the Redeemer of the world by holding Their names sacred. 

 Pray to your Heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and always, under all circumstances, by the very nature of your lives show your loyalty and your love...

How important is His name to you?

~Kipling