Our first dog was already named when we took him home. He was Octavian Augustus Jr. I should have known then that someday I would be a college history professor. We made it easy for all parties involved by calling our furry friend Augie.

Octavian Augustus refers to Gaius Octavius, who became the first emperor of the Roman Empire in 27 B.C. He acquired several titles, among them Augustus. It means “the revered.” In 9 B.C., the Roman Senate ensured the emperor’s legacy by renaming the eighth month of the year after him. A month after his death, the Senate declared him to be a god.

Twenty-one centuries later, we still find the emperor’s partial name and title on our calendar, along with his great-uncle Julius Caesar’s (July).

But does this mean that we revere Caesar Augustus as some kind of god? Not at all. We use the names of pagan gods in the months of our years (for example, the Roman god Janus for January) and the days of our weeks (for example, the Norse gods Odin and Thor for Wednesday and Thursday). Using terminology, however, does not automatically and always mean endorsement of the original meaning.

But while we do not revere Caesar Augustus as a god, we do revere the Lord.

In my reading of the book of Deuteronomy recently, I was struck with the Lord’s frequent directions for the Israelites to revere him. Here are a couple of those instructions:

“It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him” (13:4).

“Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always” (14:23).

Revere means to respect, hold in admiration, and worship. That sounds like the First Commandment, doesn’t it?

Revering the Lord is what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did when they refused to obey King Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship a 90-foot-tall image of gold. It is what Daniel did when he disregarded King Darius’ order to pray to him alone. It is what Peter and other apostles did when they disobeyed the Jewish religious leaders who wanted to muzzle their preaching and teaching of the risen Christ.

Revering the Lord is what you and I do when we “fear, love, and trust in God above all things,” in the words of Martin Luther’s explanation of the First Commandment.

Revering the Lord is not confined to the month of the revered. It is our way of life—our Christian way of life—no matter what month is at the top of our calendars.

Before you go, I should let you know that our dog Augie went on to live a long life. After he was gone, we got another dog. Our children named him Zeus. But that’s another story.

James Pope | FIC Editor

Author: James Pope
Volume 113, Number 08
Issue: August 2026
Photo: Firefly