by David Scott Robertson
David S. Robertson. That’s the name my parents gave me. Throughout my lifetime, as far back as I can remember, people have been calling me by my name. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience!
The United States government may know us as a nine-digit number, but those who really know us call us by name.
How people address us often reveals how they feel about us.
TELLER AT THE BANK: “Hello, Mr. Robertson.”
MY FRIEND BOB: “Hi David!”
MY RACQUETBALL PARTNER, MARK: “Hey buddy!”
MY WIFE, MONICA: “Hi, Honey!”
MY MOTHER WHEN SHE’S MAD AT ME: “David Scott Robertson!”
THE GUY I CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC: “Watch it, Jerk!”
Sometimes, others know us so well they give us “nick-names.” Nicknames can be cruel or funny or kind, depending upon how the person/group feels about you.
JESUS USED NICKNAMES
The dynamic duo brother-team of James and John earned a nickname from the Lord:
“James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)…”(Mark 3:17).
THE DISCIPLES USED NICKNAMES
An early Christ-follower named Joseph was such a nice guy to be around that the apostles gave him a nickname:
“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)…” (Acts 4:36).
MY WIFE USES NICKNAMES
My wife, Monica, often calls me “honey,” “baby,” or “sweetheart” and I love it when she uses terms of endearment like this!
What’s in a name? Plenty! It can become a “self-fulfilling prophecy” about who you are as a person. Jacob is a good example of this. Jacob was a name that was built on the Hebrew noun for “heel” meaning, “he grasps the heel” or “he cheats, supplants” (Genesis 25:26; 27:36).
God later changed his name at a place called “Peniel” because Jacob had a profound encounter with the Lord.
“Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. " So he named him Israel” (Genesis 32:28;35:10).
Many others in the Bible got a name change:
HOSHEA, SON OF NUN(Numbers 13:16)
“These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave
Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.)
SIMON(John 1:42)
“And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
SAUL OF TARSUS(Acts 13:9)
“Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said…”
ABRAM(Genesis 17:5)
“No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations."
JOSEPH(Genesis 41:45)
“Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.”
I have a few friends who changed their names themselves after having a radical encounter with God. One of my friends, formerly known as “T.J.” now asks to be called “Thomas” since his conversion to Christ. My friend Joe used to be known as “Joseph,” but he left that old troubled character behind after the Lord set him free from chains that bound him to his past. I think this is glorious!
What’s in a name? Plenty! The Great God Jehovah Himself has elected to be known by several different names. Like the many facets of a diamond held up to the light, each name of God reveals a different but splendid aspect of God’s character:
“Jehovah” meaning “I AM WHO I AM” or “the Self-Existent One.”
“Elohim” (a plural noun, more than two) meaning God occurring 2,570 in the Old Testament.
“El Shaddai” – God Almighty or “God All Sufficient.”
"Adonai” meaning “Lord.”
“Yahweh” is the covenant name of God.
“Jehovah-Jireh” means “The Lord will Provide.”
The Word of God reveals many other names that the Lord has chosen to describe Himself to mankind besides those few listed here.
(NOTE: For a fascinating study into the names of God, go to: http://www.ldolphin.org/Names.html)
Interestingly, names changes are not limited to just individuals as the two verses below illustrate:
THE LAND
"No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married" (Isa 62:4).
THE BODY OF CHRIST
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15).
Greater minds than mine have opened this can of worms and understood it better than me. The point I want to leave with today is that if you know Jesus, the name above all names, then you have connected with the one name that can save your soul.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12)
One day, one fine day, Jesus will give us a new name. And that, dear friend, is the name that will stick for eternity.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it” (Rev 2:17).
DSR
10/30/05