I will change your name...

I have always been intrigued by the meaning of names, and how they relate to the person it was given to. A person’s name during the times of the Old Testament and through the first millennium of the new denoted the essence of the person: Erik the Red, Attila the Hun, Julius Caesar. In the absence of business cards, names announced to the world what you did or where you came from. This is often seen in the Bible, as names were often explained and correlated to who they were or what they did. In the ancient world, knowing another's name was a special privilege that offered access to that person's thought and life. This is especially true with God-He had many names that gave an insight into His essence. In Exodus 3, God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

God favored His people and showed that by revealing Himself by several names that offered a special insight into His love and righteousness.

Here are some of them:

Elohim "God", i.e. His power and might
El-Elyon "The most high God"
El-Olam "The everlasting God"
El-Roi "The strong one who sees"
El-Shaddai "God Almighty"
Adonai "Lord", i.e. the Lordship of God
Jehovah-Jireh, "The Lord will provide"
Jehovah-Raphah "The Lord our healer"
Jehovah-Rohi "The Lord my shepherd"
Jehovah-Shalom "The Lord is peace"
Jehovah-Shammah "The Lord who is present"

...and one that I love which is also found 3 times in the New Testament: "Abba", which is an Aramaic word that means Father, Daddy, Papa. It really expresses the approachability of our loving Creator, and the intimate relationship He invites us into with Him. I really love that image.

God also changed many people's names in the Bible, beginning in Genesis with Abram. Abram’s name (meaning exalted father) is changed by God to Abraham (meaning father of many), signifying his new role in service to God. God gave Abram a new purpose and to this new purpose a new title, Abraham. Next God changes Abraham’s wife Sarai’s name to Sarah, (meaning Princess). You see this when Jacob wrestled with God and God changed his name to Israel. This was an interesting encounter already, but notice how the idea of a name is emphasized in this :
The man asked him,"What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.
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."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.

Leon Morris in his book “The Epistle to the Romans” explains the significance of name change in the ancient world: “…in antiquity generally it was held that in some undefined way the name summed up the whole person. That is the significance of changing a person’s name. God changed people’s names at times when he bestowed a new character on them. When one person changed another person’s name it emphasized his lordship”

God has many names, but He is still one God-I AM. Emmanuel-God with us. He also offers us a new name as we follow Him and have assurance of eternity with Him-our names are written in His book, and it is no longer "sinner"-but redeemed. Isn't that amazing? It is incredible that I can be called a daughter of a King, a princess of the Almighty.

Thank you, Lord for changing our names and revealing yourself to us through our small human understanding of how truly great you are!

I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. ~Psalm 52:9