Names are a very important part of identity. Parents sometimes spend hours researching and considering what to name their soon-to-be-born children. Businesses hold entire meetings at their inception to craft the perfect name for their brand. And people create names that they use to make fun of others, abusing the power of names. But more than the identity a name bestows upon an individual, each name has meaning to it. This is a concept we can see heavily drawn upon in Scripture.
In the Bible, it is almost terrifying how accurate many of the names given to some of these people are to their respective lives. Here are a few examples:
- Abel can mean “breath,” “vapor,” or “insubstantial.” Sadly, this would prove to be prophetic as he was killed early in his life by his older brother, Cain.
- Abraham (meaning “father of many nations”) was born Abram, which means “exalted father.” And yet, he did not sire a child by his wife for 100 years.
- David means “beloved” or “favorite,” which can be seen in multiple ways throughout his life. The most prominent example would be that he is called the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
- Judas bears the same Hebrew name as Judah: Yehudah (meaning “praise” or “thanksgiving to God”). The irony that the one would betray the Lion of Judah bore a similar name should not be lost.
Clearly, names are important in God’s Word and are not meant to be taken lightly. But we must remember the One name above all other names (Philippians 2:9), which is the name of God. The name of God can be a sensitive subject, especially when one considers the fact that we are not meant to take the name of God in vain (Exodus 20:7). The Jews used to take this commandment so far that they would not even utter or write the word “God,” much less the name of God.”
As we realize the importance of names (especially God’s), it is extremely worthwhile to begin examining them, as we briefly did above. With that in mind, we will be taking some time here on occasion to review the names of God. In fact, the Blue Letter Bible website has an entire article on the names of God in the Old Testament. While not exhaustive at the time of this writing, it features several wonderful names of God, all of which we will be covering. I highly recommend giving it a read, and have included an excerpt from the article below.
In the Old Testament times, a name was not only identification, but an identity as well. Many times a special meaning was attached to the name. Names had, among other purposes, an explanatory purpose (e.g., Nabal, whose name means “fool,” is the target of Abigail’s explanation to David: “For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him:” – 1Sa 25:25). Throughout Scripture God reveals Himself to us through His names. When we study these names that He reveals to us in the Bible, we will better understand who God really is. The meanings behind God’s names reveal the central personality and nature of the One who bears them.
Who is God to you?
Is He your Most High God, All sufficient One, Master, Lord of Peace, the Lord Who Will Provide? Is He your Father? We must be careful not to make God into an “it” or a “thing” to which we pray. He is our Jehovah Raah, the Lord our Shepherd. God knows us by our name, shouldn’t we know Him by His?
Hallowed be Your name?
To hallow a thing is to make it holy or to set it apart to be exalted as being worthy of absolute devotion. To hallow the name of God is to regard Him with complete devotion and loving admiration. God’s name is of the utmost importance (Neh 9:5); therefore we ought reserve it a position of grave significance in our minds and hearts. We should never take His name lightly (Exd 20:7; Lev 22:32), but always rejoice in it and think deeply upon its true meaning.