A house for My Name

Many verses in the Bible speak of God wanting a house or a temple built “for my name.” I find these fascinating. Why would God say to build a house “for my name?” Why didn’t He say to build a temple “for Me?” Is there special meaning to the phrase “my name?” Does it mean something different, something more, something less, than “for Me?” Let’s look at a few of them. First, Nathan the prophet bringing the word of YHWH to David:

12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

2 Samuel 7:12-14 (New King James Version)

Solomon determines to fulfill the prophecy:

5 And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to my father David, saying, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.”

1 Kings 5:5 (New King James Version)

Solomon gave a speech at the completion of the temple. Here is part of it:

15 And he said: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying,

16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’

17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple* for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

18 But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’

1 Kings 8:15-19 (New King James Version)

* Literally house, also in verses 18–20

An interruption peers into my intellectual space. I will complete this post before the weekend is over.

If I tell you My Name, it will knock your socks off

Last week I said I would study up on two areas that brought up some questions in my mind. These are from the story in Judges 13, of the Angel's visits to Manoah and his wife, promising the birth of their son, Samson.

1. The Angel said, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” v. 18
2. “and they knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.  Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” v. 21, 22

In the first reference, why did the Angel avoid answering the question, and what did he mean, "seeing it is wonderful?" Instead of wonderful, the Authorized (King James) Version, says secret. Secret! 

In my last post, I was claiming that God wants us to know His name, and here He is keeping it secret! Either I am very wrong, or there is a reason. In view of all the verses in which God speaks of us honoring his name, I can't believe He wants to keep it secret. Therefore, I must look for the reason the Angel avoided answering the question.

My first step will be to check on the word that was translated wonderful and secret, in Strong's concordance. Instead of lugging that big book off my bookshelf, the easiest way is to go to the Blue Letter Bible, enter Judges 13:18 in the search window, and use the KJV, since that is the version that works with Strong's. Once Judges 13 pops up, I make sure the "Show Strong's" box is checked (to the right, under the blue bar of the chapter number).

Here is verse 18:

And the angel ⁴³⁹⁷ of the LORD ³⁰⁶⁸ said ⁵⁵⁹ unto him, Why askest ⁷⁵⁹² thou thus after my name ⁸⁰³⁴, seeing it [is] secret⁶³⁸³?

I want to know the various meanings for the word that has been translated secret and wonderful, so I click on 6383, where the definitions listed are:

1) wonderful, incomprehensible, extraordinary

Below that, it states, "here used of something which appears supernatural." 

When translated, the King James Version was probably influenced by the historically hidden name -- Jewish scribes by tradition believing the name too holy to write -- and therefore chose the word secret, and so the name has been for many years, though wonderful is a better translation.

My cogitations over the two questions above have helped me see that the answer to the first is revealed in the second. Manoah and his wife were obviously very excited about their heavenly visitor, and the Angel knew if He revealed who He really was, Yeshua, the Son of God, they would be so overwhelmed they very likely forget everything else He had told them about how to raise their child. This is where I get to the title of this post. In effect, the Angel was saying, "Why do you want to know my name? If I tell you, it will knock your socks off!"  You will be amazed, overwhelmed, not believe your ears. Only after He went up in smoke did they recognize they had seen God -- though they thought it was the Father -- and feared death because of their exposure to perfect Divine Power.

Praise His mysterious name

It is the Christmas season, and Christmas carols have been heard over the loud speaker systems of stores since before Halloween. The Christmas carols reminded me of the many songs we sing in church that use the phrase, "Praise His name."  I recently heard a song, performed by Jeff and Sheri Easter:

When everything falls apart, Praise his name; When you have a broken heart,  Raise your hands and say, "Lord, you're all I need,  You're everything to me,"  And he'll take the pain away.  When you feel you're all alone, Praise his name; And you feel all hope is gone,  Raise your hands and say, "Greater is he that is within me,"  And you can praise the hurt away,  If you'll just praise his name.

A most beautiful song played this time of year is O Holy Night. The words of the second verse are:

Truly He taught us to love one another,  His law is love and His gospel is peace.  Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.  And in his name all oppression shall cease.  Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,  With all our hearts we praise His holy name. 

If one were to ask, “What name?” the answer you would get would probably be either “Jesus,” or “God.” Those answers are wrong.

All who have considered His name at all know that Jesus is not His name, God is not His name, Lord is not His name, Christ is not His name, Jehovah is not His name, and even Yahweh is not His name. We do know that His name, when He came to earth as a man, was Yeshua, or something very like Yeshua, because that is the name that means Salvation – “for he shall save His people from their sins.”

Somehow we have thought that His name before He lived here as a man was probably something different, a more god-like name. Even at this point some might think that Yeshua, Salvation, was His man name, and YHWH was the god-name of the Father, with the name of the Son not revealed at all. Study of the scriptures, however, reveals the presence of Yeshua, the Son, in the Old Testament. If He was present in those stories (creation, Moses on mountain, Jacob at his midnight struggle, for example), it is very likely He was present in many more of the actions of God in dealing with his human family. I believe Yeshua, the Son, was the main person who has involved Himself in our lives through earth's history.

God did not mean for his name to be mysterious. It is a name He wants us to know, as I have been sharing for the last couple of posts, and will continue after this brief musical side trip.  Lacking other proof, there appears to be evidence that the mysterious name YHWH could, in fact be Yeshua. What an amazing thought, to see that Yeshua, Salvation, was present all through history, covenanting with us, and finally coming in person so save us!

His name is wonderful

The story of the interaction between a heavenly Being and Samson’s parents prior to Samson’s birth in the 13^th chapter of Judges involves discussion of the heavenly Being’s name. This is how the story goes:

Manoah’s wife was unable to have children (why does it seem that so many important people are born to previously barren women?), but the Angel of the LORD (I will use YHWH, as it is closer to being accurate) came to her and told her that she would have a son, and to be careful about what she ate and drank. The angel also told her that her son would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines, and that his hair should not be cut.

She went and told her husband, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.” (v. 6)

Manoah wanted to talk to the Being himself, so he prayed, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”  (v. 8)

God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the Angel returned to his wife while Manoah was not with her, so she had to run quickly and get him. Manoah wanted to prepare a young goat for the visitor to eat, but the Angel said he wouldn’t eat the food, but if they wanted to offer a burnt offering, they must offer it to the YHWH. At this point, Manoah did not know their visitor was the Angel of YHWH. He asked the Angel his name, and the Angel said, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”  (v.18)

When Manoah offered the young goat on the rock to YHWH, “He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on.” As the flame went up, the Angel ascended in the flame! Manoah and his wife fell on their faces to the ground, “and they knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.  Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” (v. 22)


I want to focus on two parts of this story: 

1. The Angel said, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?”
2. “and they knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.  Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” 

I will study up and report next time.

His name is His presence

This is my study of the phrase “My name,” continued. I am not going to use all the verses in which God uses that phrase, but will choose a few on which to comment.

­­­24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.

Exodus 20:24  New King James Version)

My understanding of this verse is that when God places His name in a location, on a people, or on a person, His presence is there. His name is His presence. He promises His name, His presence, to His people.

  

20 “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.

22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Exodus 23:20-22 (New King James Version)

In these verses, God is taking a little side-trip from explaining the many sacrificial laws to reiterate His promise to guide His people.

Look at the word, Angel. Strong’s commentary calls this a theophanic angel, meaning a divine appearance to man, or appearing to man as a god. God’s people are cautioned to obey Him (the Angel), and not provoke Him, because He will not forgive them. In some verses, the word Angel appears to refer to Yeshua, as in the time when Jacob struggled with the Angel, but this Angel will not pardon transgressions, making me think this Angel is not Yeshua. However, the fact that the Angel is often no less than God is something to be aware of as we study Scripture.

“My name is in Him (the Angel).” God’s presence is in the Angel. Looking forward to the following verse, not only was His name in the Angel, it was on the children of Israel. His presence was there. Just as He prepared a place for the children of Israel, Yeshua promised to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3), and He promised His presence in us.

22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.      Say to them:

24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’

27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:26-27 (New King James Version)

God told Aaron and his sons to put His name on the children of Israel. Apparently this priestly blessing was given in a kind of ordination service. I would love to have seen exactly how it was done. Was it a private ceremony done in the tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons symbolically held the people before God? The priests were to speak these words to the people, so it would have been a public ceremony, and that His name, LORD – YHWH, would have been proclaimed before them. They all knew exactly what His name was, and that’s the way God meant it to be.

By My name LORD I was not known to them

These blog entries, for anyone who might happen to stumble upon them, are a work in progress, and I really don’t know from one week to the next what I will write next. However, last time I did promise myself to report some of what I had found regarding the phrase, “my name.”

Up until very recently, I had considered the actual name of God to be unimportant. God was a sort of title or description, as is Lord. As long as we know who He is and understand that He hears us when we pray, and that we know who created us and saved us, the actual name is not important, is it? After all, there are so many languages in the world, with many different-sounding names for our God – so what does it matter what we call Him, so long as we call on Him?

Then I started the study that has started this blog, and the phrase “my name” jumped out as a phrase that is often used in the Bible. I decided to look at some of those verses.

2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD.

3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD* I was not known to them.

Exodus 6:2-3 (New King James Version)

 *LORD is the translation given us for the Hebrew, YHWH. YHWH is also traditionally, more correctly, but not completely accurately, translated as Jehovah; I plan to study “YHWH” in more depth at a future date. 

Very interesting verse, “by My name I was not known to them,” don’t you think, in light of the fact that we apparently don’t have the exact translation of YHWH? Therefore this verse comes to us as if God leaned over and said, “It’s very important that you know My Name, My name is… mumble mumble mumble.” Of course He didn’t say that. He wouldn’t have hidden His name when He obviously wants us to know it! But His name was hidden, I understand, by the Jewish scribes, who felt the name too sacred to be written in its entirety. Surely somewhere, by someone, it is known.

15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. 

16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

Exodus 9:15-16 (New King James Version)

He wants us to declare His name in all the earth, but what is the purpose? Some say it is because God is a megalomaniac, wanting all the glory and honor for Himself. I believe it is because His name means something important, and when we know His name, it will add a richness and depth to our understanding of His interaction with us as His creation, and contribute so much more to our relationship with Him. 

This is only the beginning on "my name." More next time.

Names and labels

I have finished, for now, looking at those in the Bible whom God named, including those whose names He changed. The natural progression of my study leads me to consider the importance of God’s name. I am not going to focus on His name specifically, that is, not on what it is, how it is pronounced, etc., but on the phrase, “my name.”

God has a different way of asking for respect than do we humans. When we (Americans, at least; I recognize that other cultures may differ) want respect, we say, "show ME some respect," or "Respect ME." God says, "Respect MY NAME." It seems a slight difference, but my task is to determine if that difference is important. Why doesn’t God just say, “Respect Me,” instead of, “Respect my name?” And what does this have to do with what we call Him—especially when it appears His name is not known?

This request of God, to honor His name, appears to be in contrast to our way of honoring a person, one example being the practice of building statues and buildings in honor of past presidents. Our focus is to honor the person; we don't focus on honoring the name of the person, though that is a part of it – otherwise we would not know whom we are honoring. We tend to think that the name isn’t as important as our knowing who it is that the name represents. This is the reason we readily adapt to nicknames for those we honor in all walks of life. 

Here is a short list of examples of nicknames and changed names of people who have been in the news in recent decades:

Alan Alda – Alphonso D’Abruzzo
Cher – Cherilyn Sarkisian
Chuck Norris – Carlos Ray
Conway Twitty – Harold Jenkins
Dean Martin – Dino Crocetti
Demi Moore – Demetria Guynes
Doris Day – Doris Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff
Elton John – Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Elvis Costello – Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
Engelbert Humperdinck – Arnold Dorsey
George Orwell – Eric Arthur Blair
Harry Houdini – Ehrich Weiss
Hulk Hogan – Terry Jean Bollette
Jerry Lewis – Joseph Levitch
Joan Crawford – Lucille Fay LeSueur
John Denver – Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
Judy Garland – Frances Gumm
Kirk Douglas – Issur Danielovitch Demsky
Lauren Bacall – Betty Joan Perske
Leon Trotsky – Lev Davidovich Bronstein
Martin Sheen – Ramón Estévez
Natalie Wood – Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko
Tina Turner – Anna Mae Bullock
Tony Curtis – Bernard Schwartz
Whoopie Goldberg – Caryn Johnson

(Source: http://www.innocentenglish.com/celebrity-bloopers-news-quotes/celebrity-names-the-original-names-of-famous-people-who-have-changed-their-real-name.html)

The name makes us think of the person, but it is for us a convenient label; in our minds the name isn’t the same thing as the person. There are some who believe that what we name our children influences their direction in life, and we know that some names may cause difficulties for children because of teasing, but having a name that may cause one to make one choice over another is different than having a name that is you.

Next time I will look at some of the many verses in which God talks about His name.

Immanuel

It is already clear that Jesus is a Greek name, transliterated from the original Hebrew name, Yehoshuah or Yeshua. There are, however, a couple of other verses about His name that are problematical for some:

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS (original Hebrew: Yeshua), for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS (Yeshua).

Matthew 1:21-25 (New King James Version)

Verse 22 is referring to Isaiah’s prophecy:

13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:13-14 (New King James Version)

The prophecy said, “They shall call His name Immanuel,” yet they were commanded to call His name Yeshua, and that’s what they did. Some say that this means Yeshua does not fulfill the prophecy, yet Matthew states that it was done for that purpose—to fulfill the prophecy. It seems to be a contradiction.

If the text said He would be called Immanuel, it would be easy to explain that God With Us was descriptive, and since Yeshua was truly God With Us, there is no problem with the additional name. The text, however, says His name shall be called Immanuel, an apparent inconsistency, since He was named Yeshua in accordance with the Angel's command. Yeshua was called Immanuel because God With Us was one of His attributes, but he was not named Immanuel.

We have several ways to look at the Yeshua/Immanuel dilemma. One is that God was known by many different names, many of them being descriptive—in the same way that Yeshua (Salvation) and Immanuel (God With Us) describe two very important attributes. The familiar words, “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” all come to mind, and there are many others. None of these, however, are His NAME, in the sense that we usually think of a name. We sign our legal names to a check, not our nicknames. Arnold Schwartzenegger could write Terminator on a check; everyone would know who he was, but no bank would take it. What name would God sign to His checks? That’s a study for another time.

A second way to answer the Immanuel question is that Yeshua’s name isn’t merely a name, His name is Who He Is. It isn’t just that His name is Salvation (Yeshua), He IS Salvation. It wasn’t just that His name was to be called Immanuel, God With Us—when He came, God WAS With Us. You can see this thread all through the Bible, where God asks His people to honor His name, to build a temple for His name, and call on His name. I will write more on this in a subsequent post.

A third answer lies in looking at the entire time frame of Yeshua’s involving Himself in our Salvation. His first coming was not His last—He will come again. We can see that future in the book of Luke, where Mary is told what to name her Son:

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

Luke 1:30-32 (New King James Version)

Verse 32 speaks of Yeshua being given the throne of David, yet Yeshua did not take a throne at His first coming. The words referring to David’s throne are a looking forward into the future, to His second coming. In the same way, Isaiah and Matthew were adding future to present, looking forward to the time when Yeshua, having come to save His people, returns to earth and takes the throne of David and reigns here. At that time He will truly be known as Immanuel, God With Us.

John is named in surprising circumstances

John was born about six months before his cousin, Yeshua. John’s father, Zacharias, was serving as priest when an angel came to him. Not only was Zacharias surprised, he was frightened:

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

                    Luke 1:12-14 (New King James Version)

Zacharias had doubts about the promise of a child, because he and his wife were far past the time when a child could be born to them. Because he doubted, the Angel gave him a sign so that he would know the word came from God; he made Zacharias mute, and told him he would remain so until the baby, John, was born.

57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 

58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. 

59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 

60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 

64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 

65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 

66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

                    Luke 1:57-66 (New King James Version)

Why would it be so important that the “one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord” be called John (Ioannes, in Hebrew)? We know that John’s name means “Jehovah is a gracious giver.” The name is a good one, reminding us that truly our God is a gracious giver, especially in that He was in the act of providing for us Yeshua, our Salvation. But there is more.

The meaning of John's name does not appear to be of primary importance in this story. The focus is on how important it was that John be called by the name announced by the Angel. If Zacharias had not lost his speech during that time, if it had not been such a marvel to the entire countryside, we might have lost sight of the reminder that God is interested in NAME, in particular in the name of One soon to be born, of whom the Angel had said, “Thou shalt call his name Yeshua (Salvation!), for He shall save His people from their sins.”

Names you may not know

Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi

Somehow these names don’t pop to the forefront of our “familiar Bible characters” list, probably because we don’t have any particular stories about them to keep them in our memory. I wondered why God would choose to name these three, apparently insignificant characters, but then I realized that these names and their meanings are an important part of the parallel God makes between the story of Hosea and the story of Israel as a nation.

Hosea 1 (New King James Version)

 1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

 2 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:

      “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry

      And children of harlotry,

      For the land has committed great harlotry

      By departing from the LORD.”

 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to him:

      “Call his name Jezreel,

      For in a little while

      I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,

      And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

       5 It shall come to pass in that day

      That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:

      “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,

      For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,

      But I will utterly take them away.

       7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,

      Will save them by the LORD their God,

      And will not save them by bow,

      Nor by sword or battle,

      By horses or horsemen.”

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said:

      “Call his name Lo-Ammi,

      For you are not My people,

      And I will not be your God.

    10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel

      Shall be as the sand of the sea,

      Which cannot be measured or numbered.

      And it shall come to pass

      In the place where it was said to them,

      ‘You are not My people,’

      There it shall be said to them,

      ‘You are sons of the living God.’

       11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel

      Shall be gathered together,

      And appoint for themselves one head;

      And they shall come up out of the land,

      For great will be the day of Jezreel!

          Hosea 1 (New King James Version)

Jezreel means "God sows," and is also the name of a couple of cities, one in Issachar, and one in Judah. Lo-Ruhamah means "no mercy," and Lo-Ammi means "not my people." The meanings of these names are significant, the last two making a turn around, when God's people return to Him. See the change between the name meanings, "No mercy" and "not my people" to the opposite affirmations by God - and His people - in the verse below:

23  Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
      And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;
      Then I will say to those who were not My people,
      ‘You are My people!’
      And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

  Hosea 2:23 (New King James Version)

God used the names Jezreel, LoRuhamah, and LoAmmi, to show His people how He would draw them back to himself, in spite of their rejection of Him. He uses names to teach us, to show us He has a plan for us. His plan for us is Salvation, and He made sure we would never forget, by giving the name Yeshua to His Only Begotten Son. Yeshua, "Salvation."

Jacob becomes Israel

Jacob is another one in the line of patriarchs whose name was given or changed by God, adding to my growing list of examples of the importance of NAME in God’s sight. Jacob’s case is somewhat different than the others, because the name switch does not appear to have taken root in our thoughts; we usually think of him as Jacob. We usally say, “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” not “Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” His descendants, however, are known as the Children of Israel, Israelites, or Israelis.

God first told Jacob of his new name at the time of their midnight struggle – referenced by the prophecy in Jeremiah 30:7 as a time of Jacob’s trouble for God's people in the future. Jacob's new name has great meaning for those who sense they may go through that time of trouble, for Jacob (Ya`aqob) means "supplanter," while Israel (Yisra'el) means "God prevails."

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 

Genesis 32:27-29 (New King James Version) 

In verse 29, Jacob asks the name of the One with whom he had struggled, the One who gave him his new name, but apparently does not receive an answer. If it was answered is not recorded. Why? Or was the answer secreted away by those who have explained that the Name is so holy that it cannot be written or spoken by mortal man? What could the answer have been? Could it have been Yeshua? I wonder. We know that no man has seen God at any time, so if Jacob struggled with God (32:28) or God appeared to him (verses below), it would have to have been God's Son, known to us in the New Testament as Yeshua/Yahoshua.

God reiterates Jacob's new name:

9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him.
10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel.
11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 

            Genesis 35:9-11 (New King James Version)

While looking for God-given names in the Bible, I found some names I've never heard of before. I will review those next time.

On to Isaac

Now we are on to the next name, Isaac. I am hoping the detailing of these in the Bible named by God is not exhausting. I find it fascinating!

We can't forget Ishmael, who was named and blessed by God and also would become a great nation, as we today well know. After Ishmael was born, the child Abraham hoped would bear the promise but came to represent humanity's efforts to help God along where God seems to fail, along came Isaac, the child Abraham and Sarah had despaired of ever seeing; Isaac, who was born to them long after they should have been great-grandparents, had they only had children earlier in life.

18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 

Genesis 17:18-20 (New King James Version)

Isaac is a transliteration of the word Yitzhak in Hebrew, meaning "he laughs." Abraham and Sarah may have laughed in disbelief when they heard the Angel say Sarah would have a son in her old age, but when she became pregnant, they must have been full of happy laughter, and the day he was born, they probably sat together, holding him, laughing in joy for a long, long time.

In the verse above, Yitzhak gained a new meaning, "child of the covenant."

Abraham, Sarah, now Ishmael

Abraham and Sarah were long past child-bearing years, and since there was no apparent hope of any pregnancy any time soon, Sarah thought she would help God along with his promise to make Abraham the father of a multitude. She convinced Abraham to take her maid and produce a son for them. The plan was successful, producing an offspring who would become father of the Arab peoples and would have consequences for generations to come - for all the children of Abraham.

Ishmael, too, had a God-given name.  Here is the way the Bible tells how it was given:

10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”   

 Genesis 16:10-12 (New King James Version)

Ishmael, (Yishmael) means "God will hear" - a foreshadowing of God's saving care for him and his mother, Hagar, when they were banished from the camp due to Sarah's jealousy.

"You shall call his name Ishmael." That has a familiar ring, doesn't it? It sounds like Matthew 1:21. Name IS important to God, even for a child that was not to be part of his covenant with Abraham. Why?

Is name important to God?

I've been reading through the Bible, and I've noticed that in His communications with His people, His prophets, the phrase "my name" comes up over and over again. One of my tasks will be to determine approximately ("exactly" being a goal I am afraid to think of claiming) how many times that phrase, or those similar to it, are in the Bible.  NAME is important, as we see in the first chapter of Matthew, where the angel tells Mary, "Thou shalt call his name Yeshua" (the angel wouldn't have said Jesus, for reasons I mentioned before), I knew that name was important to God, at least in this instance.

I began to think about others whose names had been given by God, or even changed by God, and the idea of name and its importance became more clear to me.  Changing a person's name changes a person's identity, the way a person thinks of himself and the way that others view him, especially if the name means something.

Two significant names that were changed were those of Abram and Sarai, as they were originally known, at least in our English translation.


Abram/Abraham

4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

Genesis 17:4-6 (New King James Version)

 7 “You are the LORD God, who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and gave him the name Abraham;

Nehemiah 9:7 (New King James Version)

Abram means "exalted father," while Abraham means "father of a multitude" - a change in meaning, however slight it may to appear to us, that was important to God.  The name was a foreshadowing of what was to come. 

Sarai/Sarah

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

Genesis 17:15-16 (New King James Version)

I am happy to have brought myself on this journey, for just a little bump in the road has given me new insights. I had always been taught that Sarah meant "mother of a multitude" because of the words of verse 16, and because "mother of a multitude," parallels the meaning of Abraham's new name, "father of a multitude." 

However, and here's the bump in the road, according to Strong's Concordance, Sarai means "princess," and Sarah means "noble woman." Why God changed her name from one meaning to another with almost identical meaning may reveal more of what He knew about identity. Though I suspect there may be more to the meaning than is clear in Strong's, there is this aspect, too, that is important: God knew that Abram and Sarai, when they spoke to each other using their new names, would remember what the names signified. She was the noble wife of a man with a new name meaning, "father of a multitude," and how could that not help but affect her self identity and her hope for children? Each time Abraham called her "Sarah" the new sound would bring to her mind of the future God had in mind for them as the beginning of a long and great line of descendants.

The name Yeshua does the same for me. All my life I have thought of him as Jesus, a person who brought us salvation. Now I know that he not only is the person who brought us salvation, He is Salvation!

His real name

Several times, no -- many times, I have heard sermons telling how the Joshua in the book of Zechariah is a type of Jesus, and that Joshua, or the Hebrew pronunciation, Yeshua, Yahshua, or other very similar-sounding variations, is actually Jesus' real name. So, as I said before, what? That seemed to be the speakers' attitude, as well. The name doesn't matter, does it, as long as we know Who we are talking about? Therefore, does God care about the name? Or does He care about NAME at all?

I thought about the text in Matthew 1:21:

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

NAME is important as made clear when the Angel told Mary what to call her son, and why. He said to call His name Jesus, according to our English Bibles.

As I thought about it, I saw two reasons why the Angel could not have said, "Jesus." For one, the Angel would have spoken to Mary in her own language, not Greek, and secondly, the name Jesus means nothing. It is an English transliteration of the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name, Yeshua, Yahoshuah,YAHshuah, or a variation thereof, the name known in English as Joshua - a name that does mean something - "Salvation," or "Lord who is Salvation." That our Savior is named Salvation has such tremendous impact that it makes delicious chills go up my spine!

I am not a scholar and do not pretend to be. Many internet sites discuss the name of Jesus/Yeshua. In fact, I just now looked up: Jesus, Yeshua, name - and found many links of a more scholarly nature than this blog will ever be. It is very interesting reading.

Getting started

It's been a couple of weeks since I opened this blog. For a long time I have been wanting to keep a record of what I am learning in the Bible, and it seems the best way for now is here -- less chance of getting lost amongst my papers, or a computer crash killing all my documents.

None other Name

I started this train of thought and study a year ago, about the time I was reminded that the name we use for our Saviour, Jesus, is not His real name. I have known for a long time that Jesus wasn't His real name, but I had always thought it didn't matter. It's not the Name that is the whole point, is it? It's the Person! Those were my thoughts, and so I had always just let it pass.

Then I thought about the verse in Acts 4:12, a verse I had been taught as a child, that often was required as a memory verse as I was growing up:

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

So that started me thinking. What does the name "Jesus" mean? Is name important to God? Does it make a difference what name we use? I am going to attempt to find answers to these questions, and knowing how all things are connected, I know the answers will lead me to new questions, and possibly new understandings.