“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.” Psalm 91:14
A friend reminded me recently that names have meaning. Many folks name babies based on the 100 hundred most popular names, after relatives, or they pick names with specific meanings. The Bible tells us in chapter twenty-five of Genesis that Isaac and Rebekah’s twins were named Esau and Jacob because “And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called him Esau. Afterward, his brother came out, and his hand told hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.” In Hebrew, Esau means hairy, and Jacob means he takes by the heel or cheats, so both names were accordingly befitting.
In the Bible, names always had meaning to include the many names of God. Yahweh means “The Lord” and “God” and holds particular significance in Jewish tradition as the holiest of names and is held in the highest esteem. Derived from the Hebrew word “I am”. Elohim means “Father God/God the Creator” and reflects God’s sovereignty and absolute power. Abba Father is the name we utter when calling upon God for assurance, comfort, and protection. The name Jehovah Jireh is only found once in the Bible in the book of Genesis. Abraham uses it to name the place on Mount Moriah where God provided him with a ram to sacrifice as a replacement for his son, Isaac. It’s a beautiful name that reflects His faithfulness and how he keeps his promise to provide for us everything we need (Romans 8:32). These are just a few of the many names of God. They reveal His character and loving nature to us as we grow closer to Him.
Names are important to God, so they should be important to us. The scriptures teach us that the Lord knows and calls us by name. “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). Names convey a sense of who we are and how others relate to us. How often do we encounter people that serve us, check out our groceries, or record our medical information and never bother to look at their name tags? Have you ever noticed how a conversation changes when you refer to a stranger wearing a name tag by name? Their countenance brightens, and the conversation takes a more amicable turn. What if we all endeavored to ask the name of all those we encountered? Using a person’s name helps us connect. Knowing their name gives meaning to them and to us. Through the mere bond of learning a person’s name, the door may open to sharing the Good News. The conversation that leads someone to call upon the name of the Lord can begin with “hello, what is your name”? And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is the name Yahweh written in Hebrew.