What's in a Name...

The Bible is full of names--lots of them. To read through the numerous geneologies is, for most of us, a tedious and seemingly pointless exercise. Yet, God in His perfect wisdom has emphasized names for His glory and our benefit. So why are names so important to Him, and of consequence then to us?

God deemed each aspect of His creation in Genesis 1 as 'good'. At the end of the sixth day, He deemed the whole creation as 'very good'. He created every creature specially, and its name identified its character, God's unique impression. Thus, biblical names are rich in meaning...Abraham (father of nations), Isaac (he laughs), Jacob (deceiver), Ichabod (departed glory). God named Adam, who in turn named all the animals and his wife, Eve (mother of all living). At the burning bush, Moses wanted a name to go with the One who would deliver the children of Israel, because the multitude of Egyptian gods all had names. So, God gave Moses His name--YHWH (I AM). Jesus himself has many names scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments, all of which indicate some aspect of His character. And even in Glory, the overcomers will be given new names (Rev 2:17).

In practical terms then, what does this mean for the saints? Why should we care? In our faithfulness to God and to each other, we need to imitate God and be as jealous for names as He is. How many of us have experienced a greeting that goes something like the following: I say, "Good morning, Bob!" Bob responds, "Hey...!" Now, I have known Bob for years. We've worshipped together in church and studied together at various Bible studies and Sunday school classes. He knows my name, yet he almost never uses it . I don't know about you, but when someone I know continually addresses me as 'Hey', or 'Sir' or 'Bub', it shows a lack of respect and a lack of godliness. It indicates that he doesn't know or care that it makes me feel less like a brother and more like a stranger.

If you don't know someone's name or have forgotten it, humble yourself and ask...he'll appreciate it. "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phil 2:3-4)

If you do know your brother's name, then use it. It is just as much a show of respect as saying 'please' and 'thank you', courtesies in which we conscientiously instruct our children. Why then do we not teach and model use of names? Businessmen in sales and marketing understand this concept better than we do. We often fail miserably in this area, that which God highly esteems and demonstrates in His Word. So, greet one another with humility, love and respect. Look your brother in the eye, firmly shake his hand, and speak his name.