Names are important. They identify us to one another. At church, it’s much easier to know who someone is talking about when they say Kevin than when they say “the grey-haired guy with a mustache.”
Differing cultures have different name protocols. In the Bible, many names end with”el,” referring to God. This identifies the person with some component of their faith.
In the Bible, you will also sometimes see a name with the word “bar” in it. Bar means “son of.” Thus, Jesus would have been known as Jesus bar Joseph, Jesus the son of Joseph.
Many European-based cultures used something similar. The name Stephenson originally meant son of Stephan.
They also used occupations or place names as surnames. Bob Clark was Bob the Clark (clerk), and John Smith was John the Smith (blacksmith, perhaps).
My surname, “Corbin,” comes from a Norman name that refers to being under the sign of a raven. The ancient family coat of arms had three ravens on it. Today’s image is one rendering of the crest.
Sometimes, we are called names that hurt us.
What names have you been called during your lifetime that hurt you? Perhaps they had to do with appearance, fatty, four eyes, flat chested. Maybe they had to do with something you had done: thief, drunk, killer.
Or perhaps they were names you gave yourself: lazy, stupid, useless. It could be as simple as four kids in your class with the same name, which led to confusion: Bob, Sally, Tom.
It doesn’t matter in the long run because God sees believers in a different light because of Jesus. There is a new name for those who believe. What an incredible thought.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17 ESV
I don’t know what your name will be—a precious child, a faithful servant, or something far more intimate and personal that Jesus is saving for His new bride. I do know that whatever name you are given will not hurt you.
It will be your name alone, prepared for you in advance by the creator of the universe. No more hurt, no more anonymity, no more confusion. A unique name for you from God.
Enjoy it.
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
