What's in a Name?

Shakespeare made famous the line, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," (Romeo & Juliet, II, ii, 1-2). However, the Bible says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches," (Proverbs 22:1). So, who is right? Is a chair still a chair, even if we call it a doorbell? Is a girl the same girl, even if we call her something else? The Lord said, "I have called you by name, you are mine," (Isaiah 43:1). The Lord is telling us three important things here: He called us, He called us specifically by name, we belong to Him.

The first thing we need to understand is that when the Lord said that we are His, it's both a term of endearment, as well as possession. If you are a parent, you will more readily understand the Lord's position: when your child does something good, you are proud; when your child does not do good, you feel pain and possibly anger, depending upon what it was. The Lord is the same with us. He is our heavenly Father, our eternal parent, and we are His kids. Our heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love that we can neither earn, nor diminish, no matter how we act, (Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 8:38). The Lord said, "you are Mine." That should give you a sense of peace. Your heavenly Father loves you, He wants what's best for you, and He's wanting to move you onto the path that He created for you, if you'll only let Him.

The second thing the Lord said when He called us, He used a specific name. The word name here is from the Hebrew word, "shem," which means, "reputation, fame, glory," (blueletterbible.org). In today's society, we understand all about reputation. If someone has a good reputation, you want to do business with them, associate with them, be near them, etc. If someone's reputation has been tarnished, whether by their own actions or anther's accusations, others withdraw from them and that person may never be able to rebuild his reputation. Your reputation, your "name," is very important, both to you and to the Lord. For this very reason, the Lord was known to change a person's name. He changed Jacob, the deceiver to Israel, which means God prevails or God's soldier, (see Genesis 32:28). He also changed Abram and Sari to Abraham and Sarah when God gave Abraham the promise that he would be the father of many nations, (see Genesis 17:5). Our names are important. They define us and tell others about us.

The third thing the Lord said is that He called us. This word called is from the Hebrew word, "qara," which means, "to summon, proclaim, be chosen," (blueletterbible.org). The Lord has called us by our name, our purpose, by the purpose for which He destined us. When the Lord speaks your name over you, you begin to transform into who He desires you to be. In some instances, the Lord changed a person's name. In others, He simply spoke out the name to bring life to His desires for that person. He did this with Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector, until Jesus spoke out his name, which means "pure," (see Luke 19:2). The Lord did the same with Paul (a.k.a. Saul), who was previously the greatest persecutor of the Lord's disciples, (see Acts 9). But when the Lord called out his name, Paul rose up and began to do the Lord's work, preaching the gospel throughout the world.

The Lord calls His beloved forward to do His will. He did this with many throughout the Bible. He did it then, He's done it today, and He'll do it tomorrow. The Lord is calling forth His kids; He's called me, and He's calling you. What has the Lord spoken over you? Perhaps it is your birth name; perhaps it is the name He has chosen for you, for His purposes. What has the Lord called you? Who is He calling you to be, and what will you answer in response?