Hello, My Name is…
Years ago, I had the honor of watching my cousin compete in a pageant. This particular event took place prior to the upcoming July 4th celebration.
One such holiday that rivaled the festivities of Christmas, for the Hurt family.
Throughout the evening, a parade of young ladies filed across the stage for various portions of the contest.
Each time my beautiful cousin took the stage, the emcee butchered her name.
I’m certain this was not the first time in her life that she had encountered this issue. In fact, she probably blocked it out. Nevertheless, I was filled with frustration on her behalf with the repeated mistake.
“Seriously, why is it so difficult to ask the contestants for the correct pronunciation,” I whispered to my sister.
“I am going to say something,” I declared confidently, as intermission approached.
Mustering up every ounce of courage, I walked to the front of the auditorium and motioned for the attention of the announcer.
“I am so sorry,” I began. “Would it be possible to correct the way you are saying my cousin's name?”
The woman responded sweetly and made the necessary adjustments in her notes.
Mission accomplished, I thought, as I strutted back to my seat.
Being one of the least outspoken of the bunch, I was met with stunned looks of appreciation from my family when I returned.
I have always been fascinated to learn the origin of people’s names.
Do they share the name of a beloved family member? Or, perhaps they’ve been named after a place of great significance.
Do they respond to a nickname or maybe they’ve instructed loved ones to call them by their given name.
As a child, I remember being provoked to the point of anger when family would use nicknames to address me.
“You named me Erica for a reason, please use it.” I would argue.
Then the “favorites” entered the scene…
The day a beautiful, blue-eyed baby boy called me ‘Aunt Ca’, I was completely captivated.
For the first time in seventeen years, my rigid rules to be called by my proper name were immediately forgotten.
In the twenty six years since, I rarely go by Erica during any family function.
This fascination with names often causes me to pause while reading genealogy in scripture.
Did culture and religious traditions play a role in determining the weight a person’s name carried?
Was Gomer a family name? What about Bildad or Jezebel?
The careful attention to detail when listing names in scripture appears to hold great esteem.
Specifically, the many names for God…
Each reference denotes reverence, while simultaneously defining an aspect of His character.
Additionally, these meanings provide insight into how a holy God interacts with His creation.
Many names of God in the Old Testament include the prefix Jehovah, a Yahweh alternative, translated into English as Lord.
Jehovah Jireh - The LORD our provider (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah Rapha: The LORD our Healer (Exodus 15:26)
Jehovah Shalom: The LORD our Peace (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah Raah: The LORD our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Jehovah Shammah: The LORD is Here (Ezekiel 48:35)
Other names for God include:
El-Shaddai: God Almighty (Genesis 17:1)
The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
Abba: Father (Romans 8:15)
Elohim (Genesis 1:1)
Immanuel: God with Us (Isaiah 7:14)
Jesus (Luke 2:21)
While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, it gives us a glimpse into the various facets of His being.
How does knowing this affect our journey as Christians?
Because scripture states that we become a new creation at the point of accepting Christ, in that we recognize we are image bearers of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Genesis 1:27)
We share in the reflection of who He is to the outside world. Although some will never darken the door of a church building, they can see the very image of God lived out in the life of a believer.
While a few may place significance on the title given to us at birth, the namesake we share as son or daughter of the Most High, holds the weight of eternity.
When we choose a lifestyle of worship, dear reader, we represent the name that is above every other name.
And at that name, every knee will bow and tongue confess Him as Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11)
