“What’s in a Name?”
June 30, 2023
(My dear Mom selected this week’s Scripture Card)
What’s in a name? Apparently, many things because people go to great lengths to find the perfect name for the objects of their affection- the things and the people they love. Cars, computers, iPhones, pets, and of course, people, are frequently given names that are filled with meaning. Parents often select names for their children that will be a strong indicator of future success in life, that will instill desirable character qualities, that will be easy to write when they go to school for the first time, or a name that cannot be shortened into a nickname, as if that is even possible.
Do you know what your name means and what is significant about your name? Imagine my disappointment on my first day of Spanish class in my freshman year of high school when I was told that my name “Sheryl” was an “American concoction”. My teacher was giving each student the Spanish counterpart to their English name, and when she got to me, she was stumped. According to her, my name was an “American concoction”, so she assigned to me a random Spanish name for the rest of the year. How disappointing to not be called by my real name, and how disappointing that my real name had no meaning in Spanish class!
A quick check on Spanish translators in 2023, still renders the name Sheryl as having ‘no direct translation’. My concocted name does not instill much inspiration, confidence, or trust. Fortunately, this is not the case when it comes to the names of God! God’s names in the Old Testament, all have direct translations from Hebrew to English, and His names provide confidence in Him and great encouragement during our times of trial and testing.
In ancient times, a name expressed a person’s nature and individual attributes, and in ancient times, a strong tower was a central place in the cities where people could run to when facing danger and then find safety and protection. God’s name represents His essential character and authority, and one aspect of God’s nature is that He is a strong, high tower offering a citadel of safety capable of holding off every hostile attack. Into this tower, the righteous— those who are made right with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ – can run and hide, safely guarded above all danger,
The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.–Proverbs 18:10
2from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, 3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.–Psalm 61:2
What’s in a name? The Lord’s name signifies everything that God is in Himself—His compassion, lovingkindness, mercy, grace, power, judgment, holiness, perfection, knowledge, and more. As we discover more and more what God has revealed about His character, we can trust in Him. Everyone who knows and trusts in Him discovers that He is indeed a strong tower and certainly not an American concoction, or concoction of any sort!
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”–Psalm 91:2