In the Bible, a “name” often signifies one’s character, identity, or destiny, reflecting the essence of a person or God. Names are frequently used to convey purpose and to establish covenant relationships, as seen in the changing of Abram to Abraham or Jacob to Israel.
Scripture
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
2 “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.”
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Biblical Significance of “Name”
In biblical literature, names carry profound significance that extends beyond mere labels; they embody the essence and destiny of the individual. For instance, in Genesis 17:5, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham, indicating a transformative purpose—he is now “the father of many nations.” This act signifies not just a change in nomenclature but also a shift in identity and mission, reinforcing the covenant relationship established between God and His people. Similarly, in Genesis 32:28, Jacob becomes Israel after wrestling with an angel, representing a new identity as one who has “struggled with God and with humans” and prevailed. This renaming reflects Jacob’s character transformation and foreshadows the foundational role his descendants would play in biblical history.
Moreover, the concept of names in the Bible extends to God Himself, demonstrating His character and attributes. Names like Jehovah-Jireh (Genesis 22:14), meaning “The Lord will provide,” encapsulate the divine nature and promises of God. In Proverbs 18:10, it is stated, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe,” illustrating the protective nature of God’s name and its impact on believers. Ultimately, names in the Bible serve as powerful symbols that convey identity, character, purpose, and covenant, inviting deeper reflection on the relationship between the Divine and humanity.
The importance of names in the Bible also manifests in various other contexts, particularly in terms of how they reflect God’s relationship with His people. The prophetic nature of names is often highlighted; for example, Isaiah’s prophetic children were given names that served as signs to Israel. Isaiah’s son was named Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.” This name encapsulated the message that Assyria would soon conquer the northern kingdom of Israel, blending the personal and the prophetic into a single narrative. Such instances illustrate how names in biblical tradition can serve as divine messengers, encapsulating God’s purpose and His warnings to His people.
Furthermore, the significance of names extends to the New Testament as well, where Jesus’ name carries salvific implications. The name “Jesus,” derived from the Hebrew “Yeshua,” meaning “Yahweh is salvation,” signifies His mission on Earth to redeem humanity. As Matthew 1:21 states, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This declaration reflects the intrinsic relationship between identity and purpose, affirming that the name of Jesus itself embodies His role as the Messiah. Through these various examples, it becomes evident that names in the Bible are not mere identifiers but are loaded with spiritual meaning and divine intention, reinforcing the transformative power of God as He interacts with humanity across the entirety of scripture.
Identity and Character
In the Bible, a name often signifies the identity and character of a person. Names are not merely labels; they reflect the essence of an individual and their role in God’s plan. For instance, the names given to biblical figures often reveal their destiny or the nature of their relationship with God. This concept emphasizes that a name carries weight and meaning, shaping how individuals are perceived and how they fulfill their purpose.
Authority and Power
Names in the Bible also convey authority and power. The name of God, for example, is associated with His sovereignty and the divine authority He wields. Invoking God’s name in prayer or worship signifies a recognition of His power and a plea for His intervention. Similarly, the names of Jesus and other significant figures in the Bible are associated with their roles in salvation and their ability to perform miracles, highlighting the belief that names can hold spiritual significance and influence.
Covenant and Relationship
Names in the biblical context often signify a covenant or a special relationship between God and His people. When God changes a person’s name, it often marks a new beginning or a significant transformation in their life, indicating a deeper commitment or a new mission. This aspect of naming underscores the importance of relationships in the biblical narrative, illustrating how names can symbolize the bonds between God and humanity, as well as among individuals.
How to Strengthen Your Identity and Authority in Christ
Strengthening your identity and authority in Christ is a transformative journey that begins with understanding who you are in Him. Dive deep into the Scriptures, for they are the foundation of your faith and the source of your identity. Meditate on verses like 2 Corinthians 5:17, which reminds us that we are new creations in Christ, and Ephesians 2:6, which tells us we are seated with Him in heavenly places. Embrace the truth that you are loved, chosen, and empowered by God. Surround yourself with a community of believers who can encourage and uplift you, and don’t shy away from prayer—it’s your direct line to the Father. As you grow in your relationship with Christ, you’ll find that your confidence in His authority will naturally increase, allowing you to walk boldly in your faith and share His love with others. Remember, it’s not about striving for perfection but about resting in His grace and allowing His truth to shape your identity.
Bible References to the Meaning of “Name”:
Exodus 3:13-15: 13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Exodus 20:7: 7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Deuteronomy 28:9-10: 9 The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.
10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
2 Chronicles 7:14-16: 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.
Psalm 8:1-9: 1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.
7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Psalm 20:1-9: 1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
4 May he grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!
6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.
Psalm 23:1-6: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 72:17-19: 17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
Psalm 124:8: 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Proverbs 18:10: 10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Isaiah 9:6-7: 6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 42:8: 8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Isaiah 43:1-7: 1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 52:6: 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.
Jeremiah 10:6-7: 6 There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
Jeremiah 16:19-21: 19 O Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of trouble,
to you shall the nations come
from the ends of the earth
and say:
“Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,
worthless things in which there is no profit.
20 Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!
21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord.”
Ezekiel 36:22-23: 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.”
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
Daniel 2:20-23: 20 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.
Matthew 1:21-23: 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 6:9-13: 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 18:19-20: 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
John 1:12-14: 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 14:13-14: 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 17:6-12: 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.”
7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.
8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Acts 2:21: 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 4:10-12: 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Romans 10:9-13: 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Philippians 2:9-11: 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 3:17: 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Hebrews 13:15: 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
James 5:14-15: 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
1 John 3:23-24: 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Revelation 3:12: 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Revelation 22:3-4: 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.