So, what is in a name?
Naming is tied to authority and intimacy: Naming demonstrates authority. When God created man, God gave him the name “Adam”, and one of the first jobs he gave Adam was to give names to everything put under his care. While naming is tied to authority in the Scriptures, it also reveals intimacy.
Have you noticed how some people in the Bible had their names changed? Often the biblical text will explain why their names changed. Here’s a couple of examples, with emphasis added to show the reason for the new name:
In Genesis 17:1-6, Abram was renamed Abraham:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God. Obey me and always do what is right.”… God said, “I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations.”
In Genesis 32:28, Jacob was renamed Israel:
The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have struggled with God and with men, and you have won; so your name will be Israel.”
There are many other biblical characters with name changes, as well as people’s names with its meaning explained, like:
Genesis 25:24-26—The time came for her to give birth, and she had twin sons. The first one was reddish, and his skin was like a hairy robe, so he was named Esau. The second one was born holding on tightly to the heel of Esau, so he was named Jacob.
Matthew 1:21—She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:23—“A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).
Wes Woodell summarized the important meaning of names in his blog post, The Significance of Names in the Bible. He explained how names are significant in the Bible, and how they serve a variety of functions. This list is a recap of his devotional:
6 Reasons Why Names are Important in the Bible
- A biblical name could record some aspects of a person’s birth.
- Biblical names sometimes expressed the parents’ reaction to the birth of their child.
- Biblical names were sometimes used to secure the solidarity of family ties.
- Biblical names could be used to communicate God’s message.
- Biblical names were also used to establish an affiliation with God.
- Biblical names are given to establish authority over another, or to indicate a new beginning or new direction in a person’s life.
https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/historic-baby-names-boys-girls
In modern times? What is in a name? Quite a bit! Where do we go from here?
The word coincidence is used only once in the New Testament, and it was by Jesus Himself in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In Luke 10:31, Jesus said, “And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him, he passed over on the opposite side.” The word coincidence is translated from the Greek word synkyrian, which is a combination of two words: sun and kurios. Sun means “together with,” and kurious means “supreme in authority.” So a biblical definition of coincidence would be “what occurs together by God’s providential arrangement of circumstances.”
What appears to us as random chance is in fact overseen by a sovereign God who knows the number of hairs on every head (Luke 12:7). Jesus said that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s notice (Matthew 10:29). In Isaiah 46:9–11, God states unequivocally that He is in charge of everything: “I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”
When we consider life events, we tend to classify them as “important” or “unimportant.” Many people have no problem believing that God is in charge of the “big things” but assume that such a big God would not trouble Himself with the seemingly miniscule events of our everyday lives. However, that understanding is colored by our human limitations and not supported by Scripture. For God, there are no unimportant events. He does not need to conserve His strength because His power is limitless. His attention is never divided. If the Lord God tracks every sparrow (Matthew 10:29), then nothing is too small for His attention. He is often referred to as the Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3; Job 13:3), a name denoting unrestricted power and absolute dominion.
Citing coincidence is how we humans explain unexpected events and surprise meetings. But just because we are taken by surprise does not mean that God is. Scripture is clear that God allows sinful humans to make mistakes and reap the consequences of those mistakes, but only a sovereign God could also promise that He will make “all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In ways known only to God, He takes even our mistakes and unplanned events and weaves them together to fulfill His purposes.
In Old Testament times, God often used the Urim and Thummin, pieces of the high priest’s ephod, to help give guidance and instruction (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; 1 Samuel 30:7–8). In the New Testament, we see the apostles trusting God’s sovereignty when they cast lots to choose a new disciple to replace Judas (Acts 1:26). Though each of these means of communication seems insignificant, God has shown throughout Scripture that He can use the smallest object or event for His purposes. God does not seem to allow for “coincidence.” The administration of the universe is not based on serendipity. The Bible says that God’s purposes will prevail and that He is in control of even the most random event (Proverbs 19:21). Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” What may seem insignificant to us may be in fact a result of God’s omniscient power working on our behalf to accomplish His will in our lives.
We are all familiar with the name Einstein. Einstein??? Did ‘he’ believe in Jesus and even GOD?
Einstein said – God does not play dice when he was trying to teach humanity that there is no such thing as a coincidence! Once you learn this your whole life will change overnight as you will looking for signs that God is trying to save your from danger and harm- And thus you shall be saved!
EINSTEIN SAID THIS ……..
EINSTEIN SAID
My religiosity consists of a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit, …That superior reasoning power forms my idea of God.
Einstein
I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful. No man can dispose of Christianity with a bon mot.
Einstein
about God and religion
……………
No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.
Einstein
….about God and religion No man, can deny the fact that Jesus existed, nor that his sayings are beautiful. Even if some them have been said before, no one has expressed them so divinely as he.
Einstein
about God and religion
Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth.
What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind.
What these blessed men have given us we must guard and try to keep alive with all our strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joy in living.
It would be sacrilegious to leave out the name of a Man who altered history as it was: Adolf Hitler.
https://www.learnreligions.com/adolf-hitler-on-god-quotes-248193
As we can see he truly admitted to the existence of God. Goals, methods and means were so very wrong not in any way taught by Scripture. Yet, so many were duped. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945 after being hunted by Soviet troops storming Berlin.
As we are learn:
The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise The Lord! Psalm 146:10
God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy Throne. Psalm 47:8
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Psalm 93:1
“The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:18
The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land. Psalm 10:16