My Name Is?

Ice Breaker: What is your name, something about you, and what’s you favorite thing to do?

Text:

The New Revised Standard Version The Sign of the Covenant

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty;a walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram,b but your name shall be Abraham;c for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

Exod 17:1-6

Abram’s Name Changed

Abraham had be redefined indicating that names meant a lot to God in the new testament. Scholars believe that when an individual took on the name of somebody, they took on their characteristics.

For example: John the baptist in the NT - his followers took on his name; therefore, they represented not only the teachings he taught but many of his characteristics

He was an ascetic, meaning he lived in the wilderness and was separated from everyone else, many of his followers probably followed that example.

Abram in the OT means, “exalted father.” When God changed Abraham’s name in Exod 17, his name became “father of a multitude of peoples.”

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The Lexham Bible Dictionary The Old Testament

Abram (אַבְרָם, avram), his name up to this point, appears to mean “exalted father.” The name Abraham (אַבְרָהָם, avraham), while its etymology is uncertain, is explicitly connected to the promise in Gen 17:5 (“for I have set you as the father of a multitude of peoples”). The significance of the change from Sarai (שָׂרָי, saray) to Sarah (שָׂרָה, sarah) is unclear, as both names seem to mean “princess.”

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What is the difference in taking on a name or being represented by a name (example) and the meaning of a name in today’s society?

Meaning does not always correlate to the characteristics of a family. Some people name their children because they think the name sounds cool. God put a great emphasis in the OT on what someone’s name would be because it had meaning and provided a sense of character

What is the difference between a name in the OT and a name today?

(They should be able to answer this from the explanation above)

A Change in Name brought about Covenant w/ God

So what happened when Abram’s named was changed? This was part of Yahweh’s covenant with him. It was a change in the very DNA of Abram’s life. Not only was he to be a great father, but one of a great multitude that not even he could count.

Can anyone tell me what a covenant is?

An agreement between two parties that specifies requirements for at least one party, and includes blessing and curses for obedience or failure. Also: “Agreement,” “Alliance,” “Alliances,” “Compact,” “Contract,” “Contracts,” “Covenants,” “Levitical Covenant,” and “Treaty.”

When Yahweh would make covenants, we consider them to be more like vassal treaties - can anyone tell me what this means?

In the ancient Near East, a vassal treaty was a covenant between a great king (suzerain) and a subject king (vassal). The suzerain asserted absolute sovereignty, demanded total loyalty and service, and promised to protect the vassal’s realm and dynasty. In return, the vassal pledged faithfulness and loyalty to this great king alone and agreed to depend only on this suzerain for protection. The pact (often in written form) called on the gods to witness the agreement and to carry out specified curses if the covenant was violated.

Indeed, Yahweh was the suzerain and Abraham was the vassal.

In other words, a covenant is not between to equals…it’s not an agreement, but a promise given by the higher authority if certain parameters are met the lower portion of the agreement.

Can anyone tell me of another form of vassal treaty or covenant? Specifically, in the NT.

Jesus

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved

Acts 4:12

Conclusion

When we take on the name of Jesus, we allow God to redefine us and our future. We allow him to change who we are and redefine what we are. We are a new creature in Christ, where old things are passed away.

We can have joy because he set us free from sin. We are no longer bound by death, but will have everlasting life with the one who died for our sins.

Ask if they’d be interested in doing a series on “The Chosen?”