A Change Of Name

A CHANGE OF NAME

(by brother Tarran Dookie)

ABRAHAM AND SARAH

Gen 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Gen 16:16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Gen 17:1-5 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

According to Josh 24:2-3 God took Abram (descended from Shem) out of Ur of the Chaldees (belonging to Ham). He was delivered from serving other gods to serve the true and living God. He told Abram that He would make of him a great nation and that in him all families of the earth would be blessed. God promised Abraham that his seed would be numerous as the stars of heaven. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6).

However, Abraham's faith wavered and instead of waiting for the promised seed through his wife Sarah he had a son through Hagar, Sarah's maid, when he was eighty-six years old. For thirteen years God said nothing to him. This was a period of trial and emptiness for Abraham. Nothing is heard of Abram during this time. These are the years during which Ishmael, Hagar's son, was growing up.

When we become discouraged we may cease looking to God and turn to ourselves for a solution. We may depend on the flesh to carry out God's will. In so doing we step outside of God's will and there is loss and stagnation.

But according to the richness of His grace God appears to Abram again when he was ninety-nine years old. God knew that Abram erred when he agreed with Sarah to have an offspring through Hagar. He now instructs him to walk before Him and be perfect. In humility and acknowledgement of his error Abram falls on his face and God makes His covenant with him. Brothers and sisters, God will restore the wasted years if we hearken unto Him and change our ways.

God also changes his name from Abram (a high or exalted father) to Abraham (a father of a multitude or nations). His sphere of blessing would be enlarged to encompass all the nations of the earth. Isaac, the son of promise was born to Abraham one year later when he was one hundred years old. God wants to make us an instrument of greater blessing but we must walk before Him and be perfect.

Gen 17:15-16 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations: kings of people shall be of her.

Not only did God change Abram's name to Abraham but He changed his wife's name from Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (princess). No longer was she to be a princess to Abraham only but now she was also to be a princess to the elect for God was going to bless her with Isaac. She who was barren was to become a mother of nations, and Christ the son of David, the Anointed of God, would be of her. You too may be barren. But God is able to make you fruitful and make you a blessing. Let us yield ourselves to Him that we may bear much fruit.

ISRAEL

Gen 25:24-26 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Gen 27:34-36 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob: for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?