Those Who Know Your Name

[320 words] Names have always been special to God. In Scripture we often find God using names to convey ideas. For example, the prophet Hosea assigned names to his children that stood as indictments of Israel’s sins (Hosea 1:3-9). The Almighty would even change a person’s name to teach a lesson. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Cephas became Peter. Saul became Paul. Sometimes fathers would call their children by names that were calculated to reveal something about the child or what they hoped the child would become (e.g., Gen. 21:1-7; 25:24-26). This, I suppose, began the connection between one’s name and one’s reputation. “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,” reads Proverbs 22:1. “A good name is better than a good ointment,” says Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:1. With the above in mind, consider for a moment Psalm 9:10, “And those who know…