Everything and everyone has a name. People. Dogs. Cats. Gold fish. Food. And even lions have names. If it has a name, it has identity, and identity gives significance.
Do you remember the story of a Minnesota man who shot a lion during a big game hunt in Africa several years ago? Ordinarily such an incident would go unnoticed. Big game animals get shot all the time, right? But, this particular lion had a name. Suddenly, Cecil, the lion, made front page news along with the man who shot him. Even Jericho, Cecil’s brother, flashed across the newspapers when it was alleged that he too was shot by a trophy hunter.
What if the headlines had read, “Two Brothers Shot by Unknown Assailant.” Most people may read the headline and move on to the next gory story. However, if the headlines read, “Cecil and Jericho Shot to Death by Well-known Assailant,” everyone would stop to read about the deaths of Cecil and Jericho. Why?
Because They have Names ~~
I wonder if unborn babies were all named before being aborted, would that change the public’s opinion of the slaughter of the unborn? Would there be an outcry? There was for Cecil. I wonder how many hundreds of people would pay attention if the newspapers reported, “Baby Rosie Dies at Doctor’s Clinic?”
If it has a Name, It has Identity ~~
Do you think the stars in the sky are significant? God thinks so. How do we know that? Because He not only numbered them all, He named them all! Psalm 147:4 says, “He counts the numer of stars; He calls them all by name.” Can you imagaine that? Billions of stars and each one has a name given by their Creator!
When a person meets someone for the first time, the most natural thing is to introduce oneself by name – usually followed by a qualifiying hash tag – “Hi, I’m Jim, your neighbor, and I’d like you to meet Jennifer, my wife.” If names were not used, everyone would seem insignificant.
Names can also be used as descriptive identifyers. Picture a street vendor at his stand with a sign that read “SALE! Meat with No Names!” Would you stop? Wouldn’t you want to know, at least, if the meat is beef or pork or veal or chicken? Of course, a person would.
Do you realize the value a person has, not only because we are made in God’s image, but because God knows each one of us by name? Sometimes God changes the name of a person to a name that more aptly describes a person such as: Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah; Jacob to Israel; Saul to Paul. Each Bible character encourntered God in a different way for a different purpose and was given a new name.
Here’s something to think about: If you had an encournter with God the way Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Saul did, and God gave you a new name, what would your new name mean?