By Pastor Funsho Fabiyi.
One cruel and inhuman attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees to people is looking at fellow humans as mere things. There was the story of a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery near the temple. They brought her to Jesus and simply told Him “THIS WOMAN was taken in adultery, in the very act.”
Names were extremely intentional among the ancient Jews, often saying something about that person’s situation, character, or pedigree. Obviously, the woman had a name, but her accusers chose to present her as an object, simply a pawn in their wicked ploy to destroy Jesus.
It was said that the acclaimed English sociologist, economist, socialist, labour historian and social reformer, Baroness Passfield (1858- 1943) *“saw men as specimens walking”. God never sees humans as cases, things, objects, or research specimens. In fact, He told Moses “I know thee by name.” Exodus 33:17 and said about Cyrus hundreds of years before he was born “I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3. There are chapters of the Bible that carefully chronicled people’s names and genealogies to show that the almighty God does not regard any man as a mere thing, an abstraction, or a fraction of a mass, but a person.
A deed poll is a legal term in English law whereby a legal deed is made and executed by a single party to formalise a change of their name. However, the most profoundly interesting act of God is when he intentionally changes a person’s given name, thereby changing his personality, perception, passion, providence, and purpose in life.
God changed the name Abram (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude/father of many nations). This divine encounter transformed Abraham to the father of God’s global family. God changed Sarai’s name, meaning “princely” to Sarah, denoting “queen of princes” or “mother of princes” which, again, translated Sarah from a local to a global matriarch for all generations.
God changed the nature and character of Jacob when he encountered God at Jabbok. Jacob, meaning “supplanter, heel-catcher, deceiver, cheat” was transformed to “God’s prince”. His old selfish, self-centred, and cunning nature gave way to a magnanimous, patriarchal disposition.
Peter, like nearly everyone in the ancient world had two names. His Greek name was Peter, meaning a little stone but Jesus decided to foreground his Aramaic equivalence – Cephas, meaning a rock. This changed the fickleness in Peter to solidity with a strong soul. The rest account of his life played out this change in name that led to a change in his nature.
In each of the foregoing instances, a divine change in name led to a change in destiny and God is still in the business of revolutionising people who come into personal relationship with Him. William Barclays remarks that **“It is as if life began all over again and he (comer to God) became a new man.” God can change your nature right now if you would prayerfully come to Him in penitent submission through His Son Jesus Christ.
*William Barclay – The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John Vol 2 p5.
**William Barclay – The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John Vol 1 p90.