Is there any relation of this change to the future coming of messiah and consequently to Multitude of nations Christianity? God had promised Abram that he would have a son and that it would be through his wife Sarai. Abram's name means "Exalted Father", which may have proven to be an embarrassment as he aged without children. This fits with God's promise, but he didn't receive that name from God but from his father. God gives him the name "Abraham", which means "father of many".
This reinforces God's promise to Abraham that he would not only have a son through Sarai, but also that he would be the father of many nations. This is true through Ishmael, Isaac, and the sons of Keturah--the wife he took after Sarah died.
As for Sarai changing to Sarah, the difference is more subtle, being from "princess" to "princess of many". This does not apparently refer to many nations per se, but to many people. This is significant, because Sarah was the mother of one nation, while Abraham was the father of many nations.
Still, the name comes from God and is a sign of the promise God had made to her. It is interesting that Abram receives a call to walk righteously. Previously, Adam was created in the image of God and Noah was found to be a righteous man, blameless among the people of his day. Abraham, however, did not initially measure up to that standard. He lied about his wife on more than one occasion. However, God had already blessed Abram in many ways by now, so he had the assurance that God was with him.
He had yet to perhaps surrender fully to God, though. It was not that he was full of blame, but was not blameless either. Thus, Abraham, whom God had chosen to be the recipient of a new covenant through which God would reveal Himself to the world, was called to holy living prior to God's fulfillment of the promise. The implication is that we all receive "names" from the world--the rich kid, the smart kid, the fat kid, the slow kid, the jock.
However, God has a promise for our lives as well, and His name for us is different. It expresses our personal relationship with God and the high value He places on us. Jeremiah NAS. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna.
I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Revelation NIV. According to Sefer ha Yashar, an ancient midrash that has the backstory on many of the Torah narratives, Terah father of Abram had been appointed by Nimrod as a "prince".
Abram was born late in Terah's life, and as a statement to his own honor, Terah named him because of his own pride, "exalted father. When God changed his name to Abraham, he not only divorced him from his father's legacy but provided him his own great identity before God. His name was both a promise and a blessing. In the New Testament, specifically Revelation, Jesus promises to rename all of his brothers his followers in the next life, but the name will be private between each one and God.
A great many of the names of people we find in the Book of Genesis have meanings quite relevant to the story of the persons concerned. For example, Abraham's son is called Isaac Yitshaq , which means 'He Laughs', a reference to Abraham laughing when told that he will father a son at the age of one hundred years. In a purely secular sense, it seems strange that Terah would name his own son 'Exalted Father' Abram but some scholars see a pre-biblical explanation that, being pre-biblical, is probably outside the scope of this question.
It is not surprising I never heard the name Jezebel or Judas given to anyone outside of the bible!!! People might not have a certain name but behave in such ways that they are referred to as certain names for good or bad.
Have you ever heard your name being called but no one way around? How does it feels? Bible says the Lord has our names imprint in his hands, how beautiful. With my name, Karen, becoming popularly used to represent someone with a negative attitude, I sometimes felt like changing my name.
But what I have decided instead is to simply continue to be who God made me and give my name a positive representation to counteract the negative popular image. By God's grace, I will change the reputation of the name Karen in the eyes of those who know me. Circumcision was a similar "statute" that was used to demonstrate a needed change from unbelief to faith. Generations later, the required blue border on the garment was given as a statute and a constant, visible reminder.
I grew up really disliking my name. It was simple, plain and seemed at home to be attached to trouble. It seemed to be used often to relieve stress coming from life difficulties not of my choice. When I grew up and was long separated from that environment, I still had trouble seeing positive purpose in my existence. One day when walking through the grocery store the Holy Spirit turned my eyes towards an item that had my name on it.
I was impressed to look up the meaning of my name when I got home. Not long I got to know the true meaning of my name because I do think since Abraham is Father of all Nations, Sarah is Mother of all Nations too sounds funny. But now I know the meaning of Sarah is "Princess" and this has constantly remind me that I'm a daughter of the King It's great news, when you consider some of the names parents have named their children, especially in recent times, simply unbelievable!
In ignorance some have called their precious offspring names that have evil written all over them. Some people just don't understand how serious this is, hence, they give little or no thought to choosing names for their children. Thanks be to our Loving Heavenly Father, His name will fit just perfectly. I can't wait to have mine written on me or on the white stone. What are the nations?? Are the nations Spiritual or physical or both??
But this promise finds final fulfillment in the multitude from every tribe, language, and nation who share the faith of Abraham and are baptized into Jesus Christ Rom. But the scope of that mission was about to become much broader.
Ishmael, in spite of his shame and rejection, would father a great nation Ge His children would go on to become the Ishmaelites —16; — Esau would become the father of the Edomites , who lived on the borders of Canaan. God used Abraham as a father of many spiritual descendants who, like him, entered into a relationship with God by faith. This cross-national, interracial people group was what God was working to establish through Abraham. He believed as he waited.
His soul fed upon the promises of God. He believed God in the face of long delay and also amid difficulties that seemed insuperable. He was renowned for his active, working, living faith Gen. Abraham believed in God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
He was subject to failures. His character, like the sun, had its spots. Then his departure from Canaan into Egypt when the famine was on was surely not an act of faith.
The falsehood which on two occasions he told with regard to Sarah his wife gives us a glimpse into a natural character somewhat cowardly, deceitful and distrustful Gen. He was called to offer up special sacrifices. The first is fully described in Genesis fifteen, where the five victims offered in sacrifice to God were symbolic and typical of the whole Mosaic economy to come.
What a demand God made! But Abraham did not withhold his only son of promise. So when the knife was raised to slay Isaac, a provided substitute appeared. After this sacrifice Abraham received the testimony that he had pleased God.
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