“A New Name for a New Life”

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-8; 15-16

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” This is one of the well-known lines from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. You’ll remember that the families of these two star-crossed lovers had been at odds with each other for years. But at this moment in the play, Juliet is telling her Romeo that his family name, as far as she is concerned, is meaningless, and that while she has little love for his family, she is deeply in love with him.
For Juliet, it wasn’t the importance of the Montegue family name that attracted her, it was the man Romeo. But names can have significance, just the same. Take my name as an example. I was named William after my mother’s brother who died very early in his life. My middle name, Charles, is after two close friends of my parents who lived in Berkshire, and one of them fought in the Battle of the Bulge. And I know that some of you have been named after relatives or close friends as a sign of respect and honor.

And for most folks, their name is with them for life. Most never change their name, except in the case of movie stars and basketball players, that is! Our name becomes an identity in legal matters, as well as in social settings, and that’s not a bad thing. But in today’s text, we see 2 name changes that, in and of themselves, have great significance. And the change doesn’t come because the people want a change, but rather because God is bringing about a major change in their lives through a new covenant.

Read Genesis 17:1-2

The covenant that already exists is being confirmed. In Genesis 15:7-21, we read of God’s word for Abram regarding the future of his descendants, and a covenant given that promises a land for his people to live on forever. It would extend from the “river of Egypt (the Nile) to the great river Euphrates (the site of Babylon)”. That’s a much greater area than Israel now occupies, but it is theirs, just the same. And the Lord pronounces this promise as he passes through a sacrifice that Abram has laid out on the earth. Yahweh is claiming the blood sacrifice as a sign that if the covenant is ever broken, by either party, that he, and he alone, will pay the blood price. And that is something for all of us to consider!

And now in this covenant, the promise regarding the land has already been given, but God enlarges the promise. Normally, once a covenant is made, it is never changed, but in this instance, the Lord is adding even more blessings to the relationship. Why would he do that? Wouldn’t the gift of land that extended from Egypt to Babylon be enough? And when we read of this gift in Genesis 15, we discover that it includes land that is already possessed by 10 other nations!
Today, we might see this as “empire building”, and certainly that it would be considered as treading on other nations’ sovereignty! Why would God do this? Because all that is created is his to do with as he sees fit. And why would he have the people Israel overthrow these other nations? Because he knows that these others will never serve him.

There’s a lesson here for each of us, too. We like to think of our homes and property and possessions as ours to do with as we please. But do you get the message that the Lord is giving to Abram? Nothing in this world is ours – it is only on loan to us to use to God’s glory! And if we don’t serve him, and follow his lead in this life, there will be no “next life” in store for us.

Read Genesis 17:3-8

So here are the details of the expanded covenant for Abram.
First, as a reminder to the man, the Lord changes his name from Abram, which means “exalted father”, to Abraham, “father of many”. Just as the rainbow is set in the sky to remind God of his covenant every time it rains, Abraham will be reminded of this new covenant every time his name is spoken. But Abraham is 99 years old, and he has yet to have a legitimate heir by his wife. Remember that his only offspring so far is by the maid. He must have been wondering about this aspect of the promise! But more on that later.
Second, not only are thousands of square miles to be given to his family, but his family will be so large that they will represent many nations! Nations in that day weren’t as large as they are today, but the family of God has continued to grow, and I’ve heard that today, there isn’t a single nation in all the world where the word of God hasn’t been heard and accepted by someone.
Third, the covenant isn’t established just for Abraham – it is given for all of his descendants. When the Lord makes a promise, it is eternal. It begins when the word is given, and it will only end when the covenant has been fulfilled.
Fourth, Yahweh will not only be Abraham’s God, but the God of all who come after him. This is an important part of the promise – remember from last week that once a covenant is given, it can never be taken back. And from Genesis 15, we learn that even if the people break the covenant, the Lord has placed the penalty of the blood sacrifice on himself. The covenant will be for all who come after, the divine relationship will be for all who come after, and nothing can ever turn the Lord away from the word he has given.

Read Genesis 17:15-16

Now we, and Abraham, discover that his wife is also included in the covenant. Her name Sarai is changed to Sarah. In doing some research, I don’t find much information on what these two names mean, except that they both may mean “princess”. So why does God give the woman a new name if the meaning doesn’t change much? Very possibly for the same reason that Abraham received the name – as a reminder that something in their life has changed drastically, and they are never to forget it.

And if we were to continue in the text that follows, we read that the couple is more than a little skeptical regarding their chances to actually see this promise play out! They doubt the Lord’s sanity, because Abraham is nearly 100 years old, and Sarah is already 90! Who in their right minds would ever think that people as advanced in years as these two could ever conceive and have a son? In Luke 18:27, Jesus gives us the answer when he tells his followers “What is impossible for men is possible for God.” Not only did Abraham and Sarah struggle with that concept, but people throughout the ages have continued to doubt that God can do things that we can’t even imagine! We want to keep him in a “box” – we want him to function within our context, and not his.
And yet, the Lord proves his way over and over.

So “What’s in a name?” It depends on who is giving it. If it is us or our parents, it can only have a limited meaning. But when the Lord gives us a name, and more importantly a new name, it will mean everything! Abraham’s new name meant that he had received a new chance in life. Jesus would call James and John “The Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:13-19), and that name brings a whole new set of images to mind! When Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter (Matthew 16:13-20), it signified that his statement would be the “bedrock” of faith. When Saul’s name changed to Paul, it may have only been a single letter that was new, but his life would be forever changed for the good.

And before you begin to think that since your name hasn’t change since your birth, I want to remind you that when you came to Jesus Christ, and claimed him as your Lord and Savior, that it was then that you gained the new name of “Christian” – a name that will also be yours for all time.

When the Lord grants us a new name, it means that we have received a new start on a new way of life, and that we must never look back. The old is past, and the new is forever before us! And because of those times when we have broken the Lord’s covenant, he has already paid the blood sacrifice through Jesus at Calvary.

Praise God for the covenant that he has made for us in the mighty name of Jesus!