What's in a name?

I am doing research for the new Sunday School unit we are about to embark on. Today I've been researching the author of the Torah - Moses. Now, in English, names mean very little to us. They are just titles, or labels we put on people so that we can identify them verbally. We could easily subsitute numbers for our names, and have the same purpose achieved. (Hi! I'm 528, who might you be? 674? Its great to meet you!) This is not the case in Hebraic literature. In the Tenach (Old Testament), especally the Torah and Historical books, the meaning of names is crucial from a literary perspective. What a character's name means is a huge descriptor for that character. The meaning of someone's name can tell an observing audience not only who they are, but what they are like, what they may look like, rank, etc. The meaning of the name can lend the story it needed irony and word play to draw us in and help us understand the setting and situation in which the characters find themselves.

Now, back to Moses. In Hebrew his names means "draw out." We find this in Exodus 2:10, "She named him draw-out [Moses], 'Because,' she said, 'I drew him out of the water.' (ESV)” In Egyptian, his name can come from either mw - 'water' or msw - 'son, offspring.' Now, the point I want to make is this: We miss so much of the text because we are unfamiliar with Hebrew. BUT I think we likely miss even more because we are unfamiliar with Egyptian. I wonder how many of the names in the Torah, when transliterated back into Egyptian lend further flavor and color to the story! God used Moses, who was educated in all the knowledge of the Egyptians, to write the Torah - I would not be surprised if there are more Egyptian puns in the text than we know! The original audience would have spoken Egyptian and Hebrew - and therefore would have caught Moses's word play. Just a thought for the day!

Beholding in Triplicate (Gen 15)

Abram is introduced to us as "Exalted Father." This is ironic, because the first thing we are told about his wife - is that she is unable to have children, which sets the audience of the book up to see that the crucial problem for Abram and Sarai will be their lack of children.

Genesis 15 takes place at an interesting point in Abram's life. He has aquired great wealth. The Lord has provided for him richly, and protected him immensely. We've seen Abram grow in faith - not overtly, but through his actions on a day to day basis, as God takes care of him. God protected he and Sarai in Egypt when the Pharaoh wanted to take her as his wife. God provided for Abram when Lot chose the luscious Jordon valley for his home, leaving Abram the hill country. We've see Abram's battle with a Bronze age army from the East with his copper age weapons when possibly outnumbered 5 to 1, and win through God's hand. And in response to that victory, we've see Abram offer to God the first tithe, through the priest "King of Righteousness [Melchizadeck]," who was also the king of "Peace [Salem]." God promised years ago that Abram would have a son - yet the Exalted Father, is still childless. Enter Chapter 15.

God appears to Abram shortly after his battle with the rulers of the East, saying: "Fear not, Exalted Father [Abram]. I am your sheild, your reward shall be very great! (vs 1)" As an audience member, we can see how this promise has been coming true. Abram is rich in livestock and servants. He is respected in the surrounding country and has just saved 5 kingdoms/cities. Yet, to Abram - these things do not salve his heart. He cries to the Lord, "O Lord God, what will you give me? For, I continue childless, and the heir of my house is God-is-help [Eliezer] of Damascus? (vs. 2)" The riches Abram as gathered are meaningless if he does not have a son to carry on the name. The blessings of the Lord will go to another. Abram continues, and we see in the Hebrew a rising pitch of urgency and emotion, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and BEHOLD!* a servant born in my household will be my heir (vs 3)." Abram is crying out to the Lord, 'You, have made me a promise - and I see no possibility of it coming true - how then, can you say that I am to have a reward?!'

I feel for Abram. How often do we feel that God isn't holding up His end? Do you ever entertain those thoughts? God makes beautiful profound promises, but the cares of the world, and the struggles of life, and the TIME spent in waiting gives us doubts. Abram here is struggling with the question of whether his God is to be believed - will God actually keep His promises? Will he actaully move? Or is He just a God who talks good, but doesn't act.

In times of uncertainty and waiting, when the issues of life grow large - it is easy to forget what God has done. In Abram's life the list is long: brought him out of Ur to Canaan, rescued him from his own stupidity in Egypt, provided great physical wealth and riches, conquers large armies, protects Abram's distant relatives. In our lives the list is long as well, yet it is so easy to forget what He has already done, when we are waiting for what He will do.

Moving back to the text. "And Exalted Father [Abram] said, 'Behold, you have given me to offspring, and BEHOLD a member of my house will be my heir.' and !BEHOLD! the word of the LORD came to him (3-4)." Stop right where you are, read that again, "Behold, the word of the LORD came to him." How dare we forget that God answers our prayers. How dare we impugne his kindness with our lack of faith - God answers. Abram didn't have the whole scriptures like we do today, so God spoke to him directly. What a blessing. And what a blessing, that God speaks through his Word to us today - there is no lack in communication now, just as there was not then.

"Behold, the word of the LORD came to him, 'This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.' And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward the heaven, and number the stars, IF you are able to number them.' Then he [the Lord] said to him [Abram], 'So shall your offspring be. (vs 5)" God responds gently to Abram's question. A gentle reminder, in the face of an emotional outburst. How gracious is our God. Abram responds rightly. "And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness. (6)" This is the first time in the Bible the word 'believed' is used. How significant. Abram's belief was a conscious choice, one made out of heart-ache, disbelief and fiery questions to the Most High. He questioned God, got his answer, and chose to believe. It was that simple. Abram's life didn't change dramatically at that moment. His wife is still barren. His heir is still a servant. And he will still struggle with faith. BUT he chose to believe God. And was declared RIGHTEOUS.

*Sadly, our English texts leave out the second "Behold" and the text looses much of its character.