Be Still

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Who remembers playing freeze tag? If you were tagged while running you had to freeze in the position you were tagged in. This made for a variety of comical & entertaining positions. But without someone to tag & unfreeze you that position could become very uncomfortable.

Sometimes christians play spiritual freeze tag. And when they do exegetical frostbite happens. The abominable brain freezer chases & tags us with common verses like “Be still & know that I am God.” (Psa.46:10)

I submit to you that there is SO much more to what the Author intended than for this to become part of a collection of christianeze catch phrases that we print on t-shirts & coffee mugs. So, grab your Bible & read Psalm 46. I want to share three things I’ve gleaned after running away from the deep freeze christianeze chaser & running toward the Author & His deeper meaning for the text.

~1~ The timeline & backstory create a sturdy foundation.

The secondary authors of this chapter are the sons of Korah (Levitical temple musicians). The title inscription also indicates that this is a song for Alamoth (a musical term for young maidens to add their soprano voices to the praise, or for an instrument to add the high notes.). This song is an example of musicians who are proclaiming their unwavering confidence in God in the midst of suffering.

Scholars associate this Psalm with God’s deliverance of Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah (2Chron.32). As soon as the Hezekiah was aware that the Assyrian king intended to attack Jerusalem he physically prepared the city, the people, & himself. Even so, the massive Assyrian army made their efforts look minuscule & their success hopeless. Hezekiah took his plea to the Lord of Hosts ( 2Kings 19 & Psa.46:7&11). These were the circumstances that inspired the writing & singing of this Psalm. In the end, God saved Hezekiah & Jerusalem in a spectacular way.

~2~ For insight & understanding observe the flow of the text.

Most of Psalm 46 is speaking (singing) about God in the third person (Exception: verse 10, where God makes a declarative statement). The Psalm is divided into three stanzas, separated by the word (Selah), which means to pause & meditate. The first stanza (vs.1-3) is about God’s presence in & protection from the natural disasters that occur on the Earth. Stanza two (vs.4-6) is about God’s presence in & protection from the moral evils of the world. And stanza three (vs.8-10) is about how God overcomes & is greater than both the natural & the moral disasters that can plague His people. Then there’s the chorus (vs.7&11) that we see repeated twice. (Verse mapping provides an at-a-glance visual of how the chapter flows.)

~3~ Slow your digestion by breaking down the passage into savory bites.

This chapter does not open like a lot of other chapters in the Psalms, which begin with the psalmist’s crisis. This one begins by affirming God’s role & emphasizing His unfailing presence: “God is our refuge & strength, a very present help in trouble.” In light of all the post fall natural disasters (waters roar, mountains shake, etc.) God’s presence is available to help us. His power controls every force that tempts our anxiety; therefore, “we will not fear...” (vs.2).

Before the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, King Hezekiah had his men dig an underground tunnel to channel the drinking water, that was outside the city, & safely store it in a reservoir that was located between the city walls, which he also fortified (2Chron.32:30, 2Kings20:20). Picture that with the heavenly “river whose streams shall make glad the city of God” (vs.4).

How this must have encouraged the residents of Jerusalem. Their world consisted of "nations raging" & "kingdoms moving." They were about to be pummeled (or so it appeared) so the mental shift focused them on the stable & permanent “holy place of the Most High.” It reoriented them away from what they could see to a truth where they could anchor their hearts. This had to be transformative. Is it any wonder that the next verse (7) proclaims, “The (Warrior) Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge”? Can you hear the crescendo as they reach this point in their song of praise?

(Read my article on invoking the “Lord of Hosts” here: https://gloryusgate.blogspot.com )

The next two verses (8-9) read prophetic, as the residents reference the desolation they are about to witness. Note that the stanza also speaks of the final desolation to come - when all wars will cease & every weapon destroyed forever.

The term “desolations” denotes horror & pictures a wasteland. After the horror & noise of war the psalmist paints a picture of a silent & broken battlefield where God will make all wars cease by shattering, breaking, & burning the implements of human warfare.

Do you know what happened to the enemy that day? During their campaign the Assyrians had captured 46 walled Judean towns. They surrounded Jerusalem, but they never breached the city because God sent the Angel of the Lord out at night to kill all 185,000 soldiers. Their corpses were visible when the people rose early in the morning (2Kings19:35). What a sight!

It is at this point in Psalm 46:10 where we hear the voice of the Lord proclaim His supremacy & power over all His creation: “Be still & know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” This is the verse that easily tags & freezes us at the shallow end of a rich & deep body of understanding.

To “be still” in Hebrew is a command by God that is best translated as “release & cause yourselves to let go” & “let yourselves become weak.” I read one Jewish writer who noted that we surrender in order to know that God is in control & we let go in order to know the saving power of God in our lives. An example of this is found in Exodus 14:14. When the Israelites felt trapped by the Red Sea & saw Pharoah’s army coming at them, Moses was reminded that “The Lord will fight for you; you have only to be silent.”

There was no way out for these former slaves. Like the residents of Jerusalem, their thoughts must have been horrifically chaotic as they found themselves in an absolute desperate situation that was beyond their control. Without God there was no hope. Before Moses told these terrified people that God would fight for them he told them to “stand still” (vs.13). This meant they needed to quiet their minds. They must stop panicking & allowing fear to dictate their actions. To stand still is the external composure they were to take as they resisted the chaos & watched God do what only He can do.

I like the way David Guzik puts it in his commentary on the passage: “Moses told the people of Israel to stop. This is often the LORD’s direction to the believer in a time of crisis. Despair will cast you down, keeping you from standing. Fear will tell you to retreat. Impatience will tell you to do something now. Presumption will tell you to jump into the Red Sea before it is parted. Yet as God told Israel He often tells us to simply stand still and hold your peace as He reveals His plan.”

To “be still” (Psa.46:10) is similar, only with the added internal surrender that calls us to relax our self reliant & aggressive grip. In doing so we will “know that I am God.” There is a confidence that comes with letting go & becoming weak. It sounds counterintuitive to say that it is in our weakness that we become strong, but that was Paul’s testimony (2Cor.12:10).

Is it any wonder that the last verse in this Psalm is the unwavering trust & confidence of this choir as they echo what God had just proclaimed: “The Lord of Hosts is with us!”

Takeaway: I hope this passage encourages us to run away from being tagged & frozen by the kind of jargon that never challenges us to run, skipping & singing with confidence in the God who intended for us to “be still & know that He is God.” He alone is “our refuge & strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Verse 1)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Be Courageous

(by Lorie Codispoti)

We’ve all heard the famous bible story about a young shepherd boy who used his sling shot to slay a giant champion warrior. So tell me, would you say that David was brave or courageous as he stood up to Goliath?

Bravery & courage are terms that are often used interchangeably. And while they are closely connected there is a difference that helps to clarify the distinction. Bravery is the ability to confront dangerous, painful or difficult circumstances without any fear. Courage confronts the circumstance despite the looming fear.

When someone exhibits bravery they are spontaneously responding to an immediate threat. It’s instinctive, impulsive, & usually means they have not taken the time to think through all the risks. I’m reminded of the story of Desmond Doss, who charged into the battle at Hacksaw Ridge, unarmed, to single handedly rescue 75 of his wounded comrades. He saved many lives & was honored for his bravery.

Courage involves a deliberate choice. It involves deeply engaging the mind to assess the situation. Courage recognizes the fear & purposefully taps into an inner strength to press in & persevere through the danger. I’m reminded of the story of Drs. Paul & Margaret Brand, medical missionaries whose heart for those suffering with leprosy in India gave them the courage to overcome their fears by working in & among these outcasts in order to help them. Their courage led to innovative techniques that are still used today.

The story of David & Goliath is found in 1Samuel 17. The details of the account don’t give us specifics on David’s emotional state, but I think there is enough evidence to suggest that David’s actions were not initially the result of bravery. They were the result of implanted courage in the face of unsurmountable odds.

As if the pagan giant’s appearance wasn’t intimidating enough, Goliath attempts to use fearmongering tactics to browbeat David into the same state of fear that Saul & his army are in bondage to. I think he actually felt the emotion of fear, but unlike Saul & his wimpy army, he deliberately chose to overcome the fear by tapping into the Holy Spirit he was filled with when Samuel anointed him. It was the Spirit of the “living God” (vs.26) who rose up within David when he invoked the “Lord of Hosts” (vs.32). I believe it was in that moment that any vestige of fear disappeared & David charged the giant with full confidence in the God he had come to know & worship.

Studying some of the finer details of the story I discovered something transformative about David’s use of this very specific name for God (“Lord of Hosts”).

When King Saul received word that this insignificant, young, shepherd boy was willing to do what neither he nor his soldiers could manage he accepted the offer. In 1Samuel 17:32 David assures the king, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go & fight with this Philistine.” The Hebrew word for “heart” in this verse means “courage.” David has ascertained that Saul’s army is so overcome with fear that they have no courage left to fight. To be courageous means to be strong & hold fast, with fierce resolve, to something in the face of fear.

(FMI read: https://www.blogger.com/.../815913287.../6607380386851081702)

The ancient Hebrews understood that to be courageous meant more than simply possessing a physical trait; it was an inner strength anchored in the very presence of God. David knew that without God’s presence he would have no courage to face Goliath. God’s presence was the only thing that could overcome fear & enable David to face his enemy with such courage that it resulted in a headless giant filling the bellies of the hungry animals who were waiting patiently for their dinner.

Of all the names for God, why summon the Lord of Hosts at the onset of a battle? To call upon the Lord of Hosts (plural) is to call upon the Lord of Armies (plural). He is the Commander in Chief of a myriad of angel armies that are always ready & at His service. This army, however, is not limited to the angels. All of creation stands ready to hear the call of its Master (Gen.2:1). Every atom, every molecule, every emotion, the sun, moon, stars, rivers, oceans, mountains, animals, & every human (dead & alive) serve the Creator’s purposes. The Lord of Hosts rules & reigns over everything, seen & unseen, in the material & spiritual realms that He created.

When we call upon the Lord of Hosts we, like David, recognize that the battle is much too great for us. We can use the presence of fear as an indicator to humble ourselves as we petition the Lord for His presence, which overrides all fear.

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Set your heart to consider your ways.’” (Hag.1:5)

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Return to me… that I may return to you.’” (Zech.1:3)

What might happen if we cry out for the Lord of Hosts to come to our aid today?

I’ll tell you what happens: Our fear vanishes & our hearts do not fail. Bravery is not needed because of the implanted presence of the Holy Spirit, who fills us with courage. We will become confident that the God who gave David many victories is the same One who makes every head roll when they defy the armies of the living God.

The Lord of Hosts is with us & fights for us in every battle.

May it be said of us, as it was David, “ “So David went on & became great, & the Lord of Hosts was with him.” (2Sam.5:10)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Meaning Finding (pt.2)

by Lorie Codispoti

I play a lot of games with our grandlittles, & no matter how old they are (so far) they always request a scavenger hunt. There’s something about the art of discovery that has given this game universal appeal for centuries.

The word “scavenger” has seen its definition evolve over the course of time. Scavengers started out as medieval tax collectors, then they became someone who collected refuse from city streets. (Literally, a pooper-scooper.) The Germanic root, however, comes from a word that means to look at or inspect, which is what the word means today.

Following are three key things that I look for & inspect in order to find meaning in the suffering I observe in myself & others.

FIND MEANING IN WHO GOD IS & WHO HE IS NOT

There’s nothing like suffering to get us to question everything we know about God.

I don’t know about you, but darkness strategically incites the elevation of more than just physical pain for me. The chief of lies bombards my mind & tempts me to believe things that are not true about God… “He doesn’t hear my prayers.” “He doesn’t care about my struggle.” “He doesn’t love me.” “He wants me to suffer alone.” “He is punishing me.” “He has abandoned me.” Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!

Lies reproduce themselves in the dark, so we have to counter them by turning on the Light & watching them scatter like ghost crabs who run away when light shines on them. Suffering is a battle on many fronts, & without the indwelling Holy Spirit we’d all fall for the same lie peddled since the garden.

Embarking on a spiritual scavenger hunt means we have become desperate enough to want the Truth & tenacious enough to go after it.

Scavenging helps us counter the lies when we are tempted to…

...believe that God doesn’t hear our prayers His Spirit reminds us that “… He hears us” (1Jn5:14) Listening is a fundamental part of His ever-present character.

...believe that God doesn’t care His Spirit reminds us that “… He cares for you” (1Pet.5:7). His nature tells us He cares about everything.

...believe that God doesn’t love us His Spirit reminds us that He loves us “… with an everlasting love” (Jer.31:3), & that it is unbreakable (Rms.8:38-39).

...believe that God desires for us to suffer alone His Spirit reminds us that He is a relational, triune being & “… if one member suffers all suffer together” (1Cor.12:26).

...believe that God is punishing us His Spirit reminds us that He is merciful & forgiving. He “…does not repay us according to our sins” (Psa.103:10).

...believe that God has abandoned us His Spirit reminds us that He is unchanging. He has promised to “… never forsake you” (Heb.13:5).

FIND MEANING IN THE WISDOM & UNDERSTANDING GOD GIVES

“Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

What is the biggest & most frequently asked question when confronted with suffering? We want to know “WHY, God!?”

Some think it’s wrong to ask why, but in reality we all ask it so why pretend we don’t? The why question is what drives us to find the meaning as we attempt to understand our plight. Scripture is filled with those who asked this question, including Jesus (Mtt.27:46). God may not give us the why, but He will help us understand what He intends for our suffering to produce: “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rms.5:3-4) There is meaning to be found in what God says He will produce in us when we seek to understand His purpose. And when we search out & apply wisdom (“skill for living”) to our struggle, God’s counsel gives us the strength we need to press on (Prov.8:14).

FIND MEANING IN THE VESSELS GOD PROVIDES

The emotions we feel in the midst of our struggles count. Rather than denying them, take them with you on your spiritual scavenger hunt. There is enormous meaning to be found when we surrender every emotion to the containers God designed for collection.

In Psalm 56, David pours out his broken heart to the only One who can help him. He notes that God numbers his “wanderings,” puts his tears into His bottle, & records them in a book.

To wander in this context is the kind of mental roving that causes our thoughts to digress into confused ramblings. It comes from a root word that points to a grieving state of aimless fluttering. The Hebrew likens wanderings to a fugitive in exile, deviating us from a normal course of action. However, along with a full bottle of emotional tears, this collection of confused ramblings need not be relegated to the turbulent waters of our storm. We’ve been thrown a life preserver as we are encouraged to cast all our cares onto the Lord because He cares for us (1Pet.5:7). To cast off implies throwing off the emotional burdens that are designed to weigh us down & sink us. The force of the action flips the enemy’s intent by placing us on the offensive. With His Spirit & His word we are given the strength to endure the turbulence of the storm.

Along with a bottle to collect our tears, we read about a vessel that contains incense, which is the collective prayers of every believer since time began (Rev.5). When we “cast all our cares” on the Lord through prayer we are not throwing them to the wind & hoping God will catch one or two along the way. Every single believer's prayers are collected. Their fragrance reaches God’s throne & fills His nostrils with a “sweet smelling aroma” (2Cor.2:15, Rev.5:8). What a glorious picture.

There are many other beautiful treasures to collect on a meaning finding spiritual scavenger hunt; these are only a few.

We are all beachfront residents, which means we will experience some incredibly intense storms while we live here. And there’s something significant that every beachcomber knows. The best time for treasure hunting is after the churning of a violent storm. It strips away the surface sand & exposes the deeply buried treasures that reside on the ocean floor.

Don’t let the sands of time wash away the things God has designed for you to find. They will prove to be incredibly valuable when the next storm hits. And when the storms of suffering violently beat against your house you've built on the Rock, reassure yourself that God’ never fails to use each one to churn up the valuable things He knows will provide meaning.

He does all the work unearthing the booty & bringing it to the surface for us to discover & collect, so bring a big bag to collect every single treasure.

(c) Lorie Codispoti / GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Meaning Finding (pt.1)

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Unlike my father, who would send us pictures of his underwater adventures & discoveries when he was stationed overseas, I never really took to being in the water. I enjoy being ON the water (boat) & looking AT it from the shoreline; I simply don’t like being IN the water. As a result, I am a lousy swimmer.

Suffering is like being thrown into a raging sea during a storm. And since I'm not a good swimmer, I immediately begin my search for a floating device that I can grab & cling to while I ride out the storm.

(In this broken world no one escapes suffering. We will either experience it ourselves or watch others tread their way through their own relentless storm. Sadly, the typical cliches offered by the shoreline lookie-loos are more like floating toothpicks than a life saving log of driftwood.)

Along with God’s word I have found a device that has helped me stay afloat, & I want to share it with those who feel like they are drowning in a sea of suffering.

In the world of psychology there is a technique called “meaning making.” It’s a process that enables people to make sense of their pain. The goal is to derive meaning from their experiences, & it involves constructing meaning from an event based on one’s “beliefs, goals, & feelings.”

This technique has a powerful influence on a person’s thoughts, emotions, & actions. And while it may produce some positive results I also think it is problematic.

I don’t know who said, “To change the response change the story.” but if I am the source that gets to change the story, if I am the one who reassigns meaning to my challenges then the outcome is based on my own understanding or wishful thinking & that's far too subjective for me. I don't need to pull a waterlogged toothpick from my pocket; I need a life-saving Source that is bigger than myself.

One behavioral therapist notes that we humans are all “meaning making, pattern seeking, story telling creatures.” That may be a great thing if you’re a writer seeking to bring meaning to the stories within your narrative, but what about the young wife & mother who has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer? Or the family facing foreclosure due to the loss of a job? Or the teenager who was raped by her neighbor? Or a child who suffers from 80% of his body being burned? Or the woman who desperately wants children but suffers multiple miscarriages? Or the one forced to flee with her children due to an abusive husband?

Sadly, I am familiar with each one of these cases. The question isn't which toothpick they need. It's about how to encourage them while I pray for God to send a giant piece of driftwood. While each one may be capable of assigning multiple “meaning making” scenarios to their individual stories, in the end it’s not about their ability to manufacture meaning in the midst of their suffering; it's about finding meaning in the midst of it.

Viktor Frankl was a Jewish doctor who survived the Holocaust.(His story is quite fascinating.) He wrote, “Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds meaning.” and “I think the meaning of our existence is not invented by ourselves, but rather detected.”

Viktor tells the story of being stripped of his own clothes & being given the tattered & dirty rags of a prisoner that had died. He discovered a piece of paper in the pocket of his new clothes & on it was written the Shema (Judaism’s foundational prayer, found in Deut.6:4). The word “shema” means to listen to & pay attention. It implies putting action to what you hear.

This testimony presupposes a Source beyond ourselves & supports the concept that the meaning of our lives, as well as our experiences are designed & filled with intrinsic purpose - to be discovered rather than invented. Scripture supports this truth. Not only are we given multiple stories of those who suffered in unimaginable ways, but we’re encouraged to persevere in our faith as they did in theirs. There is a Maker who created meaning & infused it into every situation we walk through.

Beachcombers look for & pick up pretty sea shells, sea glass, or a uniquely shaped piece of drift wood along the shoreline. They might even find something less common & more rare, like a sharks tooth or a sand dollar. God’s word tells us that He has hidden mysteries & secrets for believers to discover (Col.2:3, Isa.45:3, Prov.2:4, Mtt.13:44). And like my earthly father, who wanted to share what he discovered with his children, God wants to share His treasures with us.

I enjoy beach combing, but when I'm suffering I find more value in being a meaning-finding wordcomber.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

============================================

(Note: Word count has necessitated turning this article/post into two parts. In my next installment, we’ll embark on a spiritual scavenger hunt of sorts. Let’s uncover what God’s word tells us to look for in the midst of our suffering. There is meaning - not to be made - but to be found.)

Swan Song

(by Lorie Codispoti)

John & I have almost finished reading through the entire bible. While we’ve read it on our own, we’ve never read from start to finish, out loud, together.

Revelation, likely written by the Apostle John, has never been a book either of us has been excited about reading or studying. And for a handful of reasons we’ve pretty much avoided it. We’ve missed out on a special blessing reserved for those who read this book aloud as well as to those who hear the reading (Rev.1:3). We're fixing that now.

Some consider this apocalyptic book to be John’s “swan song” (his last & finest work). It’s where he provides hope to persecuted Christians. Others would cite his later works (John 1,2,3) which were written closer to the end of his life. In these letters he centers on the truth that Jesus is the Son of God & encourages believers to imitate His nature by loving one another. I can’t answer which work was John’s last, but I can say that both are beauty-full signature books.

What is a “swan song”?

Ancient Greek mythology tells the legend of a mute swan whose final act before dying was to rise up with his final breath, find his voice, & sing the most beautifully enchanting song his life was intended to emulate. While this may be a romantic example of folklore at its finest, it is a myth. The legend has been embellished & retold for centuries. Some zoologists believe the story originates with the whooper swan. They have large windpipes that enable them to produce loud whooping honks. When this swan is dying its lungs collapse & they “make a series of long, drawn-out notes. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes the sound as a “clarinet when blown by a novice.”(That hardly sounds like a melodic masterpiece.)

Figuratively speaking, a swan song is an idiom that expresses someone’s final accomplishment, project, or last performance of a person before they die. It’s thought of as their finest work.

While a swan song may be more mythical than factual, Scripture does link the idea to several bible characters.

For example: the seemingly insignificant Simeon of Luke 2:25-38.

This old man (Some say he was an centenarian.) was part of the entourage of nobodies God used in His redemptive plan to save mankind. We don’t know a lot about him, but what we do know is that he was a significant somebody. In our culture the spotlight tends to focus on the young, but Simeon’s Light is projected from within as God spotlights His goodness through him at the appointed time.

Simeon’s name means “God has heard” & he models a faithful, patient, righteous, & devout man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, who promised him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. On the day that Mary & Joseph brought their Newborn to the temple for dedication the Spirit revealed to him that his heart’s desire had finally come to pass as he held & gazed into the eyes of the long awaited Salvation. His spontaneous praise was both retrospective & prophetic as he anticipated what this meant moving forward. Both Mary & Joseph “marveled” at what was spoken.

So much can be said about Simeon’s prophetic “swan song,” found in Luke 2:29-35. If we are listening we will hear a few ways we can apply his finest work to our own lives.

~ Simeon waited & lived well.

The text (Lk.2:25) tells us that he was waiting & looking for the Messiah. And because of the Holy Spirit’s promise Simeon was looking for Him to show up on the scene in his lifetime.

What are we looking for, & how are we waiting?

Simeon was not waiting passively; he was living in the Hope of what was promised. It says that he was “just & devout.” Are we actively looking for the return of the King & living our lives in such a way that the Light within us draws others to Him? Are we following the leading of the Holy Spirit by being “just & devout” as we steward our days? Our answers will determine if we are waiting & living well.

~ Simeon departed this life in peace.

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word…” (Lk.2:29).

Simeon knew that he was a part of God’s plan. The moment he laid eyes on the baby Jesus he knew that his mission had been fulfilled. Like an athlete who is aware that he is aging out of the sport, but also knows the game is not over, Simeon knew that the old must make way for the new. He had done his part to remain faithful & was overjoyed when he recognized that the New had come to fulfill God’s redemptive plan.

As we age out of our mission have we been purposeful to pass the baton to the next generation? Will the annals of time show that we acknowledged that God’s purposes are much bigger than us & our lifetime? When we too have seen & testify that they eyes of our spirit “have seen Your Salvation” (Lk2:30) then we will be able to depart this life in peace, having a settled confidence that God will fulfill His plan.

Like Simeon, we can trust all of God’s promises & be filled with & follow the leading of His Spirit. We can wait with active faith while we look for & anticipate Christ’s return. And the hope of knowing that we will one day “see Him as He is” will fill us with the kind of peace that only God can give.

In the meantime, what will your swan song be? Part of mine will be that we read the whole bible together, aloud. And we were blessed to finish with Revelation.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

What's In A Name?

(by Lorie Codispoti)

What’s in a name?

I thoroughly enjoy everything that goes with the art of naming (onomastics).

I remember sitting at my desk in grade school, doodling my name in multiple styles. Being named after both of my grandmothers was a gift, & there remains a sense of connection & belonging associated each time I hear my name. I feel the same way about my maiden & married names.

While I may not be able to recall every critter, flower, or tree I’ve named over the years, I have a vivid memory of when the hobby of naming things began. I was in the second grade, writing my first & only fiction story. I needed a name for the protagonist, & while I remember little about the story, his name remains in my memory because it was a portmanteau (my favorite technique of blending parts of two or more words).

Have you ever heard of name-signaling - what names say about ethnicity, religion, social sphere, and socioeconomic background? The thought is that names signal a lasting impression based on the information that has been purposefully conveyed.

Today’s parents would be wise to consider carefully the long-term effects of naming their children. (Proverbs 22:1) Names label & identify us. For a child their name is linked to who they are & their sense of belonging. While names represent the experiences & values of the parents, & are influenced by multiple factors, they also have the power to shape (positively & negatively) how a child views themselves. Culturally speaking, names create a bond between you & your people group.

Naming children in Scripture was about more than identity though. There was significant spiritual intent attached to naming a child. It was a time for celebration, as the new little life was welcomed into the covenant community of Israel. The act of naming was also a prophetic signal that spoke of a projected character & destiny for that child. Typically there was a ceremony, & for boys it was connected to circumcision at the age of 8 weeks. (Can you imagine not naming your child for 8 weeks?)

I find it interesting that in the Bible it was mostly the women who named the children. The first example that comes to my mind is the sad story of Jacob & Rachel (Gen.35). She died giving birth to Benjamin & her last recorded words are of her giving him the name Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow/pain). Perhaps Jacob renamed him Benjamin (son of my right hand/good fortune) because he did not want his son’s name to be a regular reminder of his wife’s painful death, and didn't want that stigma to follow his son. Symbolically, maybe Jacob wants to shift his son’s path from sorrow to future hope & good fortune.

One of the things I’ve learned about this story, however, is that while Ben-Oni reflects Rachel’s pain, “Oni” also means “strength.” One name with intertwined meanings. Ben-Oni was the son of her struggle AND her strength. Rachel’s entire life was filled with struggles, but what if what she was saying on her deathbed was that those very struggles are what gave her the strength to press on? What if that is what she wanted to communicate to her son & it was meant to be an encouragement, not a curse? Perhaps both of Benjamin’s parents wanted the very best for him. Personally, I like the idea of combining those ideas & calling him Ben-Oni-Jamin. (Portmanteau anyone?)

I am likely one of the few people who reads through biblical geneologies slowly - in order to try & pronounce them correctly (which I’m sure I get wrong), but also because they challenge me to see how each one fits into the story within the main story (meta narrative) of Scripture. The more I learn the more I realize that everything points to Christ.

By the way, if you’ve ever read Pilgrim’s Progress you may recall that the main character, Christian, started out with another name (Graceless). Like us, his identity changed when he left the City of Destruction & assumed a new name.

In his book about heaven, Randy Alcorn points out that while believers will be known by the names we used here on Earth, God is going to give us new names, known only to us & God, on the New Earth (Isa.65:15, Rev.2:17). Does that imply that God not only gave us a new identity when we came to Christ (“christians”), but that He will continue to add identifying marks to our personhood for all eternity? I love it! (And I will now no longer be jealous of the Catholics who get to pick a new name when confirmed. )

I close with the question I opened with: What’s in a name?

Answer: Everything!

“What can be more a man’s own than this new name which even in eternity remains a secret between God and him? And what shall we take this secrecy to mean? Surely, that each of the redeemed shall forever know and praise some one aspect of the divine beauty better than any other creature can.” (C.S.Lewis, The Problem of Pain)

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