What's in a Name?

Have you ever wondered what your name means? Maybe when you were naming your children you pulled out a "baby name" book. Amanda means "beloved," while Karen means "pure." Matthew is "gift of God."

Names are important to God. We all may know several names He calls Himself-Yahweh, El Shaddai, Jehovah-Rapha. Jesus' name itself means, "God saves." Would it surprise us to know Almighty God hid His divine plan in geneology? The Jews repeatedly spoke the lists of forefathers of the Hebrew faith. Even the book of Matthew and Luke record Jesus' lineage through Mary and Joseph.

As the Jews recited the lists, I wonder if they thought of the meaning of the names in the mundane. Did they yawn their way through the synagogue exercise? Or possibly did they hear the cry of the Almighty through the ages? If they did lean in, they'd hear the Throne room whisper:

"Man is appointed unto mortal sorrow. But the blessed God came down teaching and initiated by his death . . .to bring with power to the poor and despairing . . . comfort and rest. The celebrated name, redeems us from darkness and brings us forth into an enlarged place."

Adam: earthly man

Seth: appointed

Enosh: mortal sorrow

Kenan: mourned

Mahalalel: (but) the blessed God

Jared: descended, teaching

Enoch: (and) initiated

Methuselah: by his death to bring

Lamech: with power to the poor and despairing

Noah: comfort/rest

Shem: the celebrated name (through Jesus line)

Ham: (He redeemed us from) darkness and heat

Japeth: (and brought us forth into) an enlarged place

Amazing!! Hidden in plain sight. And why am I surprised? "He replied, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. . . . But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." (Matthew 13:11-12, 16-17)

Heavenly Father, grace me to hear what You are whispering in the obvious and the hidden in my life! I am desperate for Your "more" in me-