This is God's promise to Abram, it is a foundation that God used and weaved through the entire bible, it is a pivotal point in the story of the redemption of man.We could look at all these promises for days and see how God fulfills them, how the great nation mentioned becomes Israel. How all the earth is blessed through Jesus who is a descendant of David who is a descendant of Abram. I feel led to focus on the "I will make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing." God places great significance on names, so we should not take them lightly. There is so much depth to names, they can contain who we are, what God thinks of us, and what He plans are to accomplish through us. In a name worship can be placed, or misplaced. A name can make or break hope.
Lets take a step back to gain some context. Before the story of Abram begins in Genesis we are left with the tower of Babel. We all know the story of how they rebelled against God and in their arrogance built a tower attempting to reach heaven. We all remember how God scattered them, how they were humbled and their language was confused. What we tend to overlook are a few vivid details, and names.
They said to one another, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." -Genesis 11:4
See how they reveal their motivation, exalting themselves, "make for ourselves a name." I am convinced that who or what we worship always has a name. They chose themselves, make ourselves a name.
Babel in the time of its construction meant "the place of canals." Canals are man made waterways used for industry and trade. In a time long before trains, this would have been the prime mode of transporting goods. This would explain how they were able to build and transport on a massive scale, but in the pride of their water ways they misplaced their worship. Once God scattered them, Babel was known in the Hebrew to mean "confuse." For it is where God confused man when he tried to build his own name higher than the name above all names. Babel became known as the place of division, and the name reflects what happened there.
Genesis goes from God humbling and confusing man to God blessing Abram and making a promise. The breaking of a name, and the making of a name. A promise of a great name, a name He will give. Abram means, "exalted father," or "the father is exalted." God built his foundational plan on a man who's name meant to exalt the father, not look to himself. Abrams name almost means to worship.
Fast forward to Genesis 17 where God changes Abrams name to Abraham.
Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before me, and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And i will multiply you exceedingly." Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations."
-=What does this mean for our worship=-
In Matthew Jesus is speaking against the "look at me" style of the Pharisees, and says:
"Who ever exalts himself shall be humbled; and who ever humbles himself shall be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves."
-Matthew 23:12
As worshipers and worship leaders, we need to know at the foundation of our worship is a name. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the HOLY TRINITY! In order to be a people who worship, we have to humble ourselves, we have to speak the name of the one true God who is the only one good and deserving of our praise. A name seems so simple, but the power of a people united under one name is great. When that name is the Exalted One, Lord of Lords, He who sits on the throne of grace and the Son who intercedes on our behalf. Because of Christ's sacrifice and victory when exalt Him as Lord, now the Father looks at us and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He no longer sees our sin, He no longer sees the name divided, confused, lost. He sees son, friend, beloved. He names us His own, we belong to Him. Our name should give us strength to walk in confidence, because He exalts us to be with Him. He promises to be our God, and we will be His people.
Let us remember the name of who we worship, that name is Jesus.
