Isaiah 62:2-12 - Homiletics

The teaching of Scripture with respect to names.

Names are not spoken of in the Scriptures as unimportant, but as of a very high importance.

I. A SPECIAL VALUE IS SET ON THE NAMES OF GOD . The names of God are significant, and set forth his nature. "El" is "the Great;" "Shaddai," "the Strong;" "Jehovah," "the Alone-existent." God selected this last name as that by which he would be especially known to the Jews ( Exodus 3:14 ), and it became a sort of proper name with them and their neighbours. It was this name which was not to be taken in vain ( Exodus 20:7 ). It came to be regarded as so holy that the Jews would not venture to pronounce it, but substituted the word "Adonai," or "Lord," whenever they read the Scriptures aloud. God himself is, in fact, in all his names; and nearly the same reverence is due to them which is due to him. Christians are baptized into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ( Matthew 28:19 ). The Name of the God of Jacob defends them ( Psalms 25:1 ). The Father keeps them through his Name ( John 17:11 ). They give thanks to his Name ( Hebrews 13:15 ), fear and glorify his Name ( Revelation 15:4 ), confess and sing praise unto it ( Romans 15:9 ). Christ's Name, through faith in his Name , m akes them strong, yea, gives them perfect soundness in the presence of all ( Acts 3:16 ).

II. A CERTAIN VALUE IS SET ON MEN 'S NAMES . God assigns men names ( Isaiah 7:14 ; Isaiah 8:3 ; Hosea 1:4 , Hosea 1:6 , Hosea 1:9 ; Matthew 1:21 ; Luke 1:13 , etc.); alters or modifies their names ( Genesis 17:5 , Genesis 17:15 ; Genesis 32:28 ; 2 Samuel 12:25 , etc.); explains the mystical meaning of their names ( Matthew 16:18 ); gives them wholly new names ( Revelation 3:12 ). The sacred writers also sometimes alter men's names in contempt, or as a punishment. Thus Esh-Baal, "man of Paul," becomes Ish-Bosheth, "man of shame;" Merib-Baal becomes Mephi-Bosheth, and the like. The true name of Hezekiah's father seems to have been Jehoahaz, "possession of Jehovah"; but the sacred writers, offended with him on account of his idolatries, would only call him Ahaz, "possession." Conquering kings sometimes required names of subject kings to be changed, apparently as a mark of submission and subserviency. Thus the name of Eliakim was turned to Jehoiakim by Pharaoh-Necho ( 2 Kings 23:34 ), and the name of Mattaniah to Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar ( 2 Kings 24:17 ). Altogether, human names are recognized as having an importance which profane writers are rarely found to attach to them.

III. A CERTAIN VALUE IS SET ALSO ON THE NAMES OF PLACES . Importance is attached to the significance of place-names, and a meaning is found for them not always in accordance with their real etymologies. Babel (Babylon)was no doubt intended by the Babylonians to mean "the gate of God;" but the sacred writers saw in the name a derivation from balal , "to confound" ( Genesis 11:9 ). When places ceased to correspond to their names, the sacred writers freely altered the names, to suit the circumstances. Thus the Bethel of the patriarchs becomes the Beth-avert of Hosea ( Hosea 4:15 ; Hosea 5:8 ; Hosea 10:5 ), Jeroboam's idolatries having turned "the house of God" into "the house of nothingness.'' In the present chapter Jerusalem is supposed to have become " Azubah " on her destruction by the Babylonians, and to be about to be called " Hephzi - bah " on her restoration by the returned exiles. Another name given to her by Isaiah is "Ariel" ( Isaiah 29:1 ). Each name expresses some phase in her history or feature of her character.