“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall 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. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.” (Genesis 17:4-6)
During the recent pandemic, many millions gave into fear. Most feared the pain and suffering COVID brought but many also feared its most frightful result: death. Many people are afraid of death. Most put on a brave front and pretend that all is fine when it is not. No doubt many are uncertain about what lies beyond death, but many are equally afraid that they will be forgotten once they are gone. That is why they want to do something that is so impressive that their name will be remembered for generations. Hence the popularity of reality shows and social media.
One name among many that has endured for hundreds of generations is the name of Abraham the Patriarch, the founder of the Hebrew race, one which we who have been grafted into the Hebrew race by faith consider our father in faith. He is remembered today not because of what He did but because of his faith in God and because of what God did for him. And what is most important is that many fear they will be forgotten after death, God does not forget. Our faith, given us by God Almighty through Christ Jesus, guarantees us that our name will be remembered for eternity by God and all the members of His Kingdom even though we are unknown and forgotten in this world. God knows our name and that is what matters.
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, from “father of many” to “father of many nations” as a way of reaffirming His covenant and the promise of many descendants. Sarai is named Sarah, or princess. The meaning did not change but the new name is a sign of a new relationship with God, a blessing about to take place. The son promised to them was about to be conceived. All these promises would be fulfilled by God’s grace, not by Abraham’s efforts or schemes.
In our day many people strive to make a name for themselves, to make their name known, respected and perhaps feared, to have their 15 minutes of fame. This seems to be the motive of some serial killers but it also motivates adrenaline junkies, celebrities, and the movers and shakers. As for the rest of us most want to do something that will make us unique, something for the record or history books. This seems to be a desire intrinsic to our nature. We all want to be remembered, to be known. We do not want to be forgotten in this life or after death. But in God’s economy worldly achievements are not important. What is really important is not earthly fame but a heavenly relationship, a relationship with the Lord Jesus. That is something we do not achieve by our efforts but are granted by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.