This morning we're going to be talking about a particular biblical nickname, a handle as it were, or a moniker in this case, a term of endearment. I recently heard a story about a little boy who on his first day of school when the teacher was asking for all of the names of the students, this boy replied, 6 and 7/8. And with a confused expression, the teacher asked him why his parents would name him 6th and 7th 8, and he replied, they just picked it out of a hat. Come on, you got to give me some love.
As we will see this morning, names God gives people are never just picked out of a hat. They have meaning, they have purpose. and nicknames or name changes are actually very common in the Bible. there's sometimes positive, sometimes negative.
We have Ahab who calls Elijah, oh troubler of Israel. Sometimes name changes are given in troublesome times like Hadessa became Esther to hide her Jewish heritage or Daniel became Beltahazzar when he became a eunuch of the Babylonian court. At other times, God changed the names of persons to indicate he wanted them to have a new identity and a new role like Abraham, who was exalted father Abraham, who was exalted father becomes Abraham, father of many nations. Sarai, my princess, becomes Sarah, a mother of nations.
Jacob is given a new name, Israel, and there's actually a lesser known term of endearment. Jesharron, one of my favorites in the Old Testament, which means beloved one, happens in Isaiah 44 and 4 times in the Book of Deuteronomy. Simon becomes Peter, Saul becomes Paul, and then there's the sons of thunder, James and John. In fact, sons of thunder is a name that Jesus gave to them....
