Bible Studies

Being Redefined

by Terry Barlow
06/22/16
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   Near the conclusion of the Second Book of Kings we see two examples of foreign kings establishing and renaming kings of Judah for their own purposes.   In the first case in 2 Kings 23,v34, Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim the son of King Josiah king in place of his father and changed his name from Eliakim (“God will develop” ) to Jehoikim (“he whom Jehovah has set up”).  One chapter later in 2 Kings 24, v 17 the king of Babylon made Mattaniah (“gift of Yahweh” ) king in place of his nephew and changed his name to Zedekiah (“God’s justice” ).  Changing the name of a subject by a conqueror was a gesture of domination and control of that individual especially if he happened to be a leader.  He was usually selected as a replacement because he was perceived to be more docile and pliable in the plans of the conquerors.   Thus the one whose name was changed was being redefined and reassigned to a different destiny.   But as seen in the meanings of the name and in the events that followed,  the sovereign God was still managing to work out His own unique purposes in what then developed regarding the king and the nation.

  There was another whose destiny was changed as he came under the dominion of his Conqueror.  His name was Abram (“exalted father”) and Yahweh God changed his name to the one we more readily recognize,  Abraham (“father of multitudes” ) who became father of the Hebrew nation,  whose seed (the Messiah) would touch all nations.  The name Abram was backward looking as if to aristocratic ancestry, but the name Abraham into which was inserted God’s own covenant name” Yah” was more forward looking as if to the millions of natural and spiritual descendants to come, the royal priesthood composing the Body of Christ. (1 Peter 2, v9)  God changed his character along with his name as God so often does to make the person more tractable,  teachable and responsive to Divine intentions.