Friday, October 1: “Sticks and stones…”

William Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” meaning that it is more important what we are than what we are called. Additionally, names can be what we use in an attempt to hurt others. All are familiar with the saying, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Yet, words can cause much deeper scars than sticks or stones ever could.


Names carried much more significance in the past. Surnames, which tend to be our last names in the west but are usually the first names in the east, have not been around nearly as long as most of us would guess. In England, the practice became commonplace in the 13th and 14th centuries, mostly due to the large population and the need to differentiate between many people with the same birth name. Surprisingly, until the 19th century, no one but the aristocracy in Japan had a surname. Most surnames in all cultures seem to follow a similar line, utilizing a family occupation, personal characteristic, geographical feature, person descended from or even a mention of religious ties.


In the Bible, we see many lists of lineages, with the most important being that of Jesus, who, by the way, does not have the surname “Christ!” Luke, a doctor by trade, traces the bloodline of Jesus through His mother Mary in Luke 3:23-38, while Matthew follows a different line in many cases, based on an occurrence that happened in the days of Moses:


Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”
Numbers 27:1-4


While the sons were counted concerning the rights of inheritance, daughters did not retain the same rights. Preparing to occupy the Promised Land, the daughters of Zelophehad were being absorbed into another family in regard to inheritance, as their father had died in the wilderness. When the daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses on this issue, Moses carried that same issue to the Lord and God told Moses that the request of the young ladies should be honored as it was correct. From that time forward, when a man died with only daughters as his heirs, the rights passed to the daughters. Because of that law, Matthew 1:1-17 traces the bloodline of Jesus through his legal bloodline, which culminates with Joseph, the man God chose as the head of household for His own Son, though the Holy Spirit, not Joseph, had impregnated Mary. In the Greek language, there was not a word for “son-in-law,” so “son” always was used. In each of the lists, the term “begot” occurs frequently. Though last names did not occur at that time, Solomon could very easily have been Solomon Davidson, as the son of David.


Biblically speaking, names also carried a great deal of significance. Though we are most familiar with the name of Jesus, our Savior had the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. Yeshua, in the Hebrew, was transliterated into “Iesous” in the Greek, and was once again transliterated into Latin, becoming “Iesus.” Finally, it moved into our English, Jesus. Though our Savior certainly was not called by the name Jesus when walking around Jerusalem, He certainly knows when we call out that name! Yet all versions of the name carry the same meaning, “The Lord saves.”


While growing up, I despised my own name, as most people mispronounced Glaub as “Glob.” A few years ago during a Bible study, a German Christian told me that my last name actually means “faith” in his language. Upon searching the internet, I discovered that my first name came from the word “garrison,” and actually means “mighty warrior.” “Mighty warrior of faith” isn’t the worst name anyone ever was given, though the name has become more of a challenge for me to see if I can uphold it, with the Lord’s help!

When reading the Bible, it always is a worthwhile step to research the meaning of the names involved in each story. Though it is only one example among many, the names in the Book of Ruth tell their own story. Ruth (beauty) humbly takes her place as a destitute stranger, dependent upon the grace of Boaz (the strong one). He redeems her and binds her to himself in marriage. When beauty is married to strength, the house is filled with worship (the meaning of their son Obed’s name.)


Now when He said to them, “I am,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:6


that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11


How special is the name of Jesus in your ears, or on your tongues? He is the God who saves, and His name causes kings to bow. When He is in your life, you cannot be hurt by sticks, stones, names or anything else! There’s just something about that name, Jesus!


12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
Revelation 3:12-13