Your Name
My Bible studies lately have been in the book of Nehemiah. It’s a powerful book on leading God’s people through a very difficult period of time. The city of Jerusalem is in shambles, the temple barely functional, the people stuck in their ways and enemies surrounded the city. There are many letters in the book but also several chapters that really stood out to me.
Chapter 3 is a list of people 32 verses long who rebuilt the city wall.
Chapter 7 is a long list of the exiles who returned home.
Chapter 11 is another long list of the leaders.
Long lists of names. Why does it matter? For generations the Bible was copied by hand. One mistake would get the whole section destroyed and the scribe would have to start over. Why preserve lists of names?
Two big reasons I want you to consider.
The first is because the Bible is history. It is important for the book to place itself not just in time, but also in genealogical bloodlines. This is especially true for those who would serve as priests.
The reason that gives me comfort though is this: these names mattered to God. Every one of those names is an individual the Christ was sent for, suffered and died for, and rose again that they might have eternal life.
Those names may be inconsequential to you, but it means everything to them.
You are known to God. He calls to you by name.
As God wrote to Isaiah 43:1-28
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Today my friends, take comfort in that fact.
God loves you, and so do I
- Pastor Dan