Remember this famous line, "a rose by any other name is still a rose?" So at one level what does a name really matter. But then I think about how names often work in the Bible. People are often given names because of what they mean. Look up the story of Ichoabod. Besides that God is renaming people all through the story of scripture: Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul etc. I always seems like he does it cause he wants the meaning of the name to match the calling of the person. Peter=rock, and Jesus said on the rock of Peter's confession he would build the church. Israel=wrestle with God (or let God rule) either way it lines up with the nation that would come from Jacob's boys.
On top of that sometimes I feel like I know people whose name match them. My dads name is Paul, never met a person with a stronger evangelist gift; just like that first Paul. My little brother Jacob kind of matches up with the smart and cunning Jacob of the Old Testament. Probably just a coincidence. Even so it makes me think before I name the world's cutest little girl.
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