Name Change that Changed History!

Abram to Abraham

(Gen 17:5 KJV) "Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations."

We know that Adam's sin caused a separation between God and man, but we also know that God's desire to dwell with man remained. God visited a man named Abram when he was about 75 yrs. old and told him to depart his country (Gen 12:1) to go to a land that He would show him. God also promised to make out of Abram a great nation, that He would bless him, make his name great, and that he would be a blessing to all the earth (12:2,3).

So Abram left (12:4), as the Lord told him to, and he began his journey of faith. Many things happened between chapters 12-16 as Abram developed his relationship with God. By chapter 17 Abram was 90 yrs. old. The Lord appeared to him and again and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations."

This is where we pick up our text. God went on to say, "Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations." It is interesting that God changed his name. Why? Because in biblical times, your name was indicative of your character, attributes, and nature. When a person introduced themselves by their name, people immediately correlated the meaning of the name with the character of the person. It was almost as if people were speaking their character into existence every time you declared their name. So when God made Abram's name Abraham He transformed him (by faith) into the "father of many nations." Every time he introduced himself as 'Abraham,' he was literally telling the person he was coming in contact with, and himself for that matter, that he was the father of many nations. He spoke this for years without anything happening and about 10 years later, Isaac was born (see Gen 21).

So what does this mean to you ? Several things:

1. God expects our conversation to change when come in contact with Him - God changed his name, therefore making him change his introduction and opinion of himself.

2. God expects our character to change after we come in contact with Him - God changed his name, therefore helping him to develop into the person that He desired for him to be.

3. God expects our conduct to change after we come in contact with Him - Abraham declared that he was the father of many nations (by faith) for 10 yrs. before he had his first child by Sarah.

4. God expects our life to change after we come in contact with Him - Abraham's name change changed his destiny and the course of history. Likewise, when we come in contact with God we can never remain the same. God wants us to accept our change (by faith) and declare His opinion of us and not our own. Abraham never went back to calling himself Abram, not even once, and we should never go back to accepting our old opinion and expectations of ourselves.
When we come to God, everything changes. Forward Ever, Backward Never! The Best is Yet to Come!

Lord God. I am not the same person that I used to be. Your Word says that I am a new creation. Your Word says that You made Jesus to be sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him. I receive that righteousness and I receive that change. My mind is renewed through the Word of God. I walk by faith and not by sight. I enter this day with Your love in me and permeating through me. I am an example of Your love in the earth. I receive my change by faith! Like Abraham, I will keep speaking it, until I see it come to pass in my life. The Best is Yet to come. In Jesus' name. Amen.