Names can never hurt me, right? A childish rhyme, or is there truth behind it? In Bible times, many people were stoned because of their beliefs and actions. Stephen was stoned to death for the cause of Christ. Many sins were punishable by stoning. Working on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36) and being caught in the act of adultery (John 8:5) were just two of the sins punishable by stoning.
What is in a name? At birth, we all receive a name, given by our parents. What do we do to that name? Jezebel brings to mind words such as treachery (1 Kings 21:10 and Eccl. 9:18), idol worship (1 Kings 18:17-40), and murder (1 Kings 21:1-14). In 2 Kings 9:7, we read "And thou shall smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel." And in 2 Kings 9:10, "And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her." The name Judas reminds us of greed and betrayal. Matt. 26:15-16 "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. And from then he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him." The name Jezebel has become synonymous with all that is sinful; in Rev. 2:20, it is used to exemplify evil. In Matt.27:3-5, we see that Judas repented after he betrayed our Lord, and then hanged himself. Today, you don't find parents giving their children these names (Jezebel or Judas). They are not associated with good and honorable things.
When we think of Abraham, some descriptions associated with his name are: faithful (Gen. 22), righteous (Gen. 15:6), generous (Gen. 13:8-12), and father of a great nation (Gen. 12:2-3). The Apostle Peter's name brings to mind: evangelist (Acts 2:38) and zealous (Matt. 26:51). I am reminded of Priscilla's devotion (Rom. 16:3-4), and that she taught God's word (Acts 18:24-26) "But when Pricilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." We could speak of David's devoutness, that he was a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:1.4), repentant (1 Chron. 21:8), king over Israel (2 Sam. 5:4-5), slayer of Goliath (1 Sam. 17).
These people were not perfect; they all, at one time or another, sinned. Abraham lied to protect Sarah (Gen. 12:10-20); Peter denied knowing Christ (Matt.26:34); David committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2-5). The difference is that all these people repented of the sins they committed. If your name can no longer be associated with faith, devotion, and righteousness, you need to obey Acts 3:19. "Repent therefore and return, that your sins be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." And Acts 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent."
This article was written by one of our members who desires to remain nameless. The article's thought is worthy of study. Names do say something. Solomon told us that good names "are worth more than precious rubies." Would you name your son Judas or Ahab? How about naming your daughter Jezebel? These names are forever linked with evil and unbecoming conduct, even to those in the world! Yet, the world attempts to sell us on the concept that "there is nothing in a name," especially in the matter of the name of a religious body. If this be so, why not name a church the "church of Jezebel." Maybe, I better not make this suggestion--someone might follow it!--KG