Promise in the Prophets 172: A New Name

172. A New Name

Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

God promises us a new name. A name is the identity of a person and a person’s name is important to the individual. My name makes me distinctive, unique, and distinguishes me from everyone else. That God will give us a new name means that each individual is someone special to Him. Indeed, the Lord regards me as someone special, something I always wanted to be. I want to be famous, well known, and highly regarded by other people. I want to “make a name for myself.” I need to be recognized, receive attention, and singled out as someone who is noticed. I cannot be a cipher, someone whose life doesn’t matter to anyone.

But it is much more important to be noticed, distinguished, will known, highly regarded, remembered, and something special to God. That is what the new name given by the Lord Himself does for me. We know that God loves me, that He has gone to great lengths to make me His own, that I am a pearl of great price and a special treasure to God, but that He cares enough about just me to give me His own new name to mark me out a one on whom He has set His pleasure and favor and blessing is even more special.

The Lord has put His name upon me, and I bear that name with pride and glory. But His name is upon every one of billions of believers. That He would single me out from all of God’s people with my own new name given by the Lord Himself makes personal the love of God toward me. In Revelation 3:12 Jesus gives me 1) the name of my God, 2) the name of the city of my God, and 3) my own new name. This third promise is new, unique, and personal for me. I will bear that name forever in His city, His kingdom, and His Church.

God gave a new name to Jacob and to Simon, each name symbolizing something particular in relation to the calling He has placed on them. The new name says something about me, what God has created me to become and given me a destiny to fulfill. In Christ, I cannot consider myself to be worthless and insignificant. I have a new name that defines who I am in God’s loving sight.