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
Have you ever been in a city or town whose name was just a complete misnomer; it did not live up to its name? Maybe you have been in a town called Pleasantburg, but it was not pleasant. The people were not kind, the city was smoggy, and so on. Perhaps most famously we think about Philadelphia, which means “the city of brotherly love.” We sometimes joke that it is the city of brotherly shove. It is not living up to its name. I think the ultimate example of this would be Jerusalem, half of whose name means peace. Is Jerusalem a city of peace today? Is it living up to its name?
There is the intent of a name, the current reality of a name, and the future of a name. What is the intent of the name Jerusalem? Is that intent the current reality with all the war that we find in that part of the world? Is that going to be the future reality? Isaiah 60:14 says that Jerusalem will be called “the city of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Again, Isaiah 61:6 says, “But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God.” Isaiah 62:4 says, “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah [married], and thy land Beulah [he delights in her]: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.”
First, we have the purpose that God has for His people. I’m not Jewish, nor do I live in Jerusalem, but I need to be mindful of the purpose for which God has created me. There is the name we are given, then there is the name you have chosen. I think about a friend of mine who used to sell shoes in California before he became an evangelist. He told the story of a man who came into his shoe store and it seemed evident that he needed the Lord. The man’s name was something like Ezekiel. My friend said, “Ezekiel, I want to tell you something I know your mom would want me to tell you.” Then, he gave him the gospel. How did he know that Ezekiel’s mom wanted him to hear the gospel? It is because she named him a very unusual Bible name. He wasn’t living up to the name his mom had given him. He was living apart from God when his mom had probably dedicated him to God. So, there is the name you are given.
Then, there is the name you chose. No mindful parent would choose the name Judas or Jezebel for their child. These are names, whether good or bad theoretically, connected to people who have made those names mean something. I think about the word Christian. What does that mean to most people? I think we should be involved in our world right now, and if you are an American like I am, we are blessed and have the responsibility to be conscientious citizens. Is that all we are? I am involved and a believer, but the point is there are three aspects to your name. There is the purpose, that is what you should be. If you are a Christian, you are called by Christ’s name. There is a purpose for that. We should be Christlike. When it comes to Jerusalem, there is a purpose that God intends just like there is a purpose to your name as a Christian.
Secondly, there is the potential of your name, what it could be and the practice of what it is. So, am I living in light of who I am? I am a Christian? Am I living like a Christian? Nothing is worse in the world than someone who claims to be a Christian but is antithetical to the life of Christ, who does not live in evidence of what he is. So, there is the potential.
Third, there is the prophecy, what will be. That is what God is talking about. Verses 1-2 say, “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth… And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.” So, God has an intent for you as a Christian, something He wishes that name to mean. Our goal should be to harmonize the three aspects of our name, the purpose, the potential, and the prophecy.
Isaiah 60:19 says, “But the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” The only brightness, glory, and help I can give people is as I reflect that light, the light of heaven, the light of God as I let the light of Christ shine through me. There are three aspects of your name, the purpose, the potential, and the prophecy. May God help us who know the Lord Jesus to live in such a way that our name is harmonized with our life before people who desperately need the righteousness and grace of God.