The Counterfeit
Today’s topic is related to names in the Bible. We know that God always has names for people and it conveniently describes who they are. There are several examples in the Bible where the Lord changed the names of people once they were in a covenant relationship with Him and began their journey.
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. Genesis 17:5 KJV
And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. Genesis 17:15 KJV
As we can read from the scriptures above, the Lord changed both Abram and Sarai’s names to the names we are most familiar with meanings behind them. Abraham became the father of a multitude. Sarai’s name is interesting because it means “My princess” in Hebrew. She first was a princess to the Lord but He changed her name to encompass a global meaning. He made her a mother of many nations.
One thing we need to remember the enemy is always trying to mock God. The enemy will always attempt to create a “counterfeit” to what God has established. In a previous post called “The Ways the Enemy Mocks God”, we showed you a few other ways the enemy has created counterfeits. In the Book of Daniel we read about Daniel and 3 of his jewish friends. The nation of Israel was disobedient and unfortunately were overtaken and conquered by the enemy from Babylon. In Daniel’s time, Babylon was the most powerful city and a nation who did not follow God. They were considered a godless city. Although they worshipped their god it was not the One and Only true God, the creator of heaven and earth.
Daniel was taken captive when he was just a teenage boy along with 3 of his friends. The Hebrew names of Daniel’s friends were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. As was mentioned earlier, when God gives a name to someone it has meaning. Maybe you have heard the story of the prophet Daniel but today let us look at the meaning of all their names. The name “Daniel” in Hebrew means “God is my judge.” When he was taken captive the babylonians changed his name to “Belteshazzar.” This name means “Bel protects his life.” Bel was the name of their god. Hananiah means “Yahweh is gracious” and his name was changed to Shadrach which means “The command of Aku”. This is another one of the names of the Babylonian god. In Hebrew Mishael means “Who is what God is?” and his name was changed to Meshack which means “Who is what Aku is?” And last but not least is Azariah which means “Yahweh is my helper” and his name was changed to Abed-Nego which means “Servant of Nebo”. Notice how all these names represent in some form a way to “honor” their gods. This is exactly how the enemy creates a counterfeit to the Lord. They never called themselves these given names and spoke between themselves with their Hebrew names.
Daniel — “God is my judge” —> Belteshazzar —Bel protects his life
Hananiah —- “Yahweh is gracious”—> Shadrach — The command of Aku
Mishael — “Who is what God is?” —> Meshack — Who is what Aku is?
Azariah — “Yahweh is my helper” —> Abed-Nego —Servant of Nebo
Although their names were changed to represent some Babylonian god these men did not serve them in any way. They were faithful to the Lord and were a perfect example in the face of the enemy. This may seem something simple but it is important to remember we should always know who we are in the Lord. When the devil tempted Jesus he stated “if” he was the son of God… Jesus knew who He was. Would you be able to remain faithful to God if your name was changed? Even if mentioning your old name could mean death?
If you haven’t noticed, the enemy continues to work in the world in our present lives. He is still doing the same deceptive work in God’s children and His creation. As the world is becoming darker and the pressures against the followers of Jesus become more intense remember who you are. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Stand firm in your identity and remember the Lord is always there.
During the reign of darkness over Israel in ancient times these 4 men remained loyal to the One and Only True God. Don’t let the enemy change your name or prevent you from saying what is correct. God bless you and please come back next time for more insights.
