15 And he [Jacob] blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
Let my name be named upon them,
And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Emphasis Supplied)
[Genesis 48:25&16]
Names are significant. They are our identity. Someone got a job from a total stranger once he mentioned his surname. The big man asked, “Are you the son of the late Mr. X?” When the guy responded in the affirmative, the big man said, “Your father was very nice to me”. That was all it took for the guy to get employed- the name of his late dad.
Someone else wanted his admission form endorsed by a respected person. After that, the guy asked for a note to be sent to the school authorities to facilitate his admission. The big man told him that he didn’t need a note; and that his signature on the form was enough. Indeed, the guy got the admission. That’s the power of a name. Let me quickly add that in both circumstances, the people who needed help were qualified.
The converse is also true. Some names are synonymous to crime and evil. One notorious thief in Ghana falls in that category. If you want an insult to hurt someone, all you need to do is to tag him/her with the name of that notorious thief and hell will break loose.
Before Jacob died, he put his name on the two sons of Joseph, namely Manasseh and Ephraim and also invoked the covenant God had with Abraham and Isaac upon the children.
Prior to that, Jacob adopted the two sons of Joseph. In Genesis 48:5, it’s written, “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine”. That’s why the Tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim were given inheritance in the Promised Land by Joshua. They were no more grandsons of Jacob but rather sons, at par with Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Gad etc.
As believers, Christ’s Name is upon us. God’s Name is also on us. God says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”(Isaiah 43:1, Emphasis supplied). We also have the seal of God upon our foreheads. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Our entire life is under a seal, like a document or product under seal. We’re authentic and sacred. (Revelation 7:3, 2 Timothy 2:19, Ephesians 4:30).
Jesus has given us His Name and authority. If the names of mere mortals are doing wonders, certainly the Name of Jesus can do much more.
May the Name of God and Jesus yield all that God has in store for us through Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen
