My name is a derivative of Elizabeth which is Elisabet in Greek and Elisheva in Hebrew. That biblical name means “my God is an oath” or “my God is abundance.” I’ve also read that it means “consecrated to God” which is a blessing to me. As a derivative, my name comes from that name and meaning, and I’m glad for it.
Names were very important in Bible times. They
indicated the character and life direction parents wanted for their child. New
Testament apostle Peter began with the name “Simon” but he didn’t keep that
name.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). (John 1:42)
Curious, I looked up these three names in an online name
dictionary. Simon means, “he has heard” which does describe Peter. It took time
for him to learn how to act on what Jesus told him, but he did listen to God
and eventually became the person described by the other two names. Cephas is
Aramaic for "rock or stone," and Peter is a Greek word that means the same thing.
The one who heard became a rock!
Is this coincidence? My studies have shown me otherwise.
For instance, many literary devices are used in Scripture. For instance, the
story of Joseph in Genesis is constructed in chiasms, a word not found in many
dictionaries. It is an X –shaped structure where the beginning and ending of a
story or poetry use the same thoughts, even the same words. They could be
diagrammed like this: A, B, C, D, E, D, C, B, A. The pivot point is always key
information in the story.
One of these chiasms starts in Genesis 43:26 with “Joseph’s
brothers return to Egypt from Canaan and bow to Joseph” then ends with 50:18
where “Joseph’s brothers return to Egypt from Canaan and bow to Joseph.” The “B”
sections are about Joseph weeping over his father in 46:29 and 50:1. The C
sections include “the order of the first born” and so on.
The author who recorded Genesis may have chosen this
literary device, but because the entire Bible is filled with them, it could be
that they appear because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the writers. That
is, God who is a God of order, structure and beauty, influenced even this as
the Scriptures were written.
Going back to the names of Peter, they do tell a
story. Peter did hear Jesus. He was up and down in his understanding of what he
heard, and also up and down in his obedience, but he did become a rock, a
pillar in the early church.
His story also reminds me of another story Jesus told
about hearing and obeying. From it, I get the impression that our God loves
using words and uses them to repeat certain themes and images…
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24–27) (italics, underlining is mine)
Even more word play is used to describe that Jesus Himself
is the Word of God, the one who “spoke” the universe into existence, and the
One who “became flesh and dwelt among us.” He also listened to and obeyed His
Father. God is called the Rock of ages, a Rock of refuge, and the One who hides
us in the cleft of that Rock.
While these word plays may seem inconsequential to
some, I find them wonderfully descriptive of a God who cares about both beauty
and details. My faith is given a boost because Jesus changed Peter’s life and
because of the way He uses words to change my life. As the psalmist says,
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 62:6)
