We have not yet finished the consideration of the words of Christ; “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren.” We can, indeed, never come to the end, but the present article will finish our study of the text. Let us read the connection again.
“For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare Thy name unto My brethren; in the midst of the church will I praise Thee. And again, I will put My trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given Me.” Hebrews 2.11-13
Already have we seen the circumstances under which these words are uttered, and that they are uttered by Christ as a man, for men. He spoke them in the deepest distress and temptation, that we also, or rather that He in us, might he able to make the same declaration. For we must always remember that it was our sins that He bore, and that the fact that He conquered is proof that we may also. To believe that Christ conquered in the flesh 1800 years ago, is to believe that He can conquer in us now in spite of our sins and weaknesses, since the sins that we have to contend with are the very same that He bears. But in spite of them, He declared the name of the Lord.
In the Bible we see that names have significance. Among us, names are merely a matter of convenience, but not so with God. Whenever He gives a person a name, that name describes the person’s character. The name “Jesus” was given to the Saviour, because the word signifies Saviour, and that is just what Jesus is. He is Saviour in His very being. He is a complete Saviour, and nothing but Saviour. He saves by His life, His very existence. Romans 5.10. His name, therefore, signifies just what He is, so that we are saved by His name. Acts 4.12
Jacob received his name because the word signified “supplanter,” that is, one who catches another by the heels, or by the soles of the feet, and trips him up, and Jacob took his brother by the heel in birth. The name fitted him exactly, for he well understood how to take advantage of his fellow men, and that he did; but when he gained a complete victory over his evil disposition, God gave him the name “Israel,” which signifies a warrior, a prince.
So the name of God indicates just what He is—His character. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower” (Proverbs 18.10), because the Lord Himself is a “fortress” and a “high tower.” Psalm 18.2. With God words are things, as is indicated by the fact that in the Hebrew Bible we have but one word for the two English words “word” and “thing.” The name of God is not a mere empty sound, but is God’s own personality. Therefore when Christ says, “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren” it is the same as if He had said, “I will reveal to them Your character.” The reason why people do not trust the Lord is that they do not know Him. Some will never consent to become acquainted with Him, but those who do will trust Him, for the Word says: “The Lord also will be a high tower for the oppressed, a