Names are important.
New parents will spend literally months thinking and even arguing about what to name their child! A name communicates so much about a person’s background, heritage, and even their character. This was especially true in the Old Testament times. In many cases, your name was what gave you identity and often described what kind of person you might become. In many ways, it was your parents’ dream for what you would be like. So, in Isaiah 9 when God is given a number of special names, it is very significant.
It reveals His character and how He relates to His creation.
Last week, we studied the name Wonderful Counselor and learned that He can be relied on to step into our problems and struggles with compassion and power. Today, we will look at the name Everlasting Father. The name “father” brings out all kinds of emotions and memories of our own experiences with our earthly fathers, good or bad. Today, we will learn facts about our Everlasting Father that reveal that He is nothing like imperfect earthly fathers. In fact, we will find that our Everlasting Father is full of love, slow to anger, always present, and will never leave.