The Abrahamic covenant is the example covenant or key covenant we all make with our Heavenly Father. The Lord used Abraham as the example of how to make and keep covenants. To emphasize the importance of covenants, the Lord actually used the changing of Abraham’s name from Abram to Abraham as well as his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah. Notice in both of their names the letter “h” is essentially added. Let’s examine this a little closer.

The letter “h” in English is the letter He in Hebrew which looks like this:

ה

This letter has many meanings in Hebrew, it represents the Son of God or Jesus Christ as previously discussed. When an apostrophe precedes the He ה, as in ה’, it becomes an abbreviation for The Name as in the Name of God.

Therefore, in a very direct and real manner to symbolically make a point, both Abraham and Sarah take upon themselves the He or ה’, or The Name of Christ when they make covenants with the Lord.

The changing of their names is a very powerful teaching point and symbol to remind them, as well as us, of the part of the covenant that we promise to do, that is–take upon us His name and always remember Him. It would be very difficult for both Abraham and Sarah to forget that they both spiritually and literally took upon them The Name when they would say and see their new names with a He or ה.

We don’t literally change our names when we are baptized or make other covenants with the Lord, but we do take upon us His Name in a very real and spiritual way.

(courtesy of Stephen Tolman, with special thanks to Lee Donaldson – CES Instructor)