Do You Have an “H” in your name?

I do not go by my first name, which is Harold, though I do use the letter H, as in “H. Greg.” For this reason, I was amused in discovering the meaning of the Hebrew letter “H.”

In Hebrew culture, names signified character and purpose. Notably, when God changed someone's name, He was altering identity, character and function. Accordingly, then, God changed Abram to Abraham—“high father" to "father of multitudes,” and Sarai to Sarah—“my princess” to “mother of nations” (Gen. 17:15). In both, their names were changed by the adding the letter “h” (the letter “hay” in Hebrew).

The letter “h” represents holiness—when Jewish people write God's name, they abbreviate it (because you are not allowed to write it out) with the “hay” letter with an apostrophe. What’s more, the Hebrew letter "h" (because of its sound) signifies the BREATH of God. [Just try to pronounce the “h” sound (as in holy) without expelling any air!] Amazingly, the Hebrew word “spirit” also means “breath”/“air.” When God “breathed” into Adam the “breath of life” (His Spirit), he became a living being. Just as Adam had no life apart from God’s breath, so Abraham and Sarah could not accomplish God’s work without the same.

God could have used a "p" or a "t", but He didn't! I would like to suggest that by adding an “h” to their names, God was not only proclaiming their new roles, but revealing He would impart His life to them that they might become the Father and Mother of nations. Likewise, you and I will not be able to do the work God created us to do without an “h” in our name!

It is the Spirit who gives life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. (John 6:63 NLT)