What's In A Name?
Debbie Currie · Tidal Church Moncton · August 23, 2026 · Heroes of the Faith series
Debbie Currie looks at Barak and Deborah in Judges 4 and Hebrews 11, showing how God uses fearful people and gives each of us a true name. As faith grows, so does our identity, and she invites listeners to ask Him what He calls them.
More from Debbie Currie · The Heroes of the Faith series
Transcript
[0:00] Have you ever wondered about your name? I've been called Debbie my whole life, but my actual given name is Deborah, and it means queen bee. I kind of like it. It's linked to being industrious and productive, leader of the hive. It's not very spiritual, but actually rather fitting for me. Do you know the meaning of your name? And if you do, is it a true reflection of who you really are? Let's face it, most parents, they pick a name for their children because they like the name, or they want to honor a family member or relative. When it came to naming our children, the meaning of the name also played a factor in how we chose the name. Before our firstborn arrived, we had chosen the name Christa, and it means Christ follower.
[0:58] But when I looked her in the face for the first time, I couldn't call her Christa. She just didn't look like a Christa. You guys don't get that, but the women do. It's okay. She was three days old, we still didn't have a name for her. I can remember holding her and crying, "I'm a terrible mother. I can't even call you by name." When we finally settled on Melissa, it was like the world just calmed around me. Now, Melissa means honeybee. Queen bee, honeybee. It means sweetness, nurturer, diligence.
[1:46] It actually was more than a little prophetic than I was expecting because I didn't know that especially through the teen years, I would have to remind my pretty honeybee that I was the queen of the hive. But of course, today she's the queen of her own hive. And when the grandkids started coming, I became Nana Bee, which I definitely prefer over Queen Bee. My mother's name was Shirley. It means a bright meadow or a clearing, and I love that picture for Mom. She was a beautiful place of peace and rest for me. She taught me so many things that helped me in my role as a wife and mother. But when I was young, and I was learning Psalm 23 for the first time, I had this little fear, this nervousness of the role that Mom would play in my life as an adult. Because when I got to verse 6, it says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." I wasn't sure.
[2:54] That's what I was counting on. Worked out pretty good, but anyway. But what about some of the Bible names like Isaac? Well, Isaac means laughter. Well, that sounds fun. Just imagine you have 100-year-old Abraham. Every time he looks at his 90-year-old pregnant wife, they would break out in these rhapsodies of laughter and say, "Can you believe this is really happening to us?" We also have the story of Jacob. Now, Jacob's parents went before the Lord and actually asked God why Rebecca was having such a difficult pregnancy. And the Lord said to her that, "There are two nations in your womb.
[3:40] One will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." They knew the younger had an anointing on his life, and yet they called him Jacob, which means deceiver, and he became one. But the name given to you at birth does not have to define you. It's not the seed of your identity. God actually changed Jacob's name to Israel, which means prince of God. What's in a name? Today, we're going to continue our Heroes of the Faith series from Hebrews 11 by talking about Barak and Deborah, hence the name discussion. In Hebrews 11, we read about several people who are remembered for their faith. So let's take a look at our text today and learn about the faith of Barak and Deborah. Hebrews 11.
[4:50] "How much more do I need to say?" the author writes. "It would take too long to recount the stories of faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith, these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weaknesses were turned to strength. They became strong in battle, and whole armies were put to flight." Wait a minute. Something's missing. What happened to Deborah?
[5:38] I guess the author wasn't kidding when he said he didn't have time to delve into the details. Deborah isn't even mentioned. But we are definitely going to talk about Deborah today. So let's take a look at Judges 4 and just see what role Deborah played in this story with Barak. We're going to look at Judges 4:1-9. "The Israelites again did evil in the Lord's sight. So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots. He ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for 20 years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.
[6:31] Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at the time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. One day, Deborah sent for Barak, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. And I,'" meaning God, "'will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.' Barak told her, 'I will go, but only if you go with me.'" Now, I got to interject for a minute. I'm a grandmother. As a grandmother, I read lots of children's books to my grandchildren, and I kind of like to make up voices.
[7:39] I might even embellish a little bit. But if I was reading this story to my grandkids, this is how I would do it. "And Barak said to Deborah, 'What? You want me to do what? Okay. I'll go, but only if you go with me.'" Now, the interesting thing is, Barak's name means lightning, but he has no spark. He was cowardly. Now, in all fairness, if I was asked to come against a commander with 900 iron chariots and who had oppressed my friends and neighbors for 20 years, I probably wouldn't be very excited about it either. But Deborah continues here in verse 9 and says, "'Very well. I will go with you.
[8:26] But you will receive no honor for this venture, for the Lord's victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.' So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh." And that's why Deborah's name is not mentioned in Hebrews 11. Yeah. Did you get it? Because I totally missed it. Seriously, Deborah's faith played a major role in this story. The question has to be asked, why is she not mentioned in Hebrews 11? My first assumption was that it was a gender issue. We all know that in Bible times that women just weren't notable. They weren't worth writing about.
[9:13] So I went digging into some commentaries, and it turns out, though, that the exclusion of Deborah's name here is not a gender issue, but a faith issue. Now, earlier in our series, Pastor Marc reminded us that Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter or the hall of faith for the whole Bible. In week one of our series, we defined faith as having confidence in God, but there can be a range, a great range, of what that confidence really looks like. A major theme of Hebrews 11 is not that these people were flawless heroes, but that they trusted God despite deep human frailties.
[10:02] I mean, let's face it, Moses literally argued with God that he wasn't up for it, that he didn't have what it takes to do the job that God was calling him to do. Gideon tested God twice because he was filled with doubt and fear. Samson, he was just a mess. And David was a murderer. But faith is about having confidence in our God, who always equips us for what He calls us to do. Deborah's faith was rock solid and unwavering. Barak, however, was fearful, very wavering, and weak. But he actually stepped out in faith anyway.
[10:53] He led 10,000 warriors into battle. His inclusion in Hebrews 11 highlights God's grace in using deeply flawed, timid people. People like me and you. Just like Barak, we cannot enter a battle or even life without faith. We must take up faith and carry it with us in times of peace and seasons of war. But sometimes we need to borrow assurance or borrow faith from others in our church family or maybe our small group, and we have to partner with their faith and their confidence in God. Our faith journey is never meant to be lived alone or in isolation. That said, there are at least nine times in the Bible that God gives the directive, "Do not fear. Be strong and courageous." But how?
[12:04] How do you not fear, and how are you courageous when you're scared to death? Faith isn't just about fear and courage, it's about obeying. It's about doing. Sometimes having faith means we just have to do the thing scared. And Barak was scared, but he knew that Deborah's instructions were from the Lord. He knew that Deborah had the faith to carry out God's plan. He wasn't about to not obey God, but he knew he couldn't do it in his own strength, and he certainly couldn't do it in his own faith.
[12:52] Barak went into battle a weak, wimpy, trembling soldier. But if we read further into Judges 4 and even into 5, we would see that as Deborah's faith merged with God's plan, the enemy was thrown into chaos. Iron chariot after iron chariot went down. As the commander of the army, Barak saw the opportunity. He recognized it for what it was, and he struck like a lightning bolt. After winning the battle, Barak was in awe of what God had done through him. He was a new man, filled with faith. Now, as a side note, Deborah actually told Barak in Judges 4 that he wasn't going to get any honor for this battle.
[13:48] I don't really know what to do with that. Obviously, he gets honor. He's in the Hall of Faith for all eternity. He did take 10,000 men, and he did actually win the battle. However, as Deborah prophesied before the battle, there was another woman, her name was Jael, and she actually killed Sisera, the evil enemy commander, and ended 20 years of tyranny. I mean, sometimes the women have to have the first and the last word, and sometimes it's even God's idea.
[14:35] But I digress. What's in a name? In Psalm 139, we read, "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day passed." Before you were born, God started a book on you. He called you by name before you had a name. You have another name besides the name your parents gave you. Your given name may be nothing like how you picture yourself or who you think you are, but God knows you better than you know yourself, and in Him, you find your true identity.
[15:21] God calls you by name, and His name for you is a true reflection of who He created you to be. In John 10, Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice, and I call them by name." Now, if Jesus walked into the room right now, if He just came in through those back doors and He just stood at the back and He yelled, "Hey, Light Keeper," or, "Hey, Beautiful Feet," I mean, it could be really weird, right? But you know He's talking to you because it touches right the core of your soul. What is that name? What is that name for you? What does Jesus call you? One of the great things about the God of the Bible, our God, is that He's a God who speaks. That's how we know He's not an idol. He talks.
[16:16] He communicates. He's calling your name. You might ask, "Well, what does my name have to do with faith? I mean, why is it important?" Well, the short answer is that identity impacts faith. Over my many adult years, I've been called a strong woman, but I don't think they were talking about these arms. In my early adult years, I had to be strong. So often, I felt like I had to fight just to get through the day, fight for my marriage, fight for my children. At one season, I had to fight to survive after the death of my child.
[17:02] Sometimes even fight to put food on the table. But I wasn't created to be a warrior. I'm more of a nurturer. I want to give care to others, and I want to receive care from others. Now, don't get me wrong, I can war with the best of you, but it goes against my identity. Even if I win, I don't get satisfaction. I don't get fulfillment from it, and I found that 25 years of warring was exhausting. And then God did something miraculous in my life and in Brian's life. Together, God called us by new names.
[17:49] And we heard Him. For the first time in a long time, Brian and I had hope that life could be better, that we could be better. God restored our broken identities, and He wrote more faith into us. Then together, Brian and I started seeking a deeper, more tangible relationship with God. As we tested our new identities, we both experienced the reality of Jesus. He's a real person. The Holy Spirit started leading and guiding us to do some things that, quite frankly, were risky and scary, like talking to people about Jesus, people we'd never even met before, praying for the sick to be healed, giving up our business to start a ministry.
[18:43] The truth is that if God is calling you to do something, it's going to be scary. Otherwise, you wouldn't need Him to help you get the job done. So what is the scary thing that God is asking you to trust Him with today? I'd like to suggest that you don't ask Him to change or cancel the assignment, but instead, ask Him to increase your faith. And as your faith grows, you will see yourself differently, because faith is a change agent. You cannot operate in faith and stay the same.
[19:30] Now, faith is not a crown you wear. It's not a feather in your cap. Faith is a free gift from God. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith, but you have a role to play. I regularly ask God to write more faith into me. If I want more faith, I have to go to the source of my faith, the author of my faith, Jesus. But I also have to partner with the faith that He has gifted me. I have to nurture it and shape it. It's important that I'm in the Word, that I'm in prayer, that I'm in worship, that I gather with the saints, and that I trust Him in difficult times.
[20:24] When I use my faith to see and experience the supernatural in and around me in my life, my identity is clarified and established, because faith fuels identity. When you believe in God, who He is, and you believe God, what He says, then you can believe what He says about you. Remember our definition of faith. It's having confidence in God. Now, just imagine that I painted your portrait. You'd really need an imagination for that.
[21:09] And we send it to auction, it would sell for, like, $1.50. But if Rembrandt had painted your portrait and it went to auction in today's market, it would sell for over $20 million, because the value of the art is found in the artist and the rarity of his work. Now, just like the works of Rembrandt, your value is directly related to the greatness of your Creator and your rarity. You were created by the Most High God, the high King of Heaven, and you are one of a kind. When you have faith in His greatness and His goodness, you increase your ability to trust what He says about you and what He's asking you to do. Faith fuels your identity.
[22:11] Now, as a people, the Israelites had turned away from God. It's recorded twice in the Book of Judges that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They were not obeying God. They did evil in the Lord's sight. Barak knew the stories of old. He knew the stories of the Red Sea. He knew of God's provision and God's deliverance, but he hadn't partnered with God to build a personal confidence in Him. So when Deborah told Barak that God had a plan for him, and that he was to gather 10,000 soldiers and go into battle against Sisera and his 900 iron chariots, well, he was terrified, as we all would be.
[23:07] But Barak had seen God work through Deborah. He knew her judgments and her words were filled with wisdom and honor. He knew that she heard from God directly, so he chose to trust Deborah. And as he obeyed the word of the Lord as she gave him instruction, they had success. Barak was experiencing the power and deliverance of God firsthand, in real time, on the battlefield. And that wimpy little spark of Barak turned into a lightning bolt, and got his name written in Hebrews 11.
[23:56] So what's in a name? We've been talking about Deborah. My name is Deborah. Am I like her? In some respects. I bear her name, but I also bear the name of Jesus. And as a Christian, Jesus calls me to a life outside the boundaries of this world. At our Tidal vision night in June, Pastor Jim announced that our theme for this year is Made for More. Deborah was made for more than anyone around her expected. I mean, come on, she was a woman who became a judge for a whole nation. She definitely lived outside the boundaries of her world. Barak was made for more than he expected of himself.
[24:49] For years, I felt like I was made for more. I was stuck in this nagging ache in the core of my being that I just wasn't good enough. I'd read the Bible, and I couldn't reconcile it to my life. I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. But all of those things changed when I opened my eyes and my ears and my heart to what Jesus calls me. There's a high priest in the Old Testament who also struggled to reconcile his identity with the position that God had called him to do. I want to take a quick minute and look at Zechariah, chapter 3.
[25:39] "Then the angel of the Lord showed Zechariah Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! He has rescued Joshua like a stick snatched from the fire.' Now Joshua was in filthy garments and was standing before the Lord. And the angel of the Lord responded and said to those who were standing before him, 'Remove the filthy garments from him.' And the angel said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.'" Now, Joshua, well, Joshua actually means Yahweh is salvation.
[26:40] But Joshua was a high priest. Now, the Jewish Talmud implies that he survived a similar roasting, if you will, to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had been thrown into the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel. So this kind of explains the stick snatched from the fire idea, right? And so Joshua had the highest position in the church, and he had lived through something absolutely miraculous, and yet, here he is, standing in filthy rags while facing Satan's accusations. Have you ever felt like that? Like you were made for more, but the enemy is just in your head. He's telling you lies. He's telling you, "You can't do it.
[27:33] You're not good enough." He's just all up in your face and all up in your business. It's only through confidence, through faith in what Jesus did on the cross, that we overcome the accusations of our enemy. When God redeemed Joshua's identity, He didn't just exchange his filthy clothes for clean clothes. No, He gave Joshua festive clothes, royal robes. And God wants to restore your identity so He can write more faith into you.
[28:21] We also have the story of Lazarus in John 11. "Roll the stone aside," Jesus said. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he's been dead for four days. He stinketh." And Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out." And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth, and Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go." Now, as a believer, Jesus calls us all to die to self, but we are not supposed to wrap ourselves up in grave clothes or even filthy clothes. According to Romans 6, you have been raised with Christ. In Jesus, you have new life.
[29:16] He calls you by a new name. Don't wrap yourself up in what the world calls you. Have faith in the name God calls you. Isaiah 62 gives us a beautiful picture of what God calls us. It says, "You will be given a new name by the Lord's own mouth. Never again will you be called forsaken or desolate. Your new name will be the place of God's delight or the bride of Christ, for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as His bride."
[30:05] This is what Jesus did for you. He rescued you from yourself, from the world around you, and from the ploys of the enemy. He calls you by name to establish your identity and fuel your faith. So, what is your name? What is the name that God calls you? Well, He does not call you charred wood or filthy or putrid, and if someone else does, He has removed that from you. He does not call you shame or fear or rejected. He does not call you alone or sick or broke.
[30:55] No, God calls you chosen. He calls you adopted. You are a son or a daughter of God. He calls you royalty. You are a princess or a prince. He calls you priest to bring blessing to the world in His name. He calls you loved, forgiven, friend. He says you are a branch that bears much fruit. You are fruitful. He says you are the apple of His eye. He calls you saved, healed, and delivered. He says you are His delight and so much more.
[31:42] Deborah was full of faith and God blessed her. He gave her words of wisdom and direction for a whole nation, but she didn't get her name in Hebrews 11. Barak was full of fear, and God called him into battle anyway. When he stepped out in faith, both his personal faith and some borrowed faith, in the middle of the battle, while he was obeying, while he was doing the thing scared, he saw God move and his confidence in God skyrocketed. God transformed his identity from little spark to lightning bolt. And God wants to transform your identity.
[32:35] You can leave this place today the same way you came in, or you can call out to God and you can say, "Father, help me. Help me see myself the way You see me. Jesus, would You write more faith into me? And thank You, Jesus. I love Your name. I praise Your name, Jesus. But would You tell me the name that You call me? What is my true name?" I want you to take a minute and I want you to talk to God, and I want you to ask Him the question, "What's my name?" And then listen.
[33:20] Listen to what God is calling you. Now, listening to God means paying attention to what's happening in your head, in your body, in your emotions, not just your ears. We don't always just hear a voice. Use your faith to hear a name, to see a picture, to feel the power of His presence, to experience His delight, and He may just deposit something right in your knower. You received a name tag on the way in. I want you to take it, and there should be a pen in front of you or you can share them around. I want you to write down the name that God calls you.
[34:07] I'm going to give you 20 seconds. 20 seconds to talk to God and then listen for His response. God is calling you by name. Be bold. Be courageous. This is not about being presumptuous. It's not about thinking too highly of yourself. No, it's about receiving and having the faith for what Jesus died to give you. So write down the name God calls you. You've got 20 seconds.
[35:03] Did you hear it? Did you hear Jesus call your name? Are you ready to walk in it? I want you to take your name tag. I want you to peel off the back, and I want you to slap that thing on. Don't be afraid. Walk in faith. Wear the name God calls you. Now, I know this is hard. I know this is hard for a lot of you. Some of you, the lies of the enemy are so familiar that you just can't let them go. Or maybe God did give you a name and you heard it, but you can't write it down because you don't feel worthy to receive it.
[35:49] If that's you, I suggest that you contact Tidal Restore through the church office, and we can help you expose those lies of the enemy and reveal your true identity. But for today, if you didn't hear a voice or if you can't write it down, come forward and let the prayer team pray with you today. Let them be your Deborah today. Oh, wait a minute, I'm Deborah. I don't mean me, I mean metaphorically. Let the prayer team be your Deborah this morning. But before we sing our last song, let me just pray for you. Father, thank You for Jesus. Jesus, we love Your name.
[36:37] We love Your name, Jesus. Thank You that Your name is power. Your name is healer. Your name is Savior and Redeemer. Your name is Provider. Oh, we love Your name, Jesus. Your name is Exchanger because everything the enemy means for evil, You turn into good. Reveal Your truth to me, Holy Spirit. You are the Spirit of truth. Show me how You see me. Father, I pray that every person here will leave this place encouraged by You today. You are our Encourager, and we give You praise.
[37:25] We give You praise, Jesus. Amen.