NAME DROPPING

The Bible is replete with the names of individuals, most of whom, appear once, and then they are never mentioned again.  For example, Matthias comes to mind in Acts 1:16-26.  Peter, being Peter, decided to have a "church business meeting" instead of waiting for the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had told him to do (Acts 1:1-5).  Matthias is never heard from again, but in Acts 9:1-16, we read about the replacement for Judas, "hand picked" by Jesus:  Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul - see the first verse of nine of his epistles).  Even when man refuses to wait, God's plans cannot be thwarted!

Another interesting case of "name dropping" is found in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-16.  In his Gospel, generally accepted to have been written to a Jewish audience due to its repeated emphasis on Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled by Jesus, there are five persons one would not expect to be included in a Jewish genealogy; there are five women mentioned!  They are:  Thamar (Tamar - v. 3); Rachab (Rahab - v. 5); Ruth (v. 5); the wife of Urias (Bathsheba - v. 6); and Mary (v. 16)!  One was a prostitute, one played the harlot, one was taken in adultery, one was a Gentile, and finally, there was Mary, a woman who was pregnant before she shared a bed with her husband!  Of course, when one looks as the stories of each of these women, he sees that they were all being used of God in His plan to provide a Savior. 

In the Book of Hebrews, there is a chapter which is called the "Hall of Faith."  Chapter eleven lists a few of the heroes of faith by name (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and, would you believe it, Rahab again?)!  Then the writer says he does not have time to discuss Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthae, David, or Samuel!  Can you imagine?  He mentions Rahab, but does not have time for those greats of the Bible?!  What does that tell you?  "God is no respecter of persons" (Deut. 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:11; 1 Pet. 1:17)!

Nothing could be clearer throughout God's Word.  He loves the whole of humanity (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Jn. 2:2; etc.).  And nothing declares it more than His offer of salvation to "whomsoever!"  Romans 10:9-13 says:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."