Abraham was first called Abram. God promised Abram children as numerous as the stars. For a long time nothing happened. Then God said to him,

"No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations."

Genesis 17:5 - NKJV

"Abraham" means father of many nations. God was telling Abram to call himself "Father-of-many-nations".

In faith Abram obeyed God. He called himself Abraham. He didn't consider his aged body and the deadness of Sarah's womb but he went about saying to everyone he met, "I am Father-of-many-nations."

It happened. Before long his wife, Sarah, gave birth to a boy whom they named Isaac. Isaac had a son named Jacob. Jacob changed his name to Israel and from him came the Children of Israel.

Abraham spoke into the world the Word of God and successive ages were radically changed by it. Our world today has been fashioned by it!

People say it is foolishness to call yourself something you are not yet seen to be. In Abraham's day the scoffers probably said, "Who does Abram think he's kidding? What's his big idea calling himself Abraham? He's not a father of many nations!"

God said to him, "I give you your name Abraham. Call yourself Abraham and Abraham you shall be!"