As a lot of you are already aware, any minute now Zeke will enter the world. About a month ago, I set out to read Ezekiel in the Bible for fun since that is his name. I basically would have to read a chapter a day to finish it by the time his due date got here. I guess you could say the name Ezekiel is a nice Christian name since there is a book in the Bible named that, but that isn’t really why Angela and I picked it. We liked the way it sounded and the meaning of it. Zeke is also a pretty sweet nickname. So I figured I would refresh my memory about the Bible’s Ezekiel for fun.
Today is Zeke’s due date, so in theory I should be wrapping up reading the book of Ezekiel. Well unless I binge read today, I won’t be. I just checked and I am on chapter 26 of 48. When I set out, I was hoping that reading through the book would get me all excited about everything. I quickly was reminded that Ezekiel is not one of those books in the Bible you go to when you want to be uplifted. Lots of doom and gloom in there. When I was about five chapters in, I started thinking that if people think this book is why we named our child Ezekiel they may think we are depressing people. Like Angela and I just sit in our house in the dark and think about what terrible sinners we are. It hasn’t really motivated me to finish reading it. I’m hoping soon I get to the redemptive part. I don’t remember the book of Ezekiel that well, but hopefully it will get there (either way don’t spoil it for me!).
There is something I didn’t expect to get out of reading Ezekiel though. Reading through it has made me so incredibly happy that Jesus came. Back in Ezekiel’s day, the way God got people to turn and repent was by letting opposing armies conquer and enslave them. I’ve never been conquered and enslaved, but I can’t imagine it would be very pleasurable. I’d be in serious trouble if that was still God’s method. Instead I am forgiven through the blood of Jesus. Just saying that doesn’t seem fair. Good thing life doesn’t have to be fair.
Just a few nights ago I got grumpy with Angela when she knocked a bunch of stuff off the window sill. I got even more grumpy when she got frustrated with me as I tried to help her off the couch. It wasn’t the prettiest 3 a.m. scene you’ve ever seen. It definitely wasn’t one that would make it into any chick flick. There wasn’t a lot of Jesus in the room at the time. But I’m thankful for a few things. One is that I have an awesome wife who forgives me. The other is that I have an awesome God that forgives and redeems me.
As Zeke enters this world, if there is one thing I can teach him I hope it is to be the greatest football player ever. Totally kidding. It would be that he is going to make mistakes but God and I will still love him. My story and his story doesn’t need to be doom and gloom. It’s a story of an amazing love that sets us free. Thank God for that.
until next time…
Photo courtesy of sobriquet.net