The Meaning of a Name - The Ed Word (Edward)

Today is my son Edward's birthday.  He is now 1 year of age.  Though Tirzah and the rest of us often call him "Bubber", Edward's full name is much longer and filled with meaning for us.  

The name of our little guy is Edward Borden Benjamin Myers

Edward comes from the Old English ead meaning "blessed, rich" and weard, meaning "guardian, watcher".  

In Hebrew, Ed is a proper name meaning "witness".  It is the name given to a great altar built by the two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh) on the east side of Jordan, as a testimony to future generations that the LORD IS GOD (Numbers 22).  We desire for our son to become a bold witness for Christ, whose life will so given for Christ that it will alter the course of history as those who come after see what God has done!

I also appreciate that in the heart of the name is the word WAR.  We are in a great conflict of spiritual warfare.  I call him my little warrior, and desire him to grow to "be strong in the LORD" (Ephesians 6:10), and "turn the battle to the gate" (Isaiah 28:6).  We love having both our children join us each week at we minister at the abortion mill!  And my prayer for my son/warrior is that he will gain a great desire to defend those who are weak, be a hero for the fatherless and widow, win souls to Christ, do battle in the heavenlies, and that the Lord will mightily use him to "brake the jaws of the wicked, and pluck the spoil out of his teeth" (Job 29:17)!

Edward is the middle name of my father's father, Harold Edward Myers.  His birthday was March 27th, only 5 days earlier than Edward's (in fact, the 27th was one of the possible due dates we were given for Edward'a arrival).  Grandpa Myers taught me so much about life and family, God's creation, hard work, and integrity, and is now in Heaven with his blessed Redeemer.  Grandpa Myers was the one to lead my father to salvation in Jesus, and my father led me.  And I pray daily for Edward to come to saving faith in Christ alone!

Edward is a name that carries a royal weight.

King Alfred the Great's eldest son was named Edward.  In the last hours of Alfred's life, he called for Edward, to give him a last charge as king:

"Thou my dear son, set thee now beside me, and I will deliver thee true instructions.  I feel that my hour is coming.  My strength is gone; my countenance is wasted and pale.  My days are almost ended.  We must now part. I go to another world, and thou art to be left alone in the possession of all that I have thus far held.  I pray thee, my dear child, to be a father to thy people.  Be the children's father and the widow's friend.  Comfort the poor, protect and shelter the weak, and, with all thy might, right that which is wrong.  And, my son, govern thyself by law.  Then shall the Lord love thee, and God Himself shall be thy reward.  Call thou upon Him to advise thee in all thy need, and He shall help thee to compass all thy desires."

History tells us that this son, who succeeded Alfred, became a good and just ruler, and gained such renown, that the name Edward remained in popular use even after the Norman conquest, when Norman names replaced English ones.  In fact, eight other monarchs of England were given the name of Edward in honour of that son of Alfred.

One of those "Edward kings" (and my favorite), was Edward VI, by some called "the British Josiah", whose short life of fifteen years and brief reign of only six years, nevertheless burned brightly for the Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and altered the course of England's history.  When preparations for his coronation were being made, it is said that three swords were brought out to be carried in the procession, as emblematic of his three kingdoms.  The young Edward said, "There was one yet wanting."  The nobles inquired what it was and he answered, 

"The Bible.  That book is the sword of the Spirit, and to be preferred before these swords.  That ought in right to govern us, who use them for the people's safety by God's appointment.  Without that sword we are nothing, we can do nothing, we have not power.  From the Bible we are what we are this day.  From it we receive whatsoever it is that we at present do assume.  He that rules without it is not to be called God's minister or king.  Under the Bible, the word of God, we ought to live, to fight, to govern the people and to perform all our affairs.  From it alone we obtain all power, virtue, grace, salvation and whatsoever we have of divine strength."  O, that our son Edward would treasure that Sword, and wield it faithfully!

Edward Ruthledge was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Though he was cautious to come to the decision to separate from Britain, Ruthledge, at age 26, became the youngest of the 56 signers, to pledged his life, fortune, and sacred honour to see his fledgling nation free from the tyranny of George III.

Borden means "from the boar valley".  This is interesting, since my dear wife Deana's name means "from the valley".  We desire for our son to take on the challenges and dangers of life with an incorrigible trust in the living God, no matter his outward circumstance.

The father of the Borden family came to England circa the Norman conquest, following King William the Conqueror, and was granted land and named a Baron in recognition of his assistance in the Battle of Hastings. 

We named our son after the stalwart young millionaire, William Whiting Borden (1887-1913), who forsook the world and followed Jesus Christ to the mission field.  Though he died at age 25 in Cairo before ever reaching his beloved China, the incredible life of dogged love for souls and daring givenness of William Borden has caused multitudes of Christians since to be moved to the mission field.  We desire for our son to be ready for God's call to missions, and to "Say No to Self, Yes to Jesus every time."  

It is special to us that in Borden, our son Edward is named after a William, since we lost his older brother, William Livingstone Samuel, before birth.  Each and every child is a blessing to be cherished, welcomed, and valued as the "heritage of the LORD" (Psalm 127:3).

Benjamin is Hebrew, meaning "son of the right hand".  Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob, and Joseph's brother, whose family became a tribe.  A few of the heroes that came from the tribe of Benjamin are Ehud, Jonathan, Mordecai, and the apostle Paul.  "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of  man whom thou madest strong for thyself" (Psalm 80:17).  

My mother's father is named Benjamin Russell Markley, Jr.  He too, has taught me an incredible amount about diligence, character, heritage, and service for the Lord.  At 91, he is still with us, and we plan to visit him this weekend.  Both I and my son Edward have the middle name of Benjamin.   

There were three signers of the Declaration of Independence named Benjamin:
Benjamin Franklin - Pennsylvania  
Benjamin Rush - Pennsylvania
Benjamin Harrison - Virginia

   Of these three signers, my favorite is Benjamin Rush, who was a staunch Christian, a passionate patriot, and being an early Abolitionist, he founded the first abolitionist society in America.  Even while King George outlawed such groups.  Rush was also a scientist and dedicated physician, who risked his own life to stay and care for hundreds of patients during an epidemic in Philadelphia, even as many other doctors were fleeing for their own safety. Dr. Rush wrote a powerful defense of the use of the Bible in public schools, which later became a widespread tract.  He served under three U.S. Presidents of different parties.  Benjamin would find a man who followed Biblical principles, and would stand with him.  He said once "People have alternately called me an Aristocract and a Democrat.  I am neither.  I am a Christocrat."

We are humbled and grateful for the honour of receiving and raising this son, and do seek God's wisdom and direction as we train our children to know, fear, love, and serve God with all their hearts!  

Happy Birthday, Edward!  Love you, Bubber!

Abortion must be abolished.

A Delight by No Other Name - Tirzah Carmichael

On the 26th day of November, 2011, we met our firstborn child.  When it was announced that she was a girl, Deana and I were flooded with emotion.  Our own little Tirzah Carmichael Myers!  Now she is three years old, and such a treasure!

Often when we are introducing our family, people ask where we got the name "Tirzah".  This affords a wonderful chance to share.  The name comes from the Bible.  Each of our children have been given Bible names, and I love to tell about their origin.  I especially delight in the lesser known Bible people, those which many are not familiar.  Many times we can get the idea that we know all the stories and characters in the Scriptures, so it is profitable to be reminded and encouraged to dig deeper.

The name Tirzah is found 18 times in the word of God.  It is a proper Hebrew name with the meaning "Delight, Delightful, Delightsomeness".  (Besides being found in Scripture, it was the name chosen by Lew Wallace for the sister of Judah in the classic novel, Ben Hur.)  In the Bible, we find Tirzah the girl, and Tirzah the city. 

First, we find her name in the book of Numbers as one of (and probably the youngest of) five daughters of a man named Zelophehad.  Numbers 26:33 "And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."

In the next chapter (Numbers 27:1-11), we see her approach Moses along with her sisters, making an appeal concerning the inheritance and possession of their father now deceased.  Moses brought their petition before the LORD, and God responded that "the daughters of Zelophehad speak right..." (Numbers 27:7).  Their wise appeal created a precedent that protected the concerns of family, property, and possession for the whole nation of Israel. (If England had adopted that statute, the Bennett family would not have faced entailment away from their five daughters, but then of course, we would not have the story of Pride and Prejudice, would we?)  

We find these same five daughters featured again at the end of that book, where we hear of their marriages (Numbers 36:1-13): "...For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married...And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father..."

Finally, we find them in the land, as the tribes of Israel are taking possession of the Promised Land. Joshua 17:3-6 "But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.  And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren.  Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father..."  What a fitting last mention, as we see the LORD giving them the desires of their heart as they committed their way unto Him!

We desire that our little Tirzah would also learn to make wise appeals and speak what is right.

The other times we find this name, it is speaking of a city, the City of Tirzah. 

It was a name of a royal city, which was conquered by Joshua (Joshua 12:24).

The city of Tirzah in Ephraim was chosen to be the capitol city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel when the kingdom was divided.  From the reign of Jeroboam through to the half point of Omri's 12 years, it was the city of kings (I Kings 14:17; 15:21,33; 16:6,8,9,15,17,23).  It continued to be a city of influence at least until the reign of the rebel king Menahem ten kings after Omri (II Kings 15:14-16).  The city of Tirzah evidently was a delightful place.  To have been chosen out of all the cities of the northern ten tribes, it must have been a place of beauty (being well situated, pleasant to look upon, and with impressive architecture) and strength (being defensible, with walls and towers).  Even before the nation divided, King Solomon likened its attractiveness and charm to the beauty of his beloved wife in Song of Solomon 6:4 "Thou are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem...".

We desire for our daughter Tirzah to be beautiful, inside and out, with strength, as she allows the true King to dwell and reign within her heart. 

From the beginning, we planned to also give our children names of faithful missionaries, in order to inspire and challenge them to exploits for Christ.  Tirzah's middle name is Carmichael, after Amy Carmichael (AD 1867-1951), the amazing Irish missionary to India, who heroically rescued hundreds of young women, and little girls and boys from temple slavery.  The life, ministry, and writings of this devoted and selfless emissary of the cross of Christ has been a challenge and encouragement to both of us, especially to Deana.  

Here are some quotes from Amy Carmichael:

"He said 'Love...as I have loved you.'  We cannot love too much."

"We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could."

"I wish Thy way. 

And when in me myself should rise, and long for something otherwise,

Then Lord, take sword and spear

And slay."

"The word comfort is from two Latin words meaning 'with' and 'strong'--He is with us to make us strong.  Comfort is not soft, weakening commiseration; it is true, strengthening love."

"Can we follow the Saviour far, who have no wound or scar?"

"All along, let us remember we are not asked to understand, but simply to obey..."

We desire for our daughter Tirzah Carmichael to learn to submit to God, and live to see Him glorified, and the lost, the weak, and the vulnerable rescued.  It has been a delight to see her, even as a small child, standing with us at abortion mills, showing care for the babies in danger, and handing information to mothers heading inside.

The name Carmichael has various rendered meanings, such as "Child of Michael", "Friend of Michael", "Follower of Michael", and "Fort of Michael" (the prefix Car, coming from Caer "fort").  I have always liked the name Michael, as it is the middle name of my brother Bryan.  The name Michael is Hebrew and means "Who is like God?"  It is actually a question. The answer is, of course, there is no one like the true and living God, the God of the Bible.

We desire for our daughter to know God and became His child through faith unto salvation, to live as His friend, following Jesus faithfully.  We pray for the Lord Who is like no one else to be her Defense, her All in all.

Abortion must be abolished.

What's in a Name? William Livingstone Samuel, for Instance?

Two years ago, on this day, our family faced a tragedy.  We were 21 weeks along in our second pregnancy, and Deana, Tirzah, and I were expecting the arrival of the little one on February 9th of 2013.  But the birthday of our child came much sooner.  Our first son was born on September 28th in the afternoon in 2012, already departed to glory.  His name was William Livingstone Samuel, the name we had previously determined.

I well remember holding his little lifeless form in my hand, tears rushing down my cheeks.  Even at such a young age (it is thought that he passed away at 17 weeks), he was so wonderfully made, with a sweet face, little fingers and toes, perfect down to the little bone in his ankle.  The nurses were so kind, and worked hard to get his footprints for us--we treasure that precious card today.

We wept over his death with many tears, and still miss him every day.  But God is our Comfort, and His word was and is faithful to console and strengthen our hearts.  My little son's life was not in vain. God has used even this evil thing to do much good.  The brief life of my boy has provoked me to good zeal and even more earnest desire to rescue other babies whose lives are at stake.  I do not know how many times I have shared my loss with parents at the abortion mill.  And it has helped me better understand and stirred me to come alongside others who are hurting with a similar pain.

We now have two children on this earth, Tirzah and our second son, Edward.  We love all our children, and will welcome any more God chooses to send us.  And how I look forward to seeing William again, when I get Home (I Samuel 12:23)!

Today, I wanted to share about his name in honor of his birthday.  Anyone who knows me is aware that I like names.  Names are significant.  They have meanings, nuances, and can be influenced by other people that bear the same name.

His first name is William, which when dissected, is Will + Helm, as in a helmet.  Thus the meaning for this name has been rendered, "Constant Protector; Determined or Strong Guardian".  Deana has always loved this name, and I highly esteem many Williams that I know.  It is a old and noble name, denoting royalty and integrity.  You may know about William the Conqueror (AD 1028-1087) the
Norman king, who took and reigned over England.  A lot of kings, princes, dukes, and knights have borne that name in courts and in battles.  Therefore we chose it for our son.

There have been many Williams in history, a good number of which were defenders.  Here are a few of my heroes named William:
William Wallace - AD 1270-1305
warrior; the greatest patriot of Scotland, who yielded his life for his country!
William Tell - Circa AD 1307
patriot; crossbow shooting folk hero of Swiss history!
William Tyndale - AD 1494-1536
translator; martyr; defender of the holy, infallible word of God for the common people!
Dean John William Burgon - AD 1813-1888
pastor; dean; champion of the Bible; humble student and staunch defender of the Scriptures!
William Booth - AD 1829-1912
preacher; defender of the poor and the vulnerable, seeker of souls!
William Wilberforce - AD 1759-1833
abolitionist; battled against the British slave trade, the evil of his day!
William Borden - AD 1887-1913
missionary; gave all for his Saviour - "NO RESERVES, NO RETREATS, NO REGRETS"

I also love that this name was the name of six of the 56 valiant men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honour, to see their land and people have liberty.

William Whipple - New Hampshire
William Ellery - Rhode Island
William Williams - Connecticut
William Floyd - New York
William Paca - Maryland
William Hooper - North Carolina

William was given two middle names.  There are so many great names, I couldn't have just one!

We wanted each of our children to have a name of a great missionary, with which to challenge them in their lives. For William we decided on Livingstone, in honour of my childhood hero, the courageous and "forward-minded" missionary, David Livingstone (AD 1813-1873), who gave his all to see interior Africa opened up to the Gospel.  You can read more about him in another blog post of mine here! 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the true "Living Stone" (I Peter 2:4), and we desired that our son would reflect the Redeemer, disallowed of men, but precious to God.  Christians also, as the redeemed, are called "lively stones" (I Peter 2:5).  In William's corner, where his body rests, there is a large stone, found in Wyoming by my dear parents and siblings, and laid there in memory of him.

We also wanted distinctively Bible names, and we picked Samuel.  His name means "asked of God" or "heard of God."  Samuel was one of the two greatest leaders of the nation of Israel, alongside Moses.  His name is mentioned 142 times in the Bible.

Moses and Samuel are highlighted in Scripture as men who were not only incredible leaders, but also men of prayer and mighty intercessors for their people.  For an example of each, consider Exodus 17:8-15 for Moses, and I Samuel 7:7-13 for Samuel.  Below are two verses that reveal the power of their appeals.
Psalm 99:6 "Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them."
Jeremiah 15:1 "Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth."

Samuel was the only man in the Bible about which it is specifically said "...the LORD...did let none of his words fall to the ground" (I Samuel 3:19).  Samuel's words were true and carried through because Samuel was speaking what he heard from the LORD.  "Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD..." (II Kings 10:10).

Samuel served the LORD from his weaning to his death.  He was the last of the judges, and anointed the first two kings of Israel.  He was a prophet who foretold of the coming Messiah.
Acts 3:24 "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days."

I don't have space here to write all that the Lord did through Samuel.  You can search the Scriptures for more.  Suffice it to say, he was a hero of faith, as it is said in God's Hall of Faith... "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:" (Hebrew 11:32).

Before he was born, the biblical Samuel was dedicated to the LORD.  I Samuel 1:11,22,28 "I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life...I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide forever...I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD."  As with each of our children, we had dedicated our little Samuel to serve the Lord Jesus Christ all the days of his life, little knowing that his life would be so brief, and that he would "appear before the LORD" ahead of us.

How I yearned to have a William, a defender of the weak, a staunch protector of life!
I wanted to raise a little Livingstone to go FORWARD for Christ!  To dare for His God!
I desired to see a little Samuel grow, to speak the words of God and stand in the gap for others!

So what am I to say?

It would be easy to blame God and shake my fist.  It would be natural to pity myself and spend my time in bitter grief.  But then Satan gets a foothold, and I cannot allow any ground for the devil in my life (Ephesians 4:27).  The fact is, "...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (II Timothy 1:12).  I know that in this world cursed by sin, there is trouble, suffering, and death.  That the Christian life is going to involve persecution, sorrow, and affliction.  I do not always have to understand my God, but I can always trust Him.  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" (Job 13:15).  His word is true, no matter how I feel.  "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

So in faith, Deana and I can smile, even through tears at times.  Watch what our God will do!  "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:29).