day no. 13,473: rocco henry warfield

Well, it's official.

Rocco Henry Warfield Van Voorst is the name of the baby boy due Oct. 31, 2015.

Here's a little background on the name selection:

Rocco

Simon Bar Jonas was the disciple Jesus Christ renamed Peter or "Rock."

I love Peter, his rawness, his boldness, his repentance after failure, his persistence, his passion, his faith, his works, his life, his death.

Rocco may derive from the Germanic element hrok meaning "rest, repose." In Christ, there is rest. In Him, striving ceases and that final Sabbath Rest awaits us at His return and the culmination of Kingdom. 

It may also have its origins in the Old High German rohōn meaning "to roar" especially referring to a battle cry. This overlaps well with the Hebrew war cry "Rak Chazak Amats" and while not a direct derivative, Rocco does sound like the beginning of that ancient call to manliness that commands one to play the man and to be strong and courageous.  This rally cry is a call to be a man -- fighting for things worth fighting for and dying for things worth living for.

These two elements combined speak of a peacemaker. Peace is the product of defeating evil. Peace is made through being prepared and prevailing in war.

One who wore the name well was St, Rocco, a 14th century French saint born with the mark of a cross on his person, who led a life of serving Jesus, the poor, the sick, the needy and humbly accepting and persevering under false accusations and imprisonments. He traveled to Italy during a plague and tended to the sick. Legend has it that, when he contracted the plague himself, he retreated to the woods where God sent dogs bring him food until he recovered in similar fashion to how God sent ravens to nurse Elijah back to health after his encounter with the prophets of Baal and the subsequent death threats of Queen Jezebel.

Henry

Easy, it's my middle name.

But more than that it literally means "head of the household" from "haim" which means 'home' and "rik" which means 'ruler.' So it is a charge and encouragement to be the head of the household as a federal husband, like Jesus, taking responsibility for those under his care and leveraging all his God-given and mandated strength to serve, provide and protect those for whom he bares responsibility.

It is a call to patriarchy and the roles of men and women as designed and commanded by God and godliness.

Warfield

B.B. Warfield is a dead, white, reformed theologian which in my book is a great start to an eternal friendship. I read a book last year summarizing essays, sermons and books written by Warfield on the Christian Life.

I also have a feeling that within my childrens' respective lifetimes the spiritual battle and war in both the physical world and the world of ideas and doctrine will be waged fiercely.

2 Corinthians 10:5-6

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 

I am praying for sons that fight courageously the good fight and agonize over the good agony, spending themselves for that which will endure them and outshine them for their benefit forever and ever, that is the glory of God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, our Lord! I am praying my sons help DESTROY wolves and false teachings to the protection of the flocks over which they are given influence.

I am very excited to meet my newest son and tell him about his name and the God who will one day rename all of those found eternally in His Son. (REV 2:17)

AMEN.