So, Zach has been with us a few days now. He is the most amazing person, the way he grows so quickly, even in three days. His neck is getting stronger, his legs are stretching, wriggling and pushing, and his head is becoming less deformed each day!
Zachariah means The LORD remembers, and we believe this is a prophecy over him, that through all his life he will know that God is with him and God is for him. The iah at the end of the name comes from the most holy Hebrew name for God, Yahweh, which means I AM WHO I AM. God, who IS, remembers our little Zach. And in the Hebrew understanding, remembering was much more than just a brief thought about someone – to remember someone was to turn your thoughts and actions towards them and act in a way to bring (usually) blessings on them. This is our prayer and hope for Zach, that the Lord will be with him and for him.
Michael means Who is like God? This name was given to me from God in a dream earlier this year. In a pluralistic society, people think that the answer is that there are lots of other gods, religions and philosophies are like our God, the Christian God. However, giving Zach this name is a prophetic statement that there is no-one like our God, he is totally Other, different, unique. We believe that Jesus is the only way to true life, and no other god, religion or way of life can satisfy the needs of the current life and save the soul after death.
Our hopes and dreams for Zach are big, and we’ve given him a big name to live up to. We believe, in faith, by the grace of God, he will do bigger things than we can dream, hope, ask or imagine.