The Birth of a Son - Guest Blogger

Strictly from a father's perspective, the birth of a son has been
known to elicit numerous responses. Perhaps the most well
recognized of these being the pre 80's ritual of passing out cigars
to other expectant fathers in hospital waiting rooms. Others may
include the dancing of jigs, shouting, and dreaming of their
greatness in years to come. Having watched my wife bring four girls
into this world, with very little help from me, I often wondered
what, if any difference having a son would produce on my attitude as
a father. Would I be more or less protecting, loving, forgiving?
Would my fatherhood of a manchild afford me greater insight to the
Heavenly Father's great sacrifice of freely giving His Son for us?
Looking back, less than two years after becoming the father of a son,
I realize, right or wrong, that the change a son produces on any man
is patently undeniable, and cries of sexism or women's liberation
theology will never change the irrefutable nature of the change
wrought by the birth of a son on his own father. Though this change
may not always be identical throughout mankind, absolutely noticeable
it is. Though it may not always be permanent, a transformation
nonetheless does come to pass that is markedly different from the
mindset of those tasked with raising beautiful little girls.

Such was the case very soon after our first parents began to fulfill
God's first command to be fruitful and multiply so they could
replenish the earth. Once Cain mercilessly ended Abel life, God
graciously gave another baby boy to Adam and Eve. Seth, they called
him meaning the appointed one. From the Bible, we aren't privy what
effect this had on Adam, but to the next generation we may look and
discover the birth of possibly the greatest opportunity ever afforded
man. However, before fully realizing the greater effect Enos' birth
had on Seth, we should notice the primary workings of his birth. In
Genesis 4:26 we read, "And to Seth, to him also there was born a son;
and he called his name Enos..." whose meaning signifies the frailty
and mortality of man. Here we have Seth, who was born after one of
his brothers killed the other, now years later at the birth of his
own son pondering the very frailty of human life. At the birth of
his son, Seth must have looked down and said something akin to,
"Honey, we are but poor and miserable creatures." Enos' birth forced
Seth to acknowledge both the eternal existence and infinite power of
Almighty God. Seth thought, though we are but pitiful and helpless,
He is not, and the last part of verse 26 naturally follows, "...then
began men to call upon the name of the LORD." What was the product
of Enos' birth? Prayer. Pure, unadulterated, spontaneous prayer.
Seth saw his own frailty and that of his newborn heir and began to
cry out to his Creator, the Omnipotent Effector, the very opposite of
weakness. No doubt, soon others began to take notice and share in
this great privilege and so on and so forth down through the
wonderful ages until now.

I know the birth of my son has changed me. I can see the subtle
effect of his life on mine each day, and yet how rarely I stop and
thank God for how He chooses to change me through others He brings in
my life.

"Thank You Lord for my son. Thank You for my daughters and wife and
friends. Lord, please use these people and others that You choose to
bring in my life to make me more like Your Son. Father, teach me to
cherish the privilege of prayer each day and grow closer to You
through it. How I love You, Lord. Amen."


Bro. Michael