"And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, and the dirt came out. (Judges 3:20-21 KJV)
Where do I begin? How do I define myself? Am I just a sum of my beliefs or am I something more? I am a husband, father, grandfather (Dadoo is the proper term in our family), son, brother, cousin, nephew, uncle, follower of Christ, preacher, theologian, philosopher, apologist, food addict, movie geek, lover of literature, teacher, friend, sinner...I am all of these and more because I am human. I am made in the image of God, and because of one man's transgression and my own actions I am polluted by the stain of sin. Because of Jesus' sinless life, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, I have a relationship with God through faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. I am indwelt by his Holy Spirit, so I "can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I also do many things that don't represent Jesus well. I have helped people and I have hurt people (many of whom are the people that I love most in this world). I have had tremendous victories and staggering failures, yet through it all, I have known the blessedness of forgiveness and the majesty of grace.
You may be asking why the name? What is the significance of Ehud's dagger? Well I'm glad you asked (I know you may not have asked that question, but I am assuming you were thinking that). Ehud was one of the men (and one woman) that God used to deliver Israel during their turbulent tribal years after Joshua died and before the kingdom era began. The people of Israel were having to pay tribute to Eglon the king of Moab. Ehud went with other tribal leaders for the yearly payment and brought a dagger with him which he used to assassinate Eglon who was described as very fat (in fact he was so fat that Ehud could not withdraw the dagger from his stomach). This account has a great deal of symbolism for me. Like Eglon I was a man who was very fat and my addiction to food was the king to whom I was paying tribute with my health and life. The dagger represents the Bible, the sword of the Spirit, that when I allowed to penetrate me and become a part of me the dirt (food, idolatry, fear, etc) ran out, and I began to be free of those things which had been dominating my life for so long. I still struggle, but as long as I allow the Word of God to remain in me, I am seeing results that are not of my making.
This blog will serve as a sounding board for me to share with you, dear reader, some of the things that I have learned, as well as those things which trouble and concern me, especially as I try to view them through a Christocentric lens. You may find yourself in agreement with me or in opposition to my conclusions. Please feel free to comment no matter which side you are on, I promise to leave my flame thrower off. I welcome debate and dialogue, for as the Scriptures teach (in another sword simile), "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend" (Prov. 27:17 NLT).
PS - Since I am new to the blogosphere, I would love tips and pointers on how to improve the aesthetics of the blog.
Powerful imagery, your honesty and humanity are a main part of why I have been so proud to be your son. I love how you took a story that could easily be relegated to the "GOD smote them" Bible tales and illustrated the power of transformation through the tools of faith. Our humanity gives rise to so many frailties and failings but we can always rise above and beyond through faith and love, though the path may be quit painful or seem lonely.
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