AZEL
This is Samuel’s middle name. It too has confirming stories behind it. 1) I first heard this name on the show “A wedding story.”It airs on TLC. I was watching it all the time since we were engaged and needed tips. On one episode a bride’s name was Isel. I immediately loved the sound of this name. I called my mom and sister and told them if we had a girl we would name her Isel. Corina called it “Isill Chisill.” 2) Anyway, the next Sunday at church pastor Russ taught from Zech 14:5. In the passage we were reading there was a mountain range called Azel. I thought, that’s weird. It sounds like Isel, but it’s more neutral to me. It could be a girl or boy. Chad liked it too and we added it to our mental baby name list. Zechariah 14 The LORD Comes and Reigns 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake [1] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 14:5 Or 5 My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake All of this has to do with the last days. Our Bible says that Azel is an area where angels specifically assigned for the last battle are waiting. I have read different things in different versions of the foot notes. 3) Time passed, we got married….and about one year ago I was reading 1 Chron 9. I thought it was so neat how generations of families had one job at the temple and that was it. You didn’t do anything else. Part of the chapter talks about the genealogy of King Saul. He was part of the tribe of Benjamin, which Glenn and Sybil have gotten prophecies about being in (spiritually speaking). That caught my attention. Before I knew it I’m reading over the generations of musicians and there is the name Azel. It is a man who played music around the ark. I show Chad and we feel like this is more than likely going to be the middle name of our son. 1 Chron 9 33 Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night. 34 All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem. The Genealogy of Saul 35 Jeiel the father [2] of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, 36 and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. 39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal…. …., Eleasah his son and Azel his son. 44 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. 4) Back to the drive to Nanny’s looking for names in the Bible we just open to….the second time I opened the Bible it was at 1 Chron 9, the passage above.

So as you can see, we feel like God has clearly shown us that the name of our son is to be SAMUEL AZEL. We can’t wait to meet him and watch his amazing life unfold.