WHAT IS A FATHER?
WHAT IS A FATHER?
He’s strength and security,
laughter and fun.
A prince to his daughter,
a pal to his son.
A great story—teller
and mender of toys,
Who’s seldom dismayed
by his family’s noise.
He’s an everyday Santa who brings home surprises,
The man to consult when a problem arises.
As eager a worker as ever there’ll be
Who wants all the best for his whole family.
He’s a loving instructor who struggles to teach
His child to achieve all the goals one could reach.
And he knows in his heart that it’s worth all the bother
When he hears his child say “That man? That’s MY father!”
Deut 6:6-9 (ESV) And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
We are instructed to teach their children the commands of the Lord “when you sit in your house” (at mealtimes or family gathering), “when you walk by the way” (when you go out with them), “and when you lie down” (before you go to bed), “and when you rise” (first thing in the morning).
A HIGH PRIEST
The Word of God should be on the “doorposts” of the house or on “your gates” i.e. displayed visibly in our houses or by the shows we watch, books or magazines we read, or music we play or listen to.
Fathers should be the “high priest” of their home. He is the spiritual leader and the spiritual head of the family. We see in Scripture that God holds fathers accountable for their children.
A father’s first responsibility is to acquaint his children with Scripture. The means and methods that fathers may use to teach God’s truth will vary. As the father is faithful in role modelling, what children learn about God will put them in good standing throughout their earthly lives, no matter what they do or where they go. 1
1 "https:// www.gotquestions.org/ fathers-Christian.html">https:// www.gotquestions.org/ fathers-Christian.html
A HIGH PRIEST
Prov 22:6 Train a
child in the way he
should go, and when
he is old he will not
turn from it.
We should be
training our children
in the way they
ought to live. There
is no better training
tool for this than Scripture. Fathers should be reading to their children daily from the Bible.
2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
A HIGH PRIEST
A father instructs his children in the ways of God. God said of Abraham:
“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” (Gen 18:19)
We are commanded to teach both our children and grand-children.
Deut 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
A HIGH PRIEST
Psalm 78:3–4 (NASB) Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.
But we live in an age when there are many absentee fathers, who have abdicated their role as high priest in the family.
ABSENTEE FATHERS
We think of orphans only as the little girls and lads,
Who haven’t any mothers and who haven’t any dads.
They are grouped with other children
and in groups they’re put to bed.
With some stranger paid to listen
while their little prayers are said.
All the grownups look with pity
on such lonely children small,
And declare to be an orphan
is the saddest fate of all.
But sometimes I look about me
and with sorrow hang my head
As I gaze on something sadder
than the orphans of the dead.
ORPHANS OF THE LIVING
For more pitiful and tragic
as the long days come and go,
Are the orphans of the parents
they’re not allowed to know.
They’re the orphans of the living,
left alone to romp and play,
From their fathers and their mothers
by ambition shut away.
They have fathers who are busy
and so weighted down with cares,
That they haven’t time to listen
to a little child’s affairs.
They have mothers who imagine,
life could give them, if it would
Something richer, something better
than the joys of motherhood.
So their children learn from strangers,
and by strangers’ hands are fed,
And the nurse, for so much money,
nightly tucks them into bed.
Lord, I would not grow so busy
that I cannot drop my task,
To answer every question
which that child of mine may ask.
Let me never serve ambition
here so selfishly, I pray,
That I cannot stop to listen
to the things my children say.
For whatever cares beset them,
let them know I’m standing by.
I don’t want to make them orphans
till the day I come to die.
~~ Edgar Albert Guest ~~
In the seeming absence of a believing father, Timothy’s mother and grandmother had taught him from youth.
2 Tim 1:5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
2 Tim 3:15 … and
how from infancy
you have known the
Holy Scriptures,
which are able to
make you wise for
salvation through
faith in Christ
Jesus.
ABSENTEE FATHERS
Malachi 4:6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
In 2016 Dr.
Hawkes, a
leading
Australian
educator
warned that
fathers spend 18 seconds a day on average talking to their kids, while kids spend an average of 2 to 5 hours a day online, “so the people raising our sons and daughters are not parents but peers and social networking sites”. 1
1 " heraldsun.com.au/ news"> heraldsun.com.au/ news
ABSENTEE FATHERS
Hawkes says that the leadership examples and moral codes in society are not worthy of our children: “There are too many absentee parents who are so conscious of producing 2.3 children, 2.3 houses and 2.3 cars that they forget to spend time with them.” 1
God instructs fathers to repent of their selfish ways and to spend time with their children. Families are the backbone of a nation and if they disintegrate so does the nation.
Unless fathers turn their hearts to their children and the children reciprocate – Malachi says that the land will be struck “with a decree of utter destruction.”
1 Ibid
ABSENTEE FATHERS
FATHERS
IN THE
BIBLE
We learn much in Scripture about practical living
from the example of those who have gone before us.
This includes the issue of fatherhood.
The best way to lead
is by example. Don’t
tell children, “Do as
I say, don’t do as I
do”. Paul said:
(NASB) Be
imitators of me,
just as I also am
of Christ.
(NIV) Follow my
example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Children imitate the actions of their parents.
Eph 5:1 (NASB) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children
EXAMPLE
Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Our children are precious. They are not only a mother and father’s heritage but “a heritage from the Lord”.
They must not be viewed as an inconvenience, but as “a reward” from God.
Children are a gift from God. They are only ours for a time, but ultimately they belong to God. When Esau saw Jacob’s children he asked whose they were and Jacob answered that they were “the children God has graciously given your servant.” (Gen 33:5)
A REWARD FROM GOD
Not only was
Adam the first
man, he was also
the first human
father. In that
aspect, he had no
human example to
follow. As a man
who had tended
the garden of
Eden, he must
have taught his
eldest son Cain
to help, as we see that he later “worked the soil”. Likewise Adam had been in charge of the animals in Eden and would have taught his second son Abel how to tend the flocks.
ADAM
Work is good for children. Not only does it teach them to be grateful for what their parents do all day long, it creates a work ethic in them. Parents need to instil in their children a work ethic that will carry them into adulthood. Giving your children jobs or chores in the house and getting them to help with housework teaches them to be providers and to contribute to the society they live in, rather than just being a drain on others resources.
ADAM
Adam and Eve appear to have taught their sons (both Abel and Cain) about God and the need to sacrifice to him. Seth also appears to have been a godly son.
It is important that
parents teach their
children about the
things that
please God.
We see that God
expected Cain to
bring the correct
sacrifice – so he
must have been
instructed in that
regard.
ADAM
Adam and Eve had formerly
led the world into sin and
exile from Paradise.
As a father, Adam would
later have to live with the
personal tragedy of his son,
Abel, being murdered by his
other son, Cain. He would
then have to contend with
Cain being sent away into
exile by God.
As fathers we can learn a
lot from Adam about the
consequences of our actions on our family and how we ought to live in obedience to God.
ADAM
While Cain’s line produced another murderer - Lamech (Gen 4:23), it seems that the knowledge of God was taught to Seth by Adam and Eve, who in turn passed it on to his son Enosh.
Gen 4:25-26 … she (Eve) gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.
SETH & ENOSH
Abraham was a
man that the
Bible encourages
us to emulate in
regards to his
great faith and
implicit trust in
God. Yet he was
not without fault.
At one point (Gen
20) he told a lie to get out
of a sticky situation. He said Sarah was his sister (a half-truth) rather than his wife, out of fear for his own safety and inadvertently placed Sarah in a precarious position, when she was subsequently taken by Abimelech as a wife.
ABRAHAM
This was
despite the
fact that God
not only was
able to resolve
the situation –
he did. God
miraculously
intervened and
delivered Sarah
from Abimelech.
Interestingly
Abraham’s son Isaac, who was also a righteous man, would later do the very same thing. Perhaps he was following the bad example set by his father in this regard.
ABRAHAM
If Abraham had lived
today, perhaps some
well-intentioned
person might have
reported him to the
Child Protection Unit
when they heard that
he was considering
offering his son
Isaac as a sacrifice.
But the Bible makes it clear that this was not due to bad parenting. He was acting in faith and under instruction from God, fully believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead in order to fulfil his covenant promises regarding the promised seed. (Heb 11:17).
ABRAHAM
Likewise Abraham might have been reported to the Child Welfare if they learnt that he had seemingly abandoned his concubine Hagar and son Ishmael and sent them off into the wilderness.
Again this is not a fair assessment of his actions. The Bible is clear that Abraham loved his son Ishmael.
ABRAHAM
In fact before Isaac
was born, Abraham had
requested God to
establish his covenant
promises through
Ishmael, saying “If only
Ishmael might live
under your blessing!”
(Gen 17:18)
And God had agreed
responding “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac…” (Gen 17:20-21)
ABRAHAM
A situation arose that was out of Abraham’s control. His son Isaac was being persecuted by Ishmael (Gal 4:29). Likewise he was being pressurised by his legal wife Sarah to remedy the
situation by
sending Hagar
and Ishmael
away. We are
told that the
“matter
distressed
Abraham
greatly
because it
concerned his
son” (Gen 21:11)
ABRAHAM
Ishmael and Hagar
(The Bible Mini Series)
Again Abraham was acting on God’s instruction. Nor is it true that Abraham was unconcerned about Ishmael and Hagar’s welfare. He only complied after God assured him that he need not be distressed and promised his divine protection for them by saying “I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” And God subsequently sent his angel to provide for and protect the pair when they left Abraham’s home (Gen 21).
ABRAHAM
While the root of the problem
stemmed from Abraham and
Sarah trying to “help” God fulfil
his covenant promise in their
own strength, it would be unfair
to say that Abraham was a bad
father. His actions clearly
showed that he loved both of
his sons and that he was
saddened when Ishmael left.
It’s clear that he only allowed
it to happen because God had
assured him of the child’s
safety- by virtue of his promise
that Ishmael would become a progenitor of a nation.
ABRAHAM
Abraham’s actions show that in a broken home situation, which may arise due to circumstances out of your control, a father still needs to be concerned about the provision and welfare of his children from the former union.
We are told that although Isaac was the son of inheritance that “while he was still living”, Abraham “gave gifts to the sons of his concubines”. This would have included Ishmael and the 6 sons of Keturah.
Years later when Abraham died, of his 8 sons - it was Isaac and Ishmael who buried him (Gen 25:9).
ABRAHAM
Isaac was a godly man. But in his role as a father, he shows us the danger of having favourites.
Gen 25:28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Although God had
indicated to his wife that
Jacob was to be the son
of the covenant (“the
older will serve the
younger”), Esau was
Isaac’s favourite and he
resisted God’s will by
attempting to give the
blessing to Esau instead.
ISAAC
The end result
was that
Esau hated
his brother
and plotted
to kill him.
As such,
Jacob was
forced to
live in
exile.
Rebekah
too paid a
price for
showing favouritism - by living out the remainder of her life and dying, in the absence of her beloved son.
ISAAC
Clearly Jacob learnt nothing from his parents’ mistake of showing favouritism to a particular child.
As a father, he overtly favoured his son Joseph and made no attempt to
hide it. He
openly showed
his preference
by buying
Joseph a
special coat.
JACOB
This caused Jacob’s his other sons to hate Joseph and plot to kill him, eventually selling him into slavery.
Jacob paid a terrible price by living for years in the belief that his beloved
son was dead.
Just as he had
lied to his
father Isaac
years earlier,
so his own sons
deceived him.
JACOB
Another lesson we learn from Jacob’s life is that God works in spite of our mistakes in order to accomplish his people (i.e. in this case delivering his people and Egypt from perishing
by famine).
Ultimately, by
God’s grace,
Jacob is
reunited with
his beloved
son, while the
estranged
brothers are
reconciled.
JACOB
Eli was a good man. The Bible records no grave sin of his own. He showed kindness to the boy Samuel. When Samuel first heard God’s voice and was ignorant of the fact, it was Eli’s wise
advice that
informed
him of how
to respond
and thus to
hear what
God had to
say.
ELI
Although he knew that Samuel would succeed him as Israel’s spiritual leader, rather than his own sons, there is no evidence of any resentment. When Samuel revealed God’s
judgment
against
him, Eli
responded
submissively:
“He is the
Lord; let him
do what is
good in his
eyes” (1
Sam 3:18).
ELI
We see that “his heart feared for the ark of God” when the ark was carried into battle (see 1 Samuel 4:13). And on hearing of the capture of the ark of God, he was so distressed
that he fell
off his chair,
breaking his
neck and
died. So it’s
apparent
that he
was deeply
concerned
about the
things of
God.
ELI
Yet this good man of God failed miserably as a father. He failed because he was a passive father. God says of Eli, “For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.” (1 Sam 3:13).
When he heard
that his sons
were sleeping
with the women
who served in
the tent of
meeting, he did
rebuke them,
but did nothing
further.
ELI
As Israel’s spiritual leader, he could have told his sons that their sin would not be tolerated any longer – and then enforced that ruling by suspending them if they refused to comply.
Then when his sons were
taking the best of the
meat before
it was even
sacrificed, it
seems they
may have even
influenced Eli
to join them
in that sin.
(1 Sam 2:29)
ELI
While Eli was soft on his
sons’ sin, he was harsh
on the sins of others.
When he thought that
Hannah was
drunk at the
tabernacle, he
was quick to
reprimand her.
But when his
sons were
committing
adultery with other tabernacle workers, it wasn’t until the people complained that he reprimanded them. Don’t be godly - but have double standards – a low standard for your children and a high standard for everyone else!
ELI
But you might say that Eli’s sons were grown men – after all what could he do? Yet God still held him accountable. He probably had acted the same way when the boys were younger.
Fathers –
if you don’t
assume
responsibility
for the
shepherding
of your
family, God
will hold you
accountable!
ELI
Lead your children to personal faith in Christ. Eli’s sons, “did not know the Lord” (1 Sam 2:12, NASB). You cannot just let your children grow up neutral so that they can decide for themselves about God. They’re growing up in a world that is hostile to God.
Eli failed to impart to his sons a respect for God’s ways, including the sacrifices and offerings (see 2:13, 27-29). So they disobeyed God and disregarded the rebukes of God’s people (see 2:16). God’s ways are the principles revealed in His Word. For example, your children need to know that disobedience has consequences. They need to learn the importance of prayer and Bible reading by seeing those things modelled as a way of life in the home. We live to serve others, not indulge ourselves. Our lives are governed by God’s Word.
ELI
Third, to shepherd your family you must teach your children to reverence God and the things of God (see 2:16, 17, 29, 30). I never want my children to hear me joking about God or His Word. At the same time, I do want them to know that a Christian home is a fun and happy place to live.
Finally, correct your children when they need it. Eli was in his 90s, so his boys were probably in their 40s or 50s, at least. Parents can’t correct their adult children as if they were first graders, but that doesn’t mean you must be passive. Proverbs 29:17 says, “Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; he will also delight your soul” (NASB). 1
1 Adapted from Steven J. Cole, originally printed Confident Living, by the Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc.
ELI
Perhaps you’ve seen yourself
in this post-mortem of a
passive father. Perhaps you
think it’s too late now. Your
children may be grown and
gone. But, by God’s grace, it’s
not too late to seek God’s
forgiveness and actively to
seek to influence your
children – and even grandchildren – from this moment on. Will you choose to follow the Lord fervently and actively? 1
Ps 71:18 Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come..
1 Ibid
ELI
David was favoured by God and even called a man after God’s own heart (1
Sam 13:14) We all remember his zeal
for the Lord as well as his
faith and bravery in taking
on and defeating the giant
Goliath.
DAVID
Yet David’s later sin of adultery with Bathsheba impacted upon his children. It led directly to the death of the first
son of that union (2 Sam 12:14).
DAVID
Although God forgave David, he had to live with the consequences of his sin, with the prophet Nathan declaring, “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives
in broad daylight.
You did it in
secret, but I will
do this thing in
broad daylight
before all Israel.”
(2 Sam 12:11-12)
DAVID
Don’t think you can blatantly sin
without it impacting your family!
David’s third son Absalom would commit adultery with David’s own concubines. (2 Sam 16:22) What David did in secret, his son did openly, following the poor example of his father in that regard and fulfilling Nathan’s prediction.
In his sin, David also had Uriah killed so that he could marry his wife Bathsheba. Again the pronouncement of judgment from Nathan was, “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house…” (2 Sam 12:9-10)
DAVID
Bedsides the death of his child, in a short space of time three of David’s sons (Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah) would be killed, with the latter two rebelling against their father’s rule.
Often God
shows grace
to our family,
but removes
that grace
when we
sin with
impunity.
DAVID
Like Eli, despite being godly, David was a passive father and failed to take action against or discipline his children. This resulted in several cases of tragedy.
One son Amnon raped his half sister Tamar and when David heard what had happened to his daughter “he was furious” (2 Sam 13:21), yet
did nothing. As a
result of his father’s
inaction, Absalom
took the law into his
own hands and
avenged his sister’s
rape by murdering
Amnon.
DAVID
When David’s sons,
Absalom and Adonijah, in
separate instances,
rebelled against
him, David again
largely failed to
act.
David clearly
loved his sons,
in particular
Absalom. But
although Absalom had killed his brother Amnon and started an open armed rebellion against his father, David commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” (2 Sam 18:5)
DAVID
When David was
brought news of
the battle his first
response was “Is
the young man
Absalom safe?”
(2 Sam 18:29)
without any show
of concern for his
soldiers who,
despite not being
family, had remained loyal to him.
David was so caught up in over-compensating for his son’s bad behaviour that he failed to thank the men who had risked their lives to defend him and his family.
DAVID
As such he received a rebuke from Joab who cautioned him that he was alienating his loyal subjects and friends by his blind support for disloyal family.
“Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.” (2 Sam 19:5-7)
DAVID
While many godly men in the Bible (including also Hezekiah and Samuel) failed in some aspects as fathers, there is certainly merit in having a God-fearing father. One only has to look at the example of the ungodly men in Scripture and how it affected their children.
E.g. The wicked Ahaz and Manasseh both sacrificed their sons to pagan gods.
2 Kings 16:3 He (Ahaz) … even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
2 Kings 21:6 He (Manasseh) sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
AHAZ & MANASSEH
It seems we have a lot of examples of godly men who were not particularly good fathers. Rather than disciplining and correcting their children, many of them were too lenient and ended up spoiling their children.
It is a tricky balance that fathers have to achieve. Paul cautions that going to the other extreme of being an extreme disciplinarian is also unwise.
Eph 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
THE BALANCE
The negative part of this verse indicates that a father is not to foster negativity in his children by severity, injustice, partiality, or unreasonable exercise of authority. Harsh, unreasonable conduct towards a child will only serve to nurture evil in the heart. The word “provoke” means “to irritate, exasperate, rub the wrong way, or incite.” This is done by a wrong spirit and wrong methods—severity, unreasonableness, sternness, harshness, cruel demands, needless restrictions, and selfish insistence upon dictatorial authority. Such provocation will produce adverse reactions, deadening children’s affection, reducing their desire for holiness, and making them feel that they cannot possibly please their parents. A wise parent seeks to make obedience desirable and attainable by love and gentleness.
THE BALANCE
The positive part of Ephesians 6:4 is expressed in a comprehensive direction—educate them, bring them up, develop their conduct in all of life by the instruction and admonition of the Lord. This is the whole process of educating and discipline. The word “admonition” carries the idea of reminding the child of faults (constructively) and duties (responsibilities). 1
Discipline is a sign of sonship and an indication of love on the parents’ part. Lack of discipline shows indifference.
Heb 12:7-8 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
1 "https:// www.gotquestions.org/ fathers-Christian.html">https:// www.gotquestions.org/ fathers-Christian.html
DISCIPLINE
Fair consistent discipline, despite being painful, trains the child to live in righteousness and peace and it results in respect for the parents.
Heb 12:9-11 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
DISCIPLINE
There are also examples of good fathers in the Bible. Job was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job
1:1), but he
also was a
good father.
He was
involved
with his
children
socially
when they
had their
regular
feasts.
JOB
But he also regularly prayed and interceded for his children regularly.
Job 1:5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would
sacrifice a burnt
offering for each
of them, thinking,
“Perhaps my
children have
sinned and cursed
God in their
hearts.” This was
Job’s regular
custom.
JOB
Not only did Job not show
favouritism, he treated his
daughters and his sons equally.
Remember that Job was the
oldest book in the Bible. Yet in
what was extremely uncommon
in those days, he granted his
three daughters an inheritance
along with his sons. Rather
unusually as well, only his
daughters names are
mentioned, not his sons. 1
1 Job 42:13-15 And he also had seven sons
and three daughters. The first daughter
he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in
all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
JOB
At first, Noah
appears to have
been the most
unsuccessful
preacher ever –
he seemingly
had no converts!
Yet in a wicked
world that was
unresponsive to
his preaching,
his family
responded to his message and served God. Unlike many of the righteous men in the Bible, whose children didn’t follow their example, in this aspect Noah stands out.
NOAH
See NOTE 3
Noah faithfully followed his convictions. Despite opposition
and ridicule, he bravely carried out the work God
assigned to him, assisted by his sons who learnt from his godly
example.
NOAH
See NOTE 3
Noah can also be commended out as a man who served God in spite of living in a world that “was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence” (Gen 6:11). How relevant and
applicable this is to our modern world. Perhaps you may think that it is
impossible to
raise godly
children in our
current godless
and permissive
society.
Yet Noah did in a
world so wicked
that God
destroyed it.
NOAH
See NOTE 3
Here’s a good father
in the Bible that
you’ve probably
never heard of.
Although Jehonadab
(aka Jonadab) was not
an Israelite, he
supported the
righteous Jehu in the
elimination of the
house of Ahab and in suppression of Baal worship throughout Samaria. (2 Kings 10:15-16)
Jonadab was a father whose children respected and obeyed him even generations after he was gone. Not many fathers command and obtain such respect today.
JONADAB
Jonadab instructed his children never to drink wine and, not only did they obey him, they passed his command on to the future generations. (Jer 35:5-8 )
Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, “Drink some wine.” But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab…gave us this command:
JONADAB
‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine… We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab… commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine…”
Jeremiah used their obedience to reprove the people of Judah.
Jer 35:13-15 … “Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?” declares the LORD. “Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not paid attention or listened to me.”
JONADAB
God blessed these
people, who had treated
the words of their fore-
father as an eternal
covenant, with the
promise that they would
always have a godly
lineage.
Jer 35:18-19 Then
Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, “… ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.’”
JONADAB
Fathers give direction
to their children.
Psalm 127:4 Like
arrows in the hands
of a warrior are
children born in
one’s youth. Blessed
is the man whose
quiver is full of them.
The course of an arrow is determined by the archer. Likewise a father and mother give their children direction to guide them in the decisions and life choices they make. Once the arrow has left the bow we no longer have any control over it and ultimately other things (like the wind) might affect where the arrow falls.
DIRECTION
But we have
to at least aim
for a godly target
and point them in
the right direction.
Likewise eventually as our
children get older we will have to relinquish control. But we need to make sure that we have set them on a godly course to start off with.
DIRECTION
Often the arrow misses the target because it wasn’t aimed correctly in the first place.
Proverbs 22:6
NASB: Train up
a child in the way
he should go,
Even when he is
old he will not
depart from it.
NIV: Start
children off on
the way they
should go, and
even when they are old they will not turn from it.
NLT: Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
DIRECTION
Probably one of the most underrated fathers in Scripture must be Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus.
Matthew calls him “a righteous man” (Matt 1:19) .On
numerous
occasions God
gave him
direction by
means of
dreams and
he always
obeyed God’s
instruction.
JOSEPH
He protected his wife Mary and his child from scandal (Luke 1:19) and this also may have motivated him to later relocate to Nazareth, besides the threat from Herod.
When his
son’s life was
in danger he
had moved
to another
country
(Egypt) to
protect his
son and wife
(Luke 2:
14-15).
JOSEPH
Joseph set
a godly
example.
He did
everything
required by
the Law in
terms of the
consecration
of the first-
born child.
Luke 2:39
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
JOSEPH
He was concerned
about his son’s
safety. When the
12-year old Jesus
went missing in
Jerusalem, on
finding Jesus, Mary
says “Your father
and I have been
anxiously searching
for you.” (Luke 2:48)
Joseph would have seen to Jesus’ education and needs as he was growing up. He and Mary would have maintained discipline in their home because the boy Jesus “was obedient to them” (Luke 2:51).
JOSEPH
The Bible calls Joseph a carpenter (Matt 13:55) but Jesus is also called the carpenter (Mark 6:3). So Joseph taught his son the carpentry trade and thus the value of earning a living by hard work to provide for your family.
Scriptures implies
that after the
death of Joseph,
Jesus was
supporting his
mother, as on
the cross he
committed her
to the care of
John (John
19:26).
JOSEPH
Often Jesus used the father-son analogy as a positive teaching example. He noted that earthly fathers, despite being sinful, loved to bless their children with good gifts and grant their requests (Matt 7:9-10).
He spoke of his heavenly father providing for his children in their needs for food
and clothing (Matt 6:
25-26).
He used the love of
an earthly father for
a wayward son as an
example of God’s
love for the sinner in
his parable of the
Prodigal Son (Luke 15).
JOSEPH
Blessed are the parents who make their peace with spilled milk and mud, for such is the kingdom of childhood.
Blessed is the parent who engages not in the comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth.
Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned laughter, for it is the music of the child’s world.
Blessed and mature are they who without anger can say no, for the child is comforted by the security of firm decisions.
Blessed are the men and women who, in the midst of the unpromising world, give love, for they bestow the greatest of all gifts to each other, to their children, and in an ever widening circle to their fellow men. ~ Anonymous
BEATITUDES FOR PARENTS
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV:
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the NIV:
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB:
New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. ( Lockman.org)
NOTE 3: Illustration from " freebibleimages.org/ "> freebibleimages.org Contributed by Moody Publishers