Learning From Imperfect Fathers

 

 

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."

                                 George Herbert, Clergyman, 1593-1633

 

All human fathers are imperfect; there is only one perfect Father. That perfect Father has something to say in scripture about fathers.

The Hebrew word for father, "ab", is, alphabetically speaking, the first word found in scripture. The LORD created that word "father" at the beginning of all words. The Father/son relationship is the first relationship spoken of in scripture, as Adam is called the son of God (Lk. 3:38). God is described as "our Father" in both the Old and New Testaments (Isa. 63:16, 64:8, Mt. 6:9). Though some religions say that God cannot be a Father, and there can therefore be no Son, nor sons, the Word of Truth says differently in every way.

The LORD wrote the following in a heart-felt manner to His people from His position as Father:



 "A son honors his father,

and a servant his master.

If then I am the Father,

where is My honor?

And if I am a master,

where is My reverence?"

says the LORD of hosts

to you priests who despise My name.

Yet you say, "In what way have

we despised Your name?"

You offer defiled food on My altar...

saying, "The table of the LORD is contemptible."

  Mal. 1:6-7 (excerpt)

Whether man views God as Father, or Master, he has failed to honor the relationship. Even the priests of God did not reverence Him properly according to Malachi, above. We New Testament believers, also have been called to a priesthood. Is God also asking us, "Where is My honor?", and "Where is My reverence?"

Father God gives us many examples in His Word of loyal reverence and honor given to earthly fathers. One example that He brings forth is of the children of Jonadab. Jonadab's name means "The LORD who is willing to freely offer Himself".

The LORD had commanded the Prophet Jeremiah to offer wine to the sons of Jonadab, and this was their response"

..."We will drink no wine, for Jonadab, the son of Rechab ("Carried by the Father"), our father, commanded us, saying, "You shall drink no wine, you, nor your sons, forever. You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.."

"Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters...But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us."                                                    Jer. 35:1-10 (excerpt)
 

This lesson from God is not about drinking wine. The LORD is castigating the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah for their disobedience to Him, and to His prophets, contrasting their disobedience to their heavenly Father, with the obedience and honor Jonadab's children offered to their earthly father:

"Surely the sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me."     v. 16
 

Because of the example of obedience of the Rechabites, God makes them a prophetic promise:

..."Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab, your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever."                                                                     v. 18-19 (excerpt)

Sadly, in both cases, in Malachi and Jeremiah, the LORD is talking to His own people, and trying to teach His own people, to respect and obey Him as Father.

Though earthly fathers are not, and can never be, perfect, our heavenly Father blesses us as we honor and learn from those fathers. By doing so, we learn and live out the related principle of honoring our perfect heavenly Father with love, obedience and reverence, as He deserves.

From Abraham, to Enoch, to Noah, and others, the LORD has brought us examples of faithful, though imperfect men, who taught their children, and us, the importance of learning valuable spiritual lessons from a father.