Deuteronomy 27:16
“‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
There are plenty of relationships in society: teacher/student, employee/boss, civilian/policeman, friends, neighbors, landlord/tenant, doctor/patient, older/younger siblings, serving/the served and so on. An integral relationship is that of parent/child.
Each member of the parent/child relationship has roles and expectations. Today the focus will be on the father. He is to love and guide the child. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says of God, “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”
Jesus describes a father’s love in the story of the prodigal son. He was approachable. The son was able to go to him and ask for the inheritance. The father treated the son as responsible. He gave him the money. He was compassionate. It appears the father spent time looking out for the son’s return. The father loved. He wasn’t so dignified that he ran after the son upon his return.
Father’s are to give instruction. Ephesians 6: says “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The great bulk of the description of a father’s in the bible is about how they are to instruct and train their children.
They are to teach them about God. They are to provide them the doctrinal fence to give them boundaries. They are to teach them about God and His character. 1 Peter 2:5 refers to us as being priests. These help bring others to God. The father is to be that to his children.
A father is to teach his children plenty of other things. The myriad of things in life. If it be homework, sports, chores, as well as inter relational skills.
Lord, help us to good fathers. Those that love and instruct our children to help them get to good places. Help us to have the love for our children, much like the prodigal’s father.