Article
A Father's Day Thought
June 16, 2019
The rain was pounding on the roof, lightning was flashing, and thunder was clapping! The sounds from the outside could only be imagined by those who were safely on the ark. Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their parents as well as the animals, were safe from the destructive forces of nature that were clamoring the earth. Let’s reflect a bit on Noah as we consider thoughts about fathers on this Father’s Day.
Just like God ordained an earthly priest in the Old Testament to be a representative of God to man and man to God, the father is the “go-between” to the Lord for his family. It is the father’s place to plead for the salvation, sanctification, and protection of his family. We see from Genesis 6 that God spoke to Noah as Noah made time for prayer in his life.
A father should be a model in every area of what he expects his children to be. This hat requires that the father accept and not neglect responsibility for pleasure. Whatever he loves, his family is likely to enjoy whether it be sports, education, immoral habits, family life. If the father seeks to be holy, it will have a far-reaching influence on his family. If a father prays, his children will be inclined to pray. If a father wants his family to apply Scriptures to their lives, he must have a genuine enthusiasm for seeking the Lord in His Word. “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him....” (Gen. 6:22) Noah must have felt so rewarded when Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives boarded the ark and were saved from destruction.
The mission of the parent is to ensure that the child walks worthy of God. “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every on of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God....” (I Thess. 2:11,12) The father must put courage in his children to do right. It is not merely enough for parents to say they know their child believes in God. Walk is an action word, and believing is an action word which means they must see that their children carry through with Christlike obedience instead of just simply mentally assenting that they believe in God. To believe in Christ means to obey Him and walk in His steps daily. It was not only Noah but also his sons who put their hearts into building the ark.
We cannot lay aside the duty of discipline because that would not be modeling the ministry of our Heavenly Father. Scriptural discipline is not too strict and not too lenient. To discipline is to lovingly work to bring about correct behavior in our sons and daughters. If a loving correction is not administered to the child, he will feel rejected by the parent. Noah must have disciplined his sons, or they would not have been on the Ark.
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Heb. 11:7) It is not enough for a father to act holy at church, at his job or with his friends; he must be holy at all times and especially in his home. Children should be able to say that their dad is a godly man in his home. Home can be the most challenging place to be holy, but it is vital to the father’s faith and those of his household.
Shem, Ham, and Japheth were blessed to have a father who modeled faith for their lives. What about the many who do not have earthly fathers who exemplify righteousness before them? We read that Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught holy Scriptures to him from his childhood. Even though there is no mention of Timothy’s father, Timothy became an anointed, influential helper of the Apostle Paul to establish early Christian churches. The godly king Josiah in the Old Testament grew up with examples of ungodliness from his father but yet surrendered his heart to the Lord and became a godly king. A son or daughter may choose the Lord for himself whether or not his parents serve the Lord.
Who were the children who were crying and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David?” Had these children been taught the lessons of God’s faithfulness? My point is that they were children, and they were worshipping the Lord. A father must see that his household is growing in understanding and love for Christ and worships at his age level when he is in church services instead of playing around and waiting for the service to be dismissed. The young child should enjoy worship and participate if he is to grow as a Christian. In this way, he will be ready to “get on the ark” when the time comes!
There is a classic story of the boys who were talking about who their fathers knew. One boy said that his dad talked to the mayor. The other little boy said that his dad talked to the governor. The last little boy thought for a moment and then said that his daddy talked to God and that he heard him every day. We know that Noah talked with the Lord and that the Lord gave him instructions.
The Lord calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness.” (2 Peter 2:5) The Lord Himself said that Noah was righteous just the same as Daniel and Job. (Ez. 14:14) This is something for children to brag about to others.
Father’s, let’s get our children on the ark!
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