FATHER’S DAY
1. The word “father” appears about 166 times in the first book of the Bible.
2. This word has been around for a long time, but over the years fatherhood has changed.
3. Someone has said that 100 years ago a father woke their children in the mornings for school.
4. Today kids get their parents up early and say, “Take me to practice.”
5. Since today is Father’s day, I want to explore Fatherhood from the book of Genesis.
IF
WE LOOK AT THE WORD FATHER IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, WE FIND A
WIDE RANGE OF PRACTICAL POINTS.
A. The first of these comes from the scripture we were asked to hold in readiness.
B. If you have your finger at Gen. 2:24 let’s look at the verse together – READ.
2. God planned for children to be reared in a home.
3. When children are grown, it is God’s plan for the offspring to leave the nest.
4. For a time fathers and mothers nurture, guide, protect, and care for their children.
5. Fathers and mothers are supposed to be temporary care-givers.
6. A time comes when the apron strings are severed.
7. Instead of cleaving to mom and dad, children are supposed to become independent.
8. Those who choose to marry are to “cleave” to their spouse.
9. The importance of doing this is explained in our next reference—Gen. 19:31.
A. This passage describes Lot.
B. Lot was a servant of God who escaped the area of Sodom with his two daughters.
C. As he was in a cave his daughters talked about him.
D. Here is what they said – READ. Gen. 19:31.
E. Fathers get old.
10. This may not be the most joyous thought to consider on this day, but this is a fact.
11. Fathers reach a point where they must enter into eternity. The same is true for mothers.
12. The problem of old age is related to Gen. 2:24.
13. Children need to become self-sufficient (independent).
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
ON THE PART OF CHILDREN IS RIGHT BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS
SOMETIMES NEED TO PROVIDE HELP FOR MOM AND DAD.
A. The aging process described in Gen. 19:31 is again found in this first book of the Bible - Gen. 27.
B. This time the father who is at an advanced age is Isaac.
C. Isaac was old and his children were grown.
D. His offspring should have been concerned about his well being but they had something else in mind.
2. Jacob and Esau were both trying to get the family birthright.
3. Jacob deliberately tricked his father — Gen. 27:18-19 – READ.
4. It is bad enough to trick an old person. Tricking an aged parent is especially awful.
A. Yet, at the present time, there are children who deceive their parents.
B. Kids lie about who their friends are, where they are (have been), and what they do.
C. Some deny involvement in certain activities when they know the denials are lies.
D. Some say they are doing certain things (good things) when such is not the case.
E. Lying to parents is an evil act.
F. The kind of lying in Gen. 27 is especially horrible.
G. Isaac had lost some of his ability to determine who people were and he was deceived.
H. Today is as we all know Father’s day.
I. One way for fathers to be honored is to tell them the truth.
5. Another way to honor fathers is found in Gen. 27:41.
A. Isaac had been tricked and this made Esau mad. He was boiling mad.
B. As he considered the matter he considered a plan.
C. His thinking is described in verse 41 – READ.
6. Esau determined to kill his brother after his father was gone.
7. As a preacher it is not uncommon for me to see families fight at weddings and funerals.
8. Both of these events can bring out the worst in people.
A. Eph. 6:2 says “honor they father and mother.”
B. This verse really applies to parents while they are on the earth.
C. There is a sense in which this passage may be applied when a parent dies.
D. The way we act can honor or dishonor a parent.
E. The behavior of Esau was dishonorable.
FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT, THERE IS A REPEATED EMPHASIS ON OBEYING AND HONORING PARENTS.
A. Thus, days like Father’s day and Mother’s day are good.
B. However, honoring and obeying parents must not be limited to these days.
C. Throughout life honoring and obeying one’s parents are important duties.
D. Whenever these two items can be done they need to be done.
2. An example of this in the book of Genesis comes from the next chapter.
3. Jacob (a son) was old enough to get married.
4. The people in his local area were of a different faith—they were pagans.
5. He was thus told by his father to not marry a woman from among the Canaanites.
A. Did he do what his dad said?
B. Verse 7a – READ.
C. This verse contains three more practical points about dads and their offspring.
D. First, fathers and mothers can have some pretty good ideas at times.
E. Not marrying a Canaanite was very important for this son’s spiritual health.
F. Second, Jacob was old enough to be on his own but he still accepted dad’s input.
G. Wise people are willing to consider counsel (advice) from others.
H. Third, rejecting sound parental advice is a sign of the ungodly.
6. This may be concluded from verses 8-9 – READ.
7. Not all children take dad’s advice.
8. In some cases this may not matter.
9. In other instances it matters a lot.
10. Let’s move to Gen. 32:9 – READ.
A. Jacob accepted his “Father’s God.”
B. Religion is sometimes transmitted from parents to child.
C. If the right religion is transmitted, this is a blessing.
D. Children make a wise and right choice in accepting what they are taught.
E. If the wrong faith is passed from parent to child, the parental example should then be rejected.
11. The goal of every father should be to pass on the faith of the New Testament.
12. We need to communicate to our offspring information about the true God and His will.
13. There is no better gift for a child.
14. Then, when children leave and cleave (Gen. 2:24), they will have the right foundation for life.
15. There is a great benefit in knowing about God and following His will.
16. The New Testament provides us with the right way to live.
17. It is the best guide on family living that has ever been written.
18. When it is used, Fathers are good fathers and homes are good homes.
WHEN A FATHER IS A GOOD FATHER, IT SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISING THAT HE ASKS HIS CHILDREN TO MAKE SOME PROMISES AND THE CHILDREN OBEY HIM.
A. This point is drawn from Gen. 50:5.
B. By this time Jacob had died.
C. He was gone but before his death he had extracted some promises from family members.
D. One of the promises applied to Joseph – Gen. 50:5a – READ.
E. Joseph promised to bury Jacob in a certain place.
2. When a father is living as the Bible describes He probably has some pretty good ideas about life.
3. He may ask his children to do certain things.
4. Perhaps the promises relate, as in this instance, to a time after his death.
5. Promises may also relate to events in this life.
6. In society we have a lot of programs to head young people in the right direction.
A. There are abstinence programs.
B. We have the DARE program.
C. There are programs related to alcohol.
D. The Bible has a program that started long before DARE and “just say no.”
7. A father may ask his children to promise certain things.
8. Children may be asked to avoid certain things or be sure to do certain things.
9. In the eyes of the world, this probably a simplistic approach to life and too stupid to work.
10. Very early in the history of man this technique was tried and effectively used.
11. Joseph kept his promise. He remembered and insisted on doing what dad said (5b).
12. The promise in Gen. 50 was so important Joseph made it known to the Pharaoh (verse 6).
13. Another fatherly promise is found in verses 16-17.
14. The last time the word Father is used in the book of Genesis is 50:17.
A. Here the word is joined with the term “wept.”
B. I find this to be a fitting verse for closing this lesson.
C. Many associate Father’s day with things that are positive.
D. This day should bring fathers joy, but let’s also remember those who are weeping.
15. We live in a time when some grow up without a father.
16. Others do not have a father like the New Testament describes.
17. There are physical fathers who fail.
18. Weeping and fathers are joined in some others ways.
19. Children can make their fathers weep.
20. Fathers may make their children weep when youngsters misbehave.
21. There is also weeping when a father’s physical body can no longer continue.
22. Father’s have been given a very special place in the world and we must appreciate them.
23. If we somehow lack a father in the physical realm, we can have one in the spiritual realm.
24. The book of Genesis says many things about fathers.
25. This book also introduces us to God the Father, a loving and caring creator.