Father's provides Character
"Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, " Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know my Father, too."
John 8:19
The father is always reflected in the children. So, a good father is always conscious he is creating humans. This tells you the importance of fatherhood. Fathers are the bedrock, foundation upon which the Church and Nations are built. They are the pillar and cornerstone that holds society and for that matter the Body of Christ and Nations together in one piece stable and makes them habitable.
Eli failed as a role model as his sons took to another character. As a result God chose Samuel over the heirs to the Priesthood.
The sons of Eli earned their bad reputation. Bible says the sons of Eli “knew not the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). They are referred to as “sons of Belial” (1 Samuel 2:12), which is a term of derision used elsewhere in the scriptures. The word Belial basically means “wickedness” or “worthlessness.”
After the sins of Hophni and Phinehas, a man of God delivered the message to Eli in the name of the Lord that Eli was guilty of honoring his sons more than the Lord (1 Samuel 2:27–30). Although Eli chastised Hophni and Phinehas, he apparently had not done everything he could to correct their bad behavior. Eli was guilty of neglecting his parental duties toward his sons because “he restrained them not” (1 Samuel 3:13). As a result of Eli’s neglect, the Lord said that Eli and his house would be cut off from His favor and that, as a sign of the truth of the Lord’s words, both sons would die on the same day (1 Samuel 2:30–34).
There are several lessons to be learned from the experiences of Eli and his sons. As a priest of the Lord, Eli successfully supervised Samuel at the tabernacle but was not as diligent as he could have been toward his own sons. In a similar fashion, although many endeavors may be worthy of our time and attention, we ought not to neglect our responsibility toward our family because of our devotion to other activities.
Samuel was a beneficiary of Eli's failure so one expected that he will do better. However, as Samuel aged, he repeated Eli’s error and appointed his own sons to succeed him. Like Eli’s sons, they turn out to be greedy and corrupt (1 Sam. 8:1-3). Disappointing sons of great leaders is a recurrent theme in Samuel and Kings. (The tragedy of David’s son Absalom occupies the bulk of 2 Samuel chapters 13-19. "David's Dysfunctional handling of family conflict led to civil war (2 Samuel 13-19)".) It reminds us that the work of parenting is as challenging as every other occupation but far more emotionally intense. No solution is given in the text, but we can observe that Eli, Samuel, and David seem to have given their troubled children many privileges but little paternal involvement. Yet we also know that even the most dedicated parents may face the heartbreak of wayward children. Rather than laying blame or stereotyping causes, let us simply note that parenting children is an occupation requiring as much prayer, skill, community support, good fortune, and love as any other, if not more. Ultimately to be a parent—whether our children bring delight, disappointment, or some of both—is to depend on God’s grace and mercy and to hope for a redemption beyond what we see during our lifetimes. Perhaps we can emulate Gods character of parenthood. God experienced a parent’s heartbreak for his condemned Son hanging on the cross to the extent that He looked away from Him for a brief moment, yet overcame all through the power of love.
Abraham is one good example of whom testified:
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Genesis 18:19.
A Good Father Respects, Honors, and Believes God. Abraham was not a high-performer or scholar; he simply respected God and honored Him through his obedient life. It was clear that he had been taught about Creator God by his own father. All of Abraham’s life was one that reflected as an obedient servant of God.
A Good Father is Not Perfect. Abraham made several key mistakes and poor decisions that had dire consequences: he allowed his nephew Lot (ultimately of Sodom/Gomorrah fame) to initially travel with him when told to leave his family; he lied about Sarah being his sister rather than wife (twice!) to protect himself from opposition; he forced the offspring promise (Ishmael born of Hagar) when he and Sarah misinterpreted God’s promise. Nevertheless, God still accomplishes His purposes with imperfect people who believe.
A Good Father Leads His Family. Abraham kept charging forward in leading and directing his family. His marching orders came from God, but he himself had to execute the work and directives, even if he experienced hardships and missteps along the way.
A Good Father Teaches His Children About God. As Abraham was instructed by God, he passed this teaching and practices onto his children. While it’s clear in reading about the mistakes and misfortunes of Abraham’s family descendants, Abraham fulfilled his fatherly responsibility of passing on the ways of the Lord to the next generation.
A Good Father is Kind and Noble. While Abraham showed evidence of human foibles and self-serving behavior, he nevertheless was a man who proved to be kind, fair, and noble. He was generous in dividing land with Lot; he put himself and his men in harm’s way in order to rescue Lot and his family when they were taken captive; he negotiated selflessly on Lot’s behalf in the attempt to save Sodom from destruction. As an overarching characteristic, Abraham was a good, kind and noble man. Aspiring traits for all fathers.
Being a good father is a developed skill. It takes work and comes with growth and maturity. Of course, this Good Father Model is grounded in a faith and belief in God. Without God, fathering is merely behavioral and subjective to the cares and whims of man. Father Abraham lays down a humble example from which all of us can learn.
Bro Ritchie Edukwesi WOANYA
