Examples of Biblical Fatherhood

Father’s Day 2023

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Main Idea

God gives us a standard to follow of biblical fatherhood.

One of the beautiful things about the Bible is how it is written. It is not crafted into a document like an appliance user manual where you can simply navigate to the right page that tells you exactly what to do. Instead, it is full of stories of real people – some who lived godly lives and others who didn’t, all of which communicate how God intends for us to live lives that are glorifying to Him.

So, being Father’s Day today, I wanted to review the lives of some biblical fathers and glean a godly characteristic from each one that will help you and me understand how we can be the godly and loving fathers that God intends for us to be.

Certainly, there are great men of scripture who did incredible things, but today, we will look specifically at 6 fathers each who demonstrate a vital godly characteristic that all fathers need to have today.

Outline

I – Obedience

II – Faithfulness

III – Instruction

IV – Integrity

V – Forgiveness

VI – The ultimate example

I – Obedience

Noah

Genesis 6:9–18 ESV

⁹ These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. ¹⁰ And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. ¹³ And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. ¹⁶ Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. ¹⁷ For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

• Noah was righteous and blameless and therefore walked with God. He was righteous by doing what God wanted and blameless by not doing what God hated. Therefore, he had an intimate fellowship with God.
• Even though the request seemed absurd, Noah obeyed God’s command.
• Even though Noah faced decades of persecution and ridicule, he obeyed God’s command.
• Because Noah was faithful to obey God’s command, he saved not only his entire family but the entire human race as well.

Obedience leads to a close relationship with God. Why? Because obedience means respecting, honoring, submitting to, and loving that person, knowing that person will always have your best interest in mind.

John 14:15 ESV

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

As Fathers, we want our children to be obedient. We want them to do what we ask the first time we ask, knowing it is for their benefit. But, as you ask your children to be obedient, are you obedient to God? Are you the primary example they can look at and emulate?

II – Faith

Abraham

Genesis 15:1–6 ESV

¹ After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” ⁴ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” ⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

• Abraham is notable for his unwavering faith in God, though he wasn’t perfect (he tried to pass off Sarah as his sister twice). He is called the Father of the Faith, not just in terms of the Jewish faith, but of the essence of that faith.
• Abraham believed that God would provide him a son, though he had waited for over two decades for that promise to come to pass (Abraham was 75 when God called him out of Haran and was 100 when Isaac was conceived).
• Abraham’s faithfulness was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice the son of the promise.
• Both Paul and James pointed to Abraham’s faith as the standard for all Christians (Rom. 4:19-22 & James 2:22-23).

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Don’t get this term confused. As noble and right as it is to show faithfulness to others, such as a husband being faithful to his wife, I want to stress faith in Christ. Is your own faith evident? If your children were to follow you around for a day in secret, would they observe your faith in action? While your children are young, they will trust your faith, but as they get older, there will come a time when they will have to discover their own faith. Did you give them a solid platform to launch from?

III – Instruction

Eli

[how not to do it]

1 Samuel 2:12 ESV

¹² Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:27–29 ESV

²⁷ And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? ²⁸ Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. ²⁹ Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’

• Eli did not do a great job of instructing his sons in God’s ways. They served as Priests and didn’t know God!
• His children were wild and out of control.
• God holds Eli accountable, just like He held Adam accountable for the fall.
• Fathers are commanded to teach their children (Deut 6:4-7) the heads of their household and will be held accountable for what they invested into their families.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

In seminary, I had a professor who likened a child’s spiritual maturity to a river that is being guided by two river banks: one being the church and the other being the parents. Scripture is abundantly clear. As the head of your household, you are responsible for instructing your children in the ways of God. If not their own father, then who else? How are you doing with that?

 IV- Integrity

Joseph

[Jesus’ dad]

Matthew 1:18–25 ESV

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

• Integrity means being honest and standing on strong moral principles.
• Even before Joseph received an angelic visitation, he decided in his heart to treat Mary with respect.
• He was just and didn’t want her to be shamed, though I am sure he was deeply wounded.
• When the angel spoke, Joseph didn’t question him.
• Though Jesus wasn’t Joseph’s biological son, he treated him like one. He was the father he didn’t have to be.

Proverbs 11:3 ESV

³ The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

Do you do what you say you will do? Do you stand firm on your moral principles? Where do those principles come from? Do others know the principles you hold fast to? Biblical morality is a core foundation on which your children will stand or fall, and they will learn it first by observing how firmly you stand on them. What stability are you giving them?

 V- Forgiveness

The Prodigal’s Father

Luke 15:11–32 ESV

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹ but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

• This father let his son learn lessons the hard way.
• He could have been upset over his riches being squandered or his son’s immoral escapades, but instead, he embraced him.
• He did not hesitate to forgive his son upon seeing his true repentance.
• He also instructed the heart of his oldest son, who was becoming bitter.
• This unnamed father reflects the heart of the Lord’s Prayer when it says:

Luke 11:4 ESV

⁴ and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”

When you have kids, there will be no shortage of opportunities to forgive grievances, great and small. You probably don’t have to go beyond this morning for an example, am I right? Remember, you are teaching your kids how to forgive others by how you forgive them. And, more importantly, you are teaching them about a core characteristic of God and how He has forgiven them [which leads us to our final example].

 VI- The Ultimate Example

God

First and foremost, one of God’s core attributes is that of a Father. That is how He reveals Himself over and over again in scripture:

Matthew 7:7–11 ESV

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

God has been and always will be the Father. From eternity past, he was the Father because Jesus has eternally been the Son. Just think about that for a minute and let that sink in. Because God never changes, He has eternally been a Father, even before a single human being existed, because Jesus has eternally been the Son. Fatherhood is at the very core of His nature.

The Father, then, perfectly demonstrates these characteristics over and above these imperfect human examples.

Faithful. Abraham was faithful, but God is even more so:

2 Timothy 2:11–13 ESV

¹¹ The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; ¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Obedient. As God and 2nd person of the Trine God, Jesus modeled obedience even greater than Noah:

Philippians 2:8 ESV

⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Teacher. It should go without saying, but God is the one who knows all things, which makes Him the most qualified teacher. As opposed to Eli, God longs to teach and train his children, just as He tells us in Isa. 48:

Isaiah 48:17 CSB

¹⁷ This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.

Integrity. Who can have a stronger moral fiber than God Himself?

1 Peter 1:15–16 ESV

¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Forgiving. We only got a small glimpse of the prodigal son’s shortcomings. How much more do we know ourselves and the sins we have committed against a perfect and holy God. And yet, as the unnamed father demonstrated a forgiving spirit, so God shows an infinitely greater capacity for forgive us:

1 John 1:9 ESV

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Love. The ultimate expression of all these character qualities is Love.

1 John 3:1 ESV

¹ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Conclusion

So, because Scripture is comprised of stories, we can look to strong father figures from biblical history because, through them, God gives us a standard to follow of biblical fatherhood.

Today, we gleaned these examples:

Obedience, Faithfulness, Instruction, Integrity, Forgiveness

But, beyond the human examples, we should always look to God as the perfect example of godly fatherhood to model ourselves after.