Father’s Day is the day set aside for celebrating our fathers and the influence of fathers in our society. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the father in the family. With few exceptions, when father and mother are mentioned in the Sacred Text, the father is listed first. By Divine design, he is designated as the head of the home. If you had a godly father who fulfilled his place in GOD’S plan for the family then you are blessed. Please note the tense of the verbs, had and are. A godly father is the gift that keeps on giving.
There are many Scriptures in the Bible that deal with fathers. Genesis 18:19, GOD commending Abraham, comes to mind. Paul used a father as an example in 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12. Proverbs 4 details a father’s responsibility to teach and lead his children with an emphasis on verse 11.
I wish to spend our time today with a familiar passage found in Deuteronomy 6. Attention is usually called to verses 4 through 9. Emphasis is sometimes given to the responsibility of a man to teach his children the ways of the LORD. By adding verse 13, we find at least 4 principles that keep a family strong. Hear, love, teach, and fear the LORD, from verses 4, 5, 7, and 13 are the foundation blocks for a strong family.
However, I would like to suggest the entire chapter is a powerful study when it comes to fatherhood. Indeed, verse 2 contains a reference to one’s lineage with the phrase “you, your son, and your grandson”. Having sons and grandsons myself prompted me to mark several passages in my Bible such as this. Another one is found a couple of chapters earlier in Deuteronomy 4:9.
With our thoughts of fatherhood and in our study of chapter 6, let us not miss this point. Verse 1 notes “GOD has commanded to teach you” and verse 6 notes those commandments “shall be in your heart”. The point is, in order to pass them on to my children I first must have them in my heart. There is a strong emphasis throughout the chapter on your heart, your soul, your strength, etc.
A closer study of the entire chapter yields several traits of a Worthy Father. With this introduction I would like to suggest we look at the 10 statements in chapter 6 containing the phrase “you shall” or “you shall not”.
Verse 5 – You shall love the Lord your GOD
Verse 7 – You shall teach them to your children
Verse 8 – You shall bind them as a sign
Verse 9 – You shall write them on the doorposts
Verse 13 – You shall fear/serve Him
Verse 14 – You shall not go after other gods
Verse 16 – You shall not tempt the LORD your GOD
Verse 17 – You shall keep the commandments
Verse 18 – You shall do what is right and good
Verse 21 – You shall say to your son
To summarize these points we have
- Love the LORD
- Teach your children
- Bind GOD’S words on your hand
- Write GOD’S words on your door
- Fear/serve the LORD
- Don’t go after other gods
- Do not tempt the LORD
- Keep HIS commandments, testimonies, & statutes
- Do what is right and good
- Say to your son…(implication – mentoring)
What a powerful list of responsibilities for our fathers! Please note these are the things of eternal significance.
I would like to add a comment to a couple of these. When considering numbers 3 and 4, the first one is more personal in nature. To bind them on “your” hand or frontlets between “your” eyes became the phylacteries of the Jewish tradition mentioned in Matthew 23:5. It could suggest personal study and growth.
Number 4, to write them on your door, could have broader implications. This practice from the time of Moses was for the child of GOD to attach the writing of verses 4 – 9 to the right side post of the door to his home. He would touch this on passing through the door as a constant reminder of GOD’S word. Not only would this apply to self but the family as a whole. For us today, this could suggest visual reminders in the home. I remember when our boys were younger we had Bible verses on posters, sticky notes, etc. around the home. I am always encouraged to visit in the homes of young parents and see Bible verses on the refrigerator.
The last one in the list above is an answer to the question found in verse 20. And it is noteworthy the text says “when” your son asks you. As our children are growing up there will be many times “when” they will ask the questions that open those doors of opportunity. These are the windows of opportunity for us to instill in them a love and respect of GOD. What an awesome responsibility. Please realize these doors will not always be open. Fathers, let us be ready for those opportunities with the answers. And let us remember that these opportunities will arise as we talk to them, as we sit in our house, as we walk by the way, when we lie down and when we rise up. In other words, the everyday functions of life provide the opportunities for us to share these eternal spiritual lessons with our family.
I pray for the fathers of this generation that they may raise up children who love the LORD. I must say that one of my greatest blessings in life has been that of fatherhood. I praise my heavenly Father for that blessing.