There are not many good fathers in the Bible. Many fathers mentioned in scripture failed to discipline their children and lead them by a godly example.

  • David had a son who raped his sister, another who tried to usurp the throne, and another who wanted to kill Solomon.
  • Samuel had two wicked sons appointed to be judges in Israel (1 Samuel 8:1-3).
  • Eli had sons who committed evil at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25).
  • Isaac and Jacob picked their favorite sons, creating division and resentment among their children.

While these men failed as fathers, there are four fathers who are worthy of imitation.

Job

  • Besides being a righteous man who possessed great wealth, Job also had a big family (Job 1:1-5). He began each day doing spiritual things for his children.
  • Job would continually pray for his children and perform burnt offerings on their behalf. He feared that they might have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.
  • We can also prioritize spiritual things with our children. We can rise early in the morning and pray for them. We can pray that God will protect them and always give them the wisdom and courage to do what is right.

Abraham

  • Abraham took the responsibility of leading his children in the ways of the Lord seriously (Genesis 18:19).
  • He taught Isaac how to worship God (Genesis 22:6-8). How else would Isaac have known they were missing an essential item of worship? Isaac knew who worship was directed to, how to do it, and how it was supposed to look.
  • We can also teach our children how to worship God. We can explain to them why we do what we do when we assemble. We can help them find verses during the preaching, show them how to sing out, and give them money so they can participate in giving back to the Lord.

Noah

  • During a time of extreme evil upon the earth, God commanded Noah to build an ark (Genesis 6:6-18). Noah obeyed God completely (Genesis 6:22)!
  • Noah’s sons certainly observed his obedience. It seemed to have been the greatest sermon he preached while building the ark (2 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:7).
  • We can also be models of obedience for our children. We can model self-control, service, humility, and how God expects disciples to treat others (Matthew 7:12).

Jonadab

  • Jonadab is first introduced when Jehu was killing members of King Ahab’s family (2 Kings 10:15). He left a legacy of faithfulness for his family (Jeremiah 35:12-19). He set a high spiritual standard, and his family followed it long after his death.
  • We can also set a high spiritual standard for our families. We can do this by teaching and living God’s word before our children.

Conclusion:

God is the greatest Father! When we run to Him begging for forgiveness, He is eager to forgive and welcome us (Luke 15:20-24).