210620 Fathers Day

Let’s look at David’s words. David the sweet singer of Israel rejoiced in his God. The Psalms give us many examples of his view of God. God is seen as a just ruler who knows his people. He sits in heaven and laughs at his enemies. He calls us to be his children. David understood that God was his shield and the one who answered his cries. God holds godly people and hears them. God loves steadily and blesses the righteous – and that list is only partial for the first 5 Psalms! In Psalm 68 David extols the Lord as the father of the fatherless and protector of widows.

Psalm 68:4-6 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him! ⁵ Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. ⁶ God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

David had seen God as a Father of the fatherless and protector of the widows. We are to sing praises to him. We are to praise him that he cares for those who have no fatherly example. We are to rejoice that he cares for the lonely. Most of all earthly fathers are to pattern their lives on him.

He was our “first” Father according to, Luke 3:38, In the genealogy of Jesus found in Luke’s gospel there is a physical connection to all people ever born. Physically God is the Father of everyone born of Adam. As we look at these accounts we can understand how some people would claim that God is the father. Let’s look at what we can learn.

Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy that begins with Abraham and ends with Jesus who was born the son of Mary. That would settle the issue of the fatherhood of God for the Jew’s.

Luke on the other hand begins his genealogy with Jesus about 30 years of age following a different path through Nathan, the son of David. From David, Luke takes us through Perez to Judah. Then he takes us through Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. That would seem to be enough. But Luke does not stop there. He links Abraham to the generations beyond Noah to Seth the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:23-38). Luke’s account reaches beyond Abraham. He reaches to Adam settling the issue of

God as the Father to all who believe. Jesus was confronted by the Jews and with a few words he took away the value of their blood line. In John 8:54-56 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ ⁵⁵ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.

He is the model Father! His love is dependable.

Psalm 139, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. ² Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. ³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁵ to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁶ to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁷ to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁸ the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁹ the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹² with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁴ and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁵ but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁸ and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever; ¹⁹ Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁰ and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²¹ and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²² a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever. ²³ It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁴ and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever; ²⁵ he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever. ²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

His steadfast love will meet every need. We should praise him in every situation we find ourselves in. He is our wonderworking God. He has knowledge of all needs. He rules over everything we know. He took his people through Canaan to Egypt and 400 years later brought them out to end the rule of the ungodly. He gave them the cities and villages of those who refuse to recognize them. None of that we because of who they were. God blessed his people because of who he is. He is faithful always has been and always will be. Give thanks to God the father of all who will put their trust in Him. We depend on him His faithfulness does not depend on us (2 Timothy 2:11-13) 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.

 

He cares and acts if we will Humble ourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7). We can humble ourselves under God’s faithful hand because we can trust him completely. We know that his care for us is complete. When we are anxious we need to recall the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount. (Matthew 6:25-34) “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Anxiety is like acid consuming its container. There is no known benefit to being anxious

 

Earthly fathers are to be like him

Be a loving example Ephesians 5:25-3, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Be faithful to family and to God. In Ephesians 5:1-2 we find: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Take action to serve and protect (1 Peter 3:7) Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

 

Father’s Day can be hard on those who have experienced an absent or abusive father. But, when we see that God is a perfect Father. Even though we have sinned he came to earth in Jesus to make those who receive and believe his children. As his children we have a perfect Father in heaven we can call on in our time of need. We can sing praises to his name. Rejoice in the Lord!

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2016. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.