God wants men today to be godly fathers and teach their children about Him. We ought to rise to the challenge as many fathers in the Bible did to train our children in the knowledge of God. We are given great examples in the Bible of men who did just that. There are also many examples of bad fathers. We can learn from these men so that we can avoid making the mistakes they did.
Adam
Adam and Eve were the first man and woman in the Bible. Adam lived to be 930 years old. He had many children. Though Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they still had a great understanding of God’s promise of a redeemer. Adam passed this knowledge on to his children. It is obvious in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4 that the boys knew enough about God’s promise that Abel consciously chose to acknowledge God’s plan while Cain rejected it. Adam diligently taught his children.
Noah
Noah was chosen by God to build the ark which would be used to save those who would trust Him. This also served as a picture of redemption which would come through Jesus Christ. Noah and his family were not like the rest of the world. They stood out to God. The building of the ark took many years, but his sons and daughters-in-law were right beside him. They could have chosen to walk away, but Noah, as a father, taught them about God and how to trust in Him. Though he did some horrible things later in his life, God used Noah to preserve life on the earth while teaching later generations about God. The main events of Noah’s life are told in Genesis chapters 6 through 9.
Job
Job was a wealthy man who owned land, cattle and crops. Besides the great riches of Job, he had many children—seven sons and three daughters. As a father he grieved greatly when his children were killed in a storm. However, for his faithfulness to the Lord, God rewarded him with ten more children. In all, he had fourteen sons and six daughters. The book of Job tells of the events in Job’s life.
Abraham
God had given His promise of a redeemer to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3. Through the years that promise was refined more and more. Specifically, the Savior would come through the son of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham had another son with Sarah’s maid. His name was Ishmael, but this was not the promised son from God. The son that Abraham and Sarah had in their old age was Isaac. Abraham was known as a man of faith. He showed this great faith to his children through teaching and by example. Read Genesis chapters 11 through 25 to learn more about Abraham.
Isaac
Train your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Isaac was the father of the twin boys named Esau and Jacob. Isaac learned much from his parents about trusting God and raising a family. Isaac’s sons were very different from one another. One was a hunter and the other enjoyed being at home. Though Isaac was not a perfect father he instilled a knowledge of God and the promise of a Savior. Details of Isaac and his family are found in Genesis chapters 17 through 49.
Jacob
Jacob was one of the two sons of Isaac and Rebekah. He was married to two sisters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob had twelve boys and a girl. These twelve boys became the twelve tribes of Israel. Though Abraham is considered the father of the nation, Jacob was the father of the twelve men for whom the tribes are named. Jacob and his family’s account is shared in Genesis chapters 25 through 50 and even goes on into Exodus.
Solomon
Though the wisest man in history, Solomon was not always the best father. His sons turned away from him and God because of Solomon’s horrible example as a father. Despite all this, Solomon used his great wisdom and the lessons he learned from God to pen the book of Proverbs. This is the greatest piece of literature for parents and children to read and learn about wisdom. You can read about Solomon in many of the Old Testament books including, 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.
Zacharias
In Luke chapter 1 we are told about the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist. John was an important person in God’s plan to introduce the Savior to the world. An angel appeared to John’s father Zacharias to announce the birth of John. Zacharias was made mute, and possibly deaf, after the announcement until John was born. As a priest, Zacharias undoubtedly taught his son much about the coming Messiah. John was well prepared to be the forerunner for Jesus Christ.
Fathers Today
Take the challenge presented in the book of Proverbs to train your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them about God while they are young. Help them learn godly wisdom while they are at home. Then when they are old they will look to God’s Word as a guiding light in their life. If your children are already grown and out of the house you can still be a good grandfather or mentor to young people around you.
Interested in reading about more people in the Bible? Check out these articles:
Sources:
The Holy Bible, King James Version
YouTube video “Father Abraham”
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