Fathers like Christ teach their children to be like Christ

Proverbs 3:1-6

Father’s Day is a God ordained observance in Scripture; the Bible says honor thy father.

Exo. 20:12, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

The first commandment with a promise, if we honor our father, then God promise a good and long life.

Fathers, like mothers, are a big part of God’s plan for humanity.

God’s plan is making us like His Son, Jesus.

God uses the great commandment and the great commission to make us like Christ, through worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship.

On top of that list, God uses fathers to teach their children through verbalizing the word of God and living the word of God.

Fathers are to permeate and saturate their children especially the boys with the example of being like Christ, because they are targeted by Satan for destruction.

Solomon is the wisest man to ever live; his wisdom came from the word of God, through proper utilization of the word.

Solomon learned from his mistakes of not doing life God’s way, and so do we.

In this 3rd chapter of Proverbs, he instructs his son to be obedient to God’s word for the son’s benefit and for God’s glory.

Every good father is like Christ; they want their children to live the best life, and the best life is only through Christ.
 
  1. Father teaches his son to obey God’s word- vs. 1
  2. Father teaches his son why he is to obey God’s word- vs. 2
  3. Father teaches his son discipleship, which makes him like Christ- vs. 3-4
  4. Father teaches devotion to God is the only way to successful living- vs. 5-6

Fathers are to be examples of Christlikeness to their children.

Fathers are to show boys what a man looks like; a real man looks like Jesus.

Fathers are to show girls how they are to be treated by the opposite sex.
  1. Father teaches his son to obey God’s word- vs. 1

“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.”

  1. My son is an indication of father and son fellowship.
  • Fathers are to love their sons, sharing life together.
  1. Father encourages his son to be mindful of his law, which is his words.
  • Fathers are to discipline their children, teaching them right from wrong.
  1. The son is encouraged not to just mentally know God’s word but to internalize God’s instructions for life and living.
    1. But let thine heart keep my commandment.
    2. David said thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against God.

  1. Father teaches his son why he is to obey God’s word- vs. 2

“For length of days and long life, and peace shall add to thee.”

  1. To raise children, we must not just teach what to do, but also why to do it.
  • There are spiritual and physical benefits to living life God’s way.
  1. Obeying God’s word provides the best life in Christ.
  • Life with Christ is better than life without Christ.
  • If God be for you, it doesn’t matter who is against you.
  1. The promise of obeying God’s word is long life, which is interpreted not long in the sense of being 100 years but being blessed with the blessings of God.
  2. On top of long-life peace is added, peace that surpasses all understanding.
  • Peace from God, peace of God, and peace with God.
  • Living in peace with people, not stress or anxiety.
 
  1. Father teaches his son discipleship, which makes him like Christ- vs.3-4

“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart."

  1. Mercy and truth never leave us; we leave them when we do not live according to God’s word.
  2. The son is encouraged to stay in the word of God and cherish God’s love, mercy, and truth.
  • Bible class, Sunday school, and personal study.
  1. Write them upon the table of thine heart.
  • The ideal is that these qualities should be displayed and visible in your life, much like a necklace.
  • Living life reflecting Christlikeness.
  1. Living life God’s way results in favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.
  • Being like Jesus brings God’s favor and man’s well wishes upon our lives.
So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man!
 
  1. Father teaches devotion to God is the only way to successful living- vs. 5-6

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths,”

  1. Sincere devotion to God is to worship Him with everything, mind, soul, spirit, and body.
  2. Trust in the Lord is to have unwavering faith in God.
  • To trust is to lean and depend on Jesus in and through everything.
  1. Lean not unto your own understanding is to not trust in yourself.
  • The lesson to the son is you need God, and without him, you will not make it.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
  • To acknowledge him is to know Him.
  • To acknowledge his hand on your life.
  1. Obey God’s word, and he will direct thy path
  • God will cut a path through the jungle of life.

Father’s lesson to the son is that God will make a way out of no way.

God is my mountain mover; He will make your rough way smooth if you trust and lean on Him.

God is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending. God is everything we need for godly living.

Follow God, and everything will be all right.