Foundational Demands Of Fatherhood/Parenthood-3

FOUNDATIONAL DEMANDS OF FATHERHOOD/PARENTHOOD-III—Proverbs 23:22-25

Attention:

Morning March:

A young man writes that he was a new recruit & in Army basic training. One requirement was a demanding 12-mile march. He said, ‘We got started at 5 a.m. & were pumped up for the trek.’

‘An hour later, feeling the heavy load of our packs, we wondered if the end would ever come.’

"Men," our sergeant yelled, "you're doing a fine job. We've already covered four miles!"

Revitalized, we picked up the pace.

*"And," continued Sarge, "we should reach the starting point any minute now."

A foundational demand of military life/training is ‘Obey the sergeant’!

Likewise there are foundational demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood!

Need:

Fatherhood is understood differently from two major perspectives.

1)Lost/secular people have a subjective worldly understanding of fatherhood that shifts constantly from person to person & generation to generation.

2)Whereas saved people seek to know God’s settled intent for fathers/parents.

The Holy Spirit used the writer of Proverbs to reveal the foundational demands of Parenthood & Fatherhood particularly.

Foundational biblical demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood are available & accessible.

What are some of the foundational biblical demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood?

We have already discovered that

A foundational demand of Fatherhood is to...

1. EARN YOUR CHILD’S HEART(:22)

3—A foundational demand of Fatherhood/Parenthood is to...

FIND DELIGHT In YOUR CHILD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & WISDOM(:24)

Explanation:(:24)

:24—“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.”

If a young person has indeed heeded his/her father’s & mother’s instruction, having a healthy godly respect for those around them, then that child(person) will exemplify what it is to live “righteously.”

•Living “righteously” entails integrating one’s entire life around God.

“The father” of such a “righteous” child(person) is filled with “great rejoicing.” It is a godly father’s most fulfilling desire to see “righteousness” & “wisdom” in the children he has begotten.

The coupling of “righteous” with “wise” ‘children’ suggests/implies that both are similar descriptions of the same concept, OR-- that one is a consequence of the other.

Thus, the person who “fathers” a “righteously wise” child “delights in” that child’s wisdom as he “greatly rejoices” in the child’s “righteousness.” Such a child is a continual source of true joy to their parents!

*What godly father would not be proud of his child who is living for the Lord Jesus?!

Even a father who has not accepted Jesus as his Savior & Lord, should recognize the ‘obvious’ benefits of having his own children living out the Lord’s “righteousness”!

•Such righteousness is needed in our world today!

Your children need to know the fallacy of ‘pluralistic’ belief—the absolutely silly belief that all beliefs are equally valid! Fathers, your children need to know that God is God & so God’s desire must take precedence! Godly father’s don’t sit on the fence regarding spiritual matters!

“Father”(See :22)—ba 'awb—Noun Masc.—

“Righteous”—qydu tsad-deeyk’—Adj.—1) Just, lawful, righteous—1a) Just, righteous(in government), 1b) Just, right(in one's cause), 1c) Just, righteous(in conduct & character), 1d) Righteous(as justified & vindicated by God), 1e) Right, correct, lawful. Strong—Just.?From—qdu tsaw-dak'; a primitive root; To be(causatively,--Make) right(in a moral or forensic sense).

“Greatly”—*[lyg gheeyl duplicated + lyg gheeyl]*—lyg gheeyl, or by permutation—lwg—lyg gheeyl—Noun Masc.—1) A rejoicing; 2) A circle, age. Strong—A revolution(of time, i.e. An age); also--Joy. Used 10X.?From—lyg gheeyl or by permutation—lwg goowl—a primitive root; properly--To spin round(under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually--Rejoice, or (as cringing)--Fear.

OUTWARD Focus:

“Rejoice/Joy”(See :25)—lyg gheeyl or by permutation—lwg goowl—Qal Imperfect—1) To rejoice, exult, be glad—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To rejoice, 1a2) To tremble(from fear). Strong—a primitive root; properly--To spin round(under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually--Rejoice, or (as cringing)--Fear.

“Begets/Has”(See :22)—dly yaw-lad’—Qal Participle Active—?Does the Active Participle imply current or continual bearing?

“Wise”(See :23—“Wisdom”—hmkx)—Mkx khaw-kawm’—Adj.—1) Wise, wise (man)—1a) Skilful(in technical work), 1b) Wise(in administration), 1c) Shrewd, crafty, cunning, wily, subtle, 1d) Learned, shrewd(class of men), 1e) Prudent, 1f) Wise(ethically & religiously). Strong—Wise, i.e. Intelligent, skillful or artful.

“Child/Son”—*Added for clarity—

INWARD Focus:

“Delight in/Joy/Glad”(See :25—“glad”)—xms saw-makh’—Qal Imperfect—1) To rejoice, be glad—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To rejoice, 1a2) To rejoice(arrogantly), exult(at), 1a3) To rejoice(religiously). Strong—a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. figuratively--Be(causatively--Make) blithe or gleesome.

Argumentation:

Mat. 6:33—“But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness, & all these things shall be added to you.”

Mat. 13:40-43—“Therefore as the tares[AKA—weeds] are gathered & burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, & they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, & those who practice lawlessness, & will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing & gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”