The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
I love westerns. And who do you think of when you think about you think of spaghetti westerns? Clint Eastwood. Of course we like Hang em High and High Plains Drifter, but the best one has to be…
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve probably heard that music before. The Good the Bad and the Ugly. The Ugly, a Mexican named Tuco Ramirez, was an ugly bandit, with a list of crimes to long to count. The Bad, a Renegade known as Angel Eyes, that portrayed himself as a decent fellow, but in reality was a greedy scoundrel. The Good, known as Blondie and played by the great Clint Eastwood showed his true character by his compassion for lost lives and soldiers on each side of the war, the Blue or the Grey. And though these three violent men are in no way role models, they give us the opportunity to look at The Good, the Bad and the Ugly examples of fathers in the Bible.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
I. The Ugly - Omri
A. Who is Omri?
1. Never Heard of Him
2. He was the seventh king of Israel after the division.
3. Mentioned 18 times in the OT.
4. Father of Ahab of whom we have more particulars recorded than any of the kings of Israel.
B. Why so Ugly?
1. I Kings 16:25 “But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.”
2. “evil in the eyes of the Lord” is used so much it seems to have lost its meaning. More than those before him lets look at those before him.
a. Zimri - committed suicide , burnt the palace with himself inside
b. Baasha - Murdered the previous king Nadab
- God used him to destroy Jeroboam’s family for his wickedness, but then repeated the same mistakes.
c. Jeroboam - Erected two golden calf idols to keep people from going to Jerusalem to worship. Appointed priests from outside of the tribe of Levi. He was so evil, others that followed him were repeatedly compared to him. “walking in the ways of Jeroboam”
C. His Legacy
1. You can tell a lot about a father by his kids.
a. You may have never heard of king Omri before, but you have no doubt heard of his son Ahab.
b. Ahab considered God’s prophet an enemy.
1) He blamed Elijah for the prophecies of judgment.
2) Elijah always brought bad news.
c. He was the most evil king of Israel
d. Married probably the most evil woman to walk the face of the earth. Sunday school lesson, “What’s in a Name?” anyone named Judas? How about Jezebel?
2. Not only his children, but further down the line.
a. Ahaziah - Ahab’s son
1) Walked in the ways of his father and mother
2) Provoked the Lord to anger just like his father
b. Micah 6:16 speaking of Israel says “You have observed the statues of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house and you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin.”
c. Micah couldn’t find an upright person anywhere in the land.
D. So, Fathers, how are you going to be remembered? Mean and Ugly?
II. The Bad - Lot
A. Who is Lot?
1. Lost his father at young age.
2. Still had strong role models in his grandfather Terah and uncle Abram, who raised him.
3. Chose good land, pitched tents near Sodom, eventually lived in Sodom.
4. Successful businessman / very wealthy / city official
5. Today we would call him a success.
a. Good family, wife two girls, possible he had some sons
b. Good career, very wealthy
c. Well respected , put in place of leadership, judge
B. Why so Bad?
1. He was a drifter - put off decisions and chose easiest path
a. We are like that. We simply drift through life. When we can muster the will to choose we tend to follow the course of least resistance.
b. Kind off like running over a string with the vacuum. You run over it a dozen times. Reach down. Pick it up. Examine it. Then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance. You think that’s the easier way. But just pick it up in the first place = less work right? Least resistance doesn’t always mean it’s the easiest path.
2. He blended in with society.
a. was a success
b. was respected
c. He blended in with a sinful culture so much that he didn’t want to leave it.
1) Genesis 19:16 “When he hesitated the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters and led them safely out of the city.”
2) He had been warned “Hurry or you’ll be swept away”
3) He hesitated because he did not want to abandon his wealth, position and comfort in Sodom.
4) No doubt Lot worked hard in order to provide for his family.
In her book The Power of a Praying Husband Stormie Omartian wrote:
“Every man I know wants to be more involved in his children’s lives and suffers with the guilt when his work occupies too much of his time.” “ It’s important for a man to work and support his family. Men are often not applauded enough for all they do to provide a secure and safe place for their families.” But your presence as a father in the home is vitally important.
You know where the highest occurrence of teenage suicide takes place? In homes where the father is not present.
We as dads often think the best thing we can do for our family is work hard and provide a home and their needs. Your kids need YOU more than anything.
C. His Legacy
1. Lot was not necessarily a bad man
a. II Peter 2:7-8 “And kept safe Lot, the upright man, who was deeply troubled by the unclean life of the evil-doers. (Because the soul of that upright man living among them was pained from day to day by seeing and hearing theicrimes.)
b. Peter calls him a righteous man, sickened by the filth he witnessed every day. Remember he was a judge, so he had first hand exposure to their evil.
2. But he was a bad father.
a. He gained wealth and notoriety in Sodom
b. But he lost everything he and his family had worked for.
c. He lost his testimony
1) We think we can influence a sinful world even when we immerse ourselves into it. But Lot couldn’t even convince his sons-in-law. They laughed at him when he said get out. “Crazy old mad” Mark Martin commercial
d. His example (bad) affected his wife and daughters
1) Wife
- Pillar of salt
- Clinging to the past, unable to turn completely away.
2) Daughters
- Got Lot drunk ( Stan - a lot of bad stories in Bible start out with those words)
- Committed incest with him in desperation to preserve the family line
- This showed their acceptance of the morals of Sodom.
- And showed how Lot’s allowing them to continue to live in such filth in a way condoning it, how this affected their thinking
3) Lots tendency to compromise and refusal to act reached its peak.
4) He should have found partners for his daughters long before this; Abraham’s family wasn’t far away.
3. Fathers often hurt the ones they love the most.
a. We can not only hurt with words, but with actions, or failure to.
b. One of the worst ways to hurt is to not set a good example or guide them in the way they should go.
c. Deuteronomy 6:6 “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. (7) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
d. In other words: Talk about it at the supper table, while driving to Wal-Mart. When your tucking them in, and when you tell them good morning over your bowl of Raisin Bran and Lucky Charms.
e. This gives a picture of a father that spends time with his kids.Lets look at our scripture again. Proverbs 22:6 If a child is trained up in the right way, even when he is old he will not be turned away from it.
D. So, Fathers, how are you going to be remembered? Compromising and Indecisive? A Poor Example? A Bad Father?
III. The Good - Jacob
A. Who is Jacob?
1. Son of Isaac - Younger or twins
2. Promised the birthright - received it by deceitful means
3. Wasn’t perfect, but his deception brought him punishment down the road.
4. Wrestled with God, this became a turning point in his life.
B. Why so good?
1. Jacob showed a great example as head of house.
a. Complete surrender to God
1) After his smack down wrestling match with God Himself , Jacob threw his arms around the neck of his Divine and clung to Him shows full surrender, and full faith.
2) Jacob’s life is now marked by his reliance upon God Never again does he scheme by his own methods to attain God’s blessing.
b. He rebuked his son’s sins.
1) His sons Simeon and Levi killed all the men of Schechem out of revenge for violating their sister.
2) Genesis 34:30 He told Simeon and Levi you made me look like a fool to our neighbors. We are few in number. If they join forces and attack we will be destroyed.
c. He summoned his family to repentance.
1) “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you”
2) “Purify yourselves and change your clothes”
3) Only then could they go up to Bethel to worship.
2. Jacob’s Reliance on God.
a. Jacob’s name means “He grabs the heel” (he deceives)
1) He grabbed Esau’s heel at birth
2) He grabbed Esau’s birthright and blessing.
3) He grabbed onto God and wouldn’t let go.
4) He was grabbed - God achieved a firm hold on him.
b. He had lost his beloved son Joseph at a young age, thought he was dead.
1) Joseph sent for him to come to Egypt.
2) In spite of the seeming reasonableness of Josephs suggestion, the cordial invitation of Pharaoh, the urgency of the famine and the excellent prospects offered to his family, Jacob was clearly unwilling to make a move without God’s approval.
3) Genesis 46:1-7 Jacob goes to Beersheba and offers a sacrifice to God where He spoke to Jacob in a vision.
Verse 3 - “I am God, the God of your father, do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there (4) I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Josephs own hand will close your eyes.”
In today’s world we seem to rationalize things in this way. “Well it seems like the right thing to do. Highly respected people have asked me to do it. Advisor’s suggestions seem reasonable. We are in great need. They are offering great benefits for me and my family. It must be God’s will.
But we fail to stop and worship God and truly seek what His will is. That great opportunity may not be the direction He wants you to take. Allow Him to lead you and He will greatly bless.
God’s promises to Jacob? I will make you a great nation.
I will go with you.
I will bring your people back.
You will see Joseph before you die.
C. His Legacy.
1. Jacob is among the most important people in the OT.
2. Third link in God’s plan to start a nation from Abraham.
3. Name changed to Israel / Father of 12 tribes of Israel.
4. Again you can tell a lot about a father by his kids.
a. Sure he sinned and messed up, and so did his sons.
b. But in the end he put his complete trust in God.
c. His sons repentance and guilt over their sin is evident.
d. Their selfishness no longer exists.
D. Does this mean that bad kids = bad parents? Of course not.
1. Today’s society has this “Blame someone else” mentality.
a. “I spilt this McDonald’s coffee on myself, it was to hot”
b. Lets sue the tobacco companies for giving people cancer.
c. Lets sue the gun manufacturers for gun violence.
2. Jacob’s own sons tried this, their reply was self defense, Schechem had forced them to sin. This is never true.
3. Romans 12:21 states that such an attitude implies one has been “overcome with evil”
4. If I sin, for whatever reason I and I only am responsible for my sin.
5. We must take responsibility for our own actions.
6. One way is by being a good example as a father.
E. So, Fathers how will you be remembered? As a Good Example? God Reliant?
How can we as fathers be this way? Who should we pattern ourselves after?
The Good the Bad and the Ugly? Or……
IV. The Best, The One, and the Beautiful.
A. God the Father - The best- perfect Father
1. We are to look to God the Father for guidance.
2. As fathers we are a picture of God to our children, of course we can’t be perfect like Him. We must strive to be.
3. He is the best, perfect example for us to emulate.
4. Jesus said in John 5:19 “…The Son can do nothing by Himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
5. We need to follow Christ’s example and be able to say for ourselves
“Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”
6. Are you doing “only what you see your Father (God) doing?
7. You say well I cant see the Father. Jesus said “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
8. How many of you dad’s have one of those world’s greatest dad hats or t-shirts? Probably all of us do. But have you really thought about that? 20 shirts on the rack, 2 Wal-Marts in Conway, what 5 in LR, 2 NLR. Ok that’s 10 in this general area. Lets just say there are a thousand Wal-Marts. That’s 20,000 t-shirts. And that’s a low estimate. How can there be 20,000 “World’s greatest Dads”?
9. There’s only one World’s Greatest Dad, the perfect One, God the Father.
B. God the Father - The One, the Only.
1. Jesus said in Matthew 10:40 “He who receives Me, receives the ONE who sent Me.”
2. There is only one. God is the one Sovereign God.
3. Right now we are in the midst of the NBA finals, Stanley Cup finals, and the World Cup (Soccer). Each is to determine the #1 team, especially in the World Cup. Who is the supreme team in the world? Soccer, whether you understand it or not, is truly played all over the world. Ok the USA stinks, but we still participate.
4. With God there is no competition. He is the greatest. PERIOD. The One and Only Father.
C. God the Father’s Beauty.
1. Psalms speaks of God’s beauty
a. 27:4 “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD…”
b. 90:17 “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us:”
2. The beauty of God the Father’s love is immeasurable.
D. We can look to all the examples of fatherhood in the Bible.
1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
2. We can learn from all of them / often learn what not to do.
3. As fathers Satan is attacking us heavily today.
a. The man is belittled
b. Dumbed down, portrayed as a bumbling idiot on sitcoms and commercials.
c. Satan keeps trying to pull us away from God the Father’s example.
Story where the man is a picture of Satan.
A man absolutely hated his wife’s cat and decided to get rid of him one day by driving him 20 blocks from his home and leaving him at the park. As he was getting home, the cat was walking up the driveway.
The next day he decided to drive the cat 40 blocks away. He put the beast out and headed home. Driving back up the driveway, there was the cat
He kept taking the cat further and further and the cat would always beat him home. At last he decided to drive a few miles away, turn right, then left, past the bridge, then right again and another right until he reached what he thought was a safe distance from his home and left the cat there.
Hours later the man calls home to his wife: “Jen, is the cat there?”
“Yes,” the wife answers, “Why do you ask?”
Frustrated, the man answered, “Put the beast on the phone, I’m lost! and need directions!”
4. We need to be like that cat, persistently returning to God no matter how many times, or how far away Satan drags us.
So this morning, which one are you?
Do you fall into the ugly category, living your life completely dishonoring God, provoking him to anger, reeking havoc on your own future as well as those of your children and grandchildren?
Living a life so full of sin, the list is to long to count?
Or maybe you fall into the bad category.
This is probably where most of us fall.
Not necessarily a bad guy.
Putting on a good front.
To most people you look like a decent fellow.
Hard worker, providing for your family, not a bad thing right?
But your not really there for them are you.
Sure you can carry them around to ball practice and bag pipe lessons ( yes I said bag pipes, just want to know if your paying attention), but are you really there for them?
Remember, kids need YOU more than anything.
If you remember back to the movie The Good the Bad and the Ugly, which one ended up with nothing but a bullet in the end?
Was it the ugly?
No it was the bad.
But there is a way you can be more involved in your children’s lives, young or old.
You can pray for them.
Pray with them.
This leads us to the third category, the good.
I’m afraid to say that probably very few of us fall here.
Jacob as our example of the good openly prayed for his children.
Make it a habit to pray for and to your children like Jacob did.
We all need to strive to be like our Heavenly Father.
He is The Best, The One, and The Beautiful.
So, Fathers how are you going to be remembered?
