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!”
Jn. 5:30—“I can of Myself[Jesus] do nothing. As I hear, I judge; & My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”
Acts 10:35—“But in every nation whoever fears Him & works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
Rom. 1:17—“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””
Rom. 3:20-27—“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.”
Illustration:
?Have your children ever done anything that you as a parent knew was foolish?
OR—?have you, children, ever done anything that your parents told you was foolish?
OR—?have you done ‘the right thing’ when you wanted to do otherwise?
Many godly fathers rightly find their children’s childhood years to be a supreme challenge & so they erroneously avoid them!/Whereas, both Fatherhood & Motherhood are enormous responsibilities, which are fraught with constant challenges/The parent may not ever see the fruition of the effort they put forth for their children’s benefit, until the child reaches adulthood...& even then, there is no guarantee that your labors will bear fruit!/Sometimes parents, the best you will receive is only a fleeting delight—instances of pure righteousness & wisdom/Also many times a Christian parent will have to find delight in their child’s applying the ‘practical’ aspects of Christianity via tradition alone, rather than in a working relationship with Jesus Christ/FIND DELIGHT In YOUR CHILD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & WISDOM
The Church feeding a family in need, or a meal promoting Christian fellowship/Driven by God’s Righteousness & Wisdom in order to make it work in & for God’s Kingdom/‘It’s what we’re supposed to do!’/God FINDs DELIGHT In His CHILD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & WISDOM
Making wise decisions versus foolish ones
The priority of prayer in finding wisdom.
Application:
?Fathers, Are you continually FINDing DELIGHT In YOUR CHILD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & WISDOM?
?Are you right now, meeting the Foundational Demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood?
*If you are not meeting the Foundational Demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood, I implore you to begin NOW!
4—A foundational demand of Fatherhood/Parenthood is to...
BASK In The SUCCESSES Of FATHERHOOD/PARENTHOOD(:25)
Explanation:(:25)/Triumph/Fruit
:25—“Let your father & your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.”
Throughout their mortal lives both “father &” “mother” can reasonably expect to be visibly & tangibly “glad.”
The “mother” who has “borne” a wisely righteous child finds occasion for “rejoicing.”
The cause for “gladness” & “rejoicing” on the part of the parent(s) is—that the child(ren) exhibits a Trust in God’s truth, & therefore Lives wisely empowered by God, Submitting & Integrating every part of their lives to the Holy Spirit.
The “Let” aspect alluded to in the English—“Let your father & your mother...”— addresses the one toward whom the ‘wisdom’ contained in the Proverbs is directed...
Ultimately, it is up to the son/daughter—of any generation—to personally ‘pursue’ godly wisdom(:19) so that his/her parents will find reason to rejoice!...
Thus God has placed ultimate responsibility upon the son(s) & daughter(s) of those who have taught them God’s truth!
It is a responsibility of any adult son or daughter to see, accept, & live out the benefit of freely walking in Christ Jesus.
*Nothing could possibly make a Christian parent more ‘proud’, than to have their children truly love God thru Jesus Christ!...
•There is a ‘pride’ which comes to Christian parents, from just knowing that their children are ‘making their own way in the world’...that they are arguably considered ‘good people.’
•However, there is also an ultimately greater ‘pride’ which comes to Christian parents, in knowing that each of their children is Not merely being a ‘good person’ who approaches civic sensibilities by mimicking Christian behavior, but rather, that their children are actually those who live out their lives reasonably by Christ, & approach their civic sensibilities thru the love & power of Christ Jesus!
INWARD Focus:
“Let...Be Glad”(See :24—“delight in”)—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.—
“Father”(See :22, 24)—ba 'awb—Noun Masc.—
“Mother”(See :22)—Ma ‘em—Noun Fem.—
“Bore/Gave you Birth”(See :22, 24)—dly yaw-lad’—Qal Participle Active—1) To bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To bear, bring forth—1a1a) Of child birth, 1a1b) Of distress (simile), 1a1c) Of wicked(behavior), 1a2) To beget. Strong—a primitive root; To bear young; causatively--To beget; medically--To act as midwife; specifically--To show lineage.
?Does the Active Participle imply current or continual bearing?
OUTWARD Focus:
“Rejoice”(See :24)—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.
Argumentation:
Rom. 12:15—“Rejoice with those who rejoice, & weep with those who weep.”
Parents, the successes & failures of our children are one of the reasons we enjoy the company of God’s people. We love to ‘brag’ on our children’s successes, & love to find ‘counsel’ for our children’s failures.
Prov. 17:24, 25—“Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.”
No parent in their right mind wants their child(ren) to bring “grief” & “bitterness” to themselves & thus to the family.
Josh. 1:6-9—“Be strong & of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong & very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day & night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, & then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong & of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””
Eph. 6:4—“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training & admonition of the Lord.”
Ps. 100:1-5—A Psalm of Thanksgiving.—Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, & not we ourselves; We are His people & the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, & bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
Col. 3:15-17—“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
2Thess. 2:13-14—“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit & belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1Tim. 1:12-14—“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, & an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith & love which are in Christ Jesus.”
Some of you might be considered ‘the black sheep’ of the family. Why is that?
•If you carry that ‘blight’ only because you love Jesus, then so be it...Your family are the ones who are outside of God’s will!
•However, if you are deservedly the one who forges their own ‘difficult path’ rather than following the narrow difficult way of Christ, then you must consider that the responsibility to redeem your status is yours alone!
Illustration:
Consider the gladness you bring to God the/your Father!
Dad’s/Mom’s, ?What is that brings you the utter joy of Fatherhood/Motherhood?...Knowing that you have given your children the spiritual & physical tools for success.
Find fulfillment in knowing you are giving your best to God, regardless of the outcome(which is not yours to control).
Example:
Sometimes the shrimp are not there, even when you give it your all!—You spend sleepless days & nights away from home, pushing yourself past your physical & mental limits, running the nets & seemingly wasting fuel & time because they come up empty. But you can be satisfied knowing that you gave it your best!
Application:
?Fathers, Are you continually BASKing In The UTTER JOY Of FATHERHOOD/PARENTHOOD(:25)
?Are you right now, meeting the Foundational Demands of Fatherhood?
*If you are not meeting the Foundational Demands of Fatherhood, I implore you to begin NOW!
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Sergeant to the already wearied ‘new recruits’, “We should reach the starting point any minute now.”
Action:
Some foundational demands of Fatherhood/Parenthood are to...
3. FIND DELIGHT In YOUR CHILD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS & WISDOM(:24)
4. BASK In The SUCCESSES Of FATHERHOOD/PARENTHOOD(:25)
1. EARN YOUR CHILD’S HEART(:22)
2. SHARE TRUTH, WISDOM, INSTRUCTION,
& UNDERSTANDING(:23)
Pt#s 3-4 presented 09/29/2019am to:
1stBC C’belle
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
