Isaiah 51:1-2 “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father.”
This Sunday is Father’s Day. Have you ever wondered how you’re doing as a father? Or, if you’re still single, how you will do some day? They don’t give a test for fatherhood, do they? So how do you know whether you’re passing or failing? Where do we learn fathering skills, anyway?
In Isaiah 51:1,2, the Lord tells the captive Israelites to look to Abraham their father as an example of righteousness and faith.
Abraham, who was called “a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4) by God Himself, was one of the most remarkable fathers in the Bible.
But why? What made Abraham such a great father?
When we read, in Genesis 22:1-14, of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, we discover what made Abraham such a great father. By his example, Abraham taught his son, Isaac, some very valuable lessons:
- Abraham was sensitive to the voice of the Lord. When God spoke, he listened.
- Abraham had a tender love for his son.
- Abraham had a willing and obedient heart. He went where God told him to go.
- Abraham was patient. It took him three days to get to Mount Moriah, and even then he did not complain.
- Abraham never lost hope. He knew the covenant God had made with him and that such a promise would come through Isaac.
- Abraham provided the faith and reassurance his son needed. When Isaac asked him where the sacrifice was, he didn’t avoid the issue, nor did he lie.
- Abraham gave his son to the Lord. He trusted God till the end.
- Abraham taught his son what true faith was all about.
Now, more than ever, our children need godly fathers like Abraham as examples to follow. They need true heroes of the Cross to pattern their lives after. May all of us “hearken” to the voice of the Lord just as Abraham did.
Devotional by: Pastor Steve Mays, Calvary Chapel
Image Credit: https://flic.kr/p/bTpUs4