You Shall be Sons and Daughters to Me: Frequently Forgotten Fathers and Our Forever Faithful Father God

It’s getting increasingly difficult to carry my children in my arms. As a father of two young sons -- and with a baby girl on the way -- I am aware that I get older and weaker with every passing Father’s Day. And on this side of the pandemic, I am reminded of the frailty and fragility of our human lives. I fear that I won’t be well enough to take care of my children. I want to protect them, support them spiritually, and give them wisdom as they grow. What will happen if and when I'm not around?

There are three instances in the Bible that I would like to mention in regards to frequently forgotten fathers. These are fathers who are easily disregarded and quickly cast aside. There are lessons to learn from each of their stories.

1. Amram and Moses

Exodus 2:1-2: Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

Moses is a larger-than-life figure in the Old Testament. We see him going head-to-head with Pharaoh and nearly meeting face-to-face with God. But we forget that Moses had humble beginnings. As a baby, his parents had to send him down the Nile in a basket to save his life. Moses was born to Amram, a son of Kohath, a Levite.

We don’t know much more about Moses’ father, but we are shown a man who had great faith in God to preserve the life of his son. He trusted God to take care of his son. While Moses would grow up not knowing his earthly father, he would grow up to be the greatest prophet in Israel. 

2. Paul and Timothy

2 Timothy 1:5: I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Paul is talking to Timothy in this verse, and he is speaking about the faith found in his family. Clearly absent from Paul’s commendation is a fatherly presence. His mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, are mentioned and remembered -- but Timothy’s father and grandfather are forgotten. We don’t know much about Timothy’s father, but we know he had a father-figure in the Apostle Paul.

We are reminded that Paul sees Timothy as his spiritual son, and he would like Timothy to see him as his spiritual father. Paul even mentions elsewhere that Timothy is his “true child in the faith” (1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:2). While our earthly fathers are important and to be honored, our spiritual fathers are especially significant and to be imitated. 

3. Joseph and Jesus

Matthew 1:24-25: When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph is Jesus’ earthly father. He was a hard-working carpenter and he truly loved Mary, his betrothed. We know Joseph played a part in Jesus’ growth, providing what he needed to grow in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.

We see that Joseph acted as an adopted father to Jesus, but he was later absent from his life. Most assume that Joseph had died by the time Jesus’ earthly ministry had begun. Joseph was courageous and obedient. He was a modest man who was faithful to his calling as a father to the Son of God.

Trust, Training, and Time

We can learn at least three lessons from these stories. First, with Amran and Moses, we as fathers must trust God with our children. In a world full of physical and spiritual danger, we must not fear man but have faith in God to preserve the lives of our children. Next, with Paul and Timothy, we need to place a priority on being faithful fathers to our spiritual sons. We must be a model to and train up our young men in the ways that they should go. Finally, with Joseph and Jesus, we see that we should be faithful and courageous with the children God has given us. And although we don’t know how much time we have with them, we can trust that God will keep them in his care.

As my children begin to go out into our brave new world, I am thankful for the privilege of being their father. I am motivated to be the best father that I can be with the time that I am given. And I am moved to trust our gracious God who adopts us into his family, shows compassion to his children, and says that he will never leave us or forsake us. The same arms that welcomed infants and said, “Let the children come to me,” belong to the same God who is our deliverer and dwelling place. Our enemy, Death, is destroyed -- and we can live safely in our Father’s strong, secure, and everlasting arms.

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” -- Deuteronomy 33:27