daily bible readings

Fathers leave a legacy for their children whether they like it or not. The children learn and grow, by what fathers directly teach their children but more so, by what they see in their fathers.

Joash’s reign is summed up initially with the words, “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.” 2 Chronicles 24:2. Sadly, his son Amaziah has a similar summary about his reign in 2 Chronicles 25:2, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.”

Both Joash and Amaziah began their reigns well. Joash sought to repair the Temple of Yahweh and sent the priests throughout the land to collect the tax for the Temple restoration. Amaziah avenged his father’s death by having the conspirators pout to death but in accord with the Word of the Lord, he did not put their sons to death. He also organised the families into groups, under commanders and leaders.

Sadly, both kings turned their backs on the Lord. Josiah rebelled after the death of Jehoiada the Priest while Amaziah chose to reject God after a decisive battle victory given by the Lord. Both turned to false gods. It seems as though the sins of the father were visited upon the children.

Ephesians 6:4 calls upon fathers to be actively engaged in leading and raising their children, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” The old adage that raising kids is women’s work has no biblical basis. The command is expressly written to the man of the household, the household head and cannot (and should not) be translated into some kind of generic term for either parent. It is a command written intentionally for the man of the household. Fathers will leave legacy for their children, whether they want to or not.

But, even though the Ephesians talks to fathers, the other extreme needs to be avoided as well. The passage is not calling for mothers to be passive or uninvolved. It is not a call for husband to treat the wife as his puppet or to abuse her skills and compassion in child rearing. Husband and wife work as a team to raise the children but the father has a key and pivotal role.

The father figure is vital in raising children. Men are not called to be wimpy, hen-pecked slaves in the household. They are called to be the spiritual head of  the house as they lead with Jesus-honouring compassion, love and self-sacrificial service.

Children learn by watching their parents. They obviously learn what’s expressly taught to them. But, they learn more by observation and imitation. If the head of the household is lax about his faith, the children will probably follow suit. If the father figure is ho-hum about church attendance and church involvement, the children will, more than likely, grow into that role. If the father does not lead household spiritually, the sons will have no positive and godly role model to follow and will probably adopt a worldly model of leadership.

Joash left a negative legacy for his son, Amaziah. The young king followed in the footsteps of his father and repeated his sins from so long ago. What legacy will we leave our children? What model will they follow?

Prayer:

Adoration:

• Adore your heavenly Father for He loves you and has shown you what is good, right and pleasing to Him.
• Adore God for being pure and perfect, holy in all His ways and loving in all He does.

Confession:

• Take time to confess your sins to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness

Thanks:

• Thank God that even though you may have had negative influences from your earthly father, your heavenly Father is perfect and loves you dearly. He has your best interest at heart and works all things for your good.
• Thank God that you have the Holy Spirit who guides you and leads you in truth and righteousness.

Supplication:

• Pray that our families would grow strong in the Lord and that both husbands and wives would fulfill the roles given to them by the Lord in Scripture.
• Pray that our singles would be faithful to the Lord and able to withstand the unique tests and hardships that they have. Pray that God would provide a Christian spouse for those who long to be married.

Discussion Questions

1. What similarities do you see between Joash and Amaziah?
2. What differences do you see?