Introduction: with the exception of Adam, who was created; and Jesus Himself, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, every man in the Bible had a father. That some were good and others were evil is clear, and it would be nearly impossible to list every father and son in the Bible. The Books of Chronicles come close, but they do focus on the nation of Israel.
It’s been said by any number of people that, in the Bible, good men had evil sons and evil fathers somehow had good sons. A review of the kings of Judah, especially, would prove this. It also goes without saying that some fathers are seldom mentioned (Zebedee, father of James and John; and Alphaeus, father of Matthew and James the Less are two such men) and some are not mentioned at all (such as the unnamed fathers of Elijah, Amos, and other prophets, for example). Even though these men received limited mention in the Bible, the work of their sons and daughters speaks volumes about the character of these fathers. They are worthy of a tribute.
Sadly, it must be noted that some men were bad men and bad fathers, too. Examples might include the men who rebelled against and led their families into idolatry (see Romans 1:18-32); the various generations of Israelites who abandoned the God of Israel to accept/worship/serve pagan “gods” of various nations (the Book of Judges lists several such occasions) and the last few kings of Judah whose sins led the nation into captivity.
A father’s decision to either serve the True and the Living God or reject Him will affect not only his own life but his children’s as well. There is a poem called “Daddy Wouldn’t Go” that describes how a boy’s soul is white as a young child but gets darker and darker as the father does not take an interest in spiritual things. Another poem that graphically tells the importance of providing a good example for children is entitled “Just Like You”. Some of that poem reads, speaking of a son, that the dad “is the little fellow’s idol” and “the wisest of the wise, in his little mind, about you, no suspicions ever rise,” and more. That poem has spoken to me ever since my own children were born.
All in all, fathers are an important part of any person’s life: whether speaking of himself as a child or a father; even more so for the children. May every father realize how important his role and responsibilities are in regards to his family. O that God would raise up a generation of fathers who would love their God, their children, and devote themselves to raising their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)”.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)