FOUNDATIONAL DEMANDS OF FATHERHOOD-II—Proverbs 23:22-25
Attention:
!NO OPENER USED!
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.
The Holy Spirit used the writer of Proverbs to reveal the foundational demands of Parenthood & Fatherhood particularly.
Foundational biblical demands of Fatherhood are available & accessible.
What are some of the foundational biblical demands of Fatherhood?
We have already discovered that
A foundational demand of Fatherhood is to...
1. EARN YOUR CHILD’S HEART(:22)
2—A foundational demand of Fatherhood/Parenthood is to...
SHARE TRUTH, WISDOM, INSTRUCTION, & UNDERSTANDING(:23)
Explanation/Illustration:(:22-23)
:23—“Buy the truth, & do not sell it, Also wisdom & instruction & understanding.”
It is imperative for a young man/woman to consider the ‘cost’ of “the truth” & to ‘purchase’ it. “Truth” is about reality versus what is not reality. “Truth” is about that which derives from God versus that which derives from man.
Lk. 14:25-33—“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- “lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
How is it possible to “buy” &/or “sell” “truth”? To “buy the truth” suggests devoting one’s precious time & labors toward obtaining God’s “truth.” As is rightly said, ‘All truth is God’s truth no matter where it is found.’ To buy “truth” is to direct & devote your heart’s desire to the discovery of “truth.”
“Buy the truth”— Buying truth involves sacrifice on the part of the buyer(the child). You must give-up something of yourself & willingly exchange it for God’s “truth.”
Thus a ‘godly-wise’ young man/woman will never “sell”(let go of) God’s “truth.” That is they will never ‘re-exchange’ it for that which is actually less. They will never give up on “truth”, never let go of it, & never discard it or dispose of it. If it has been ‘purchased’ outright, then “truth” will be so precious to it’s owner(having surrendered one’s labors to it) that it will be tightly held to.
Along with “truth” come at least three things that bolster God’s “truth”!
“Wisdom”—suggests the ability to use knowledge correctly as God would have us use it. It is applying good judgment based upon God’s desire.
“Instruction”—(AKA ‘discipline’) suggests personal discipline regarding the things of God’s desire.
“Understanding”—suggests a personal mental discernment of things in God’s scheme of life.
Each of the above becomes godly, when based upon, built upon, & applied thru God’s truth!
HOW we share with our children is key/important. And it is life-changing for the child & for the Father!
It is not simply an interaction, but is rather a mutual interchange involving acceptance & godly heartfelt offering.
This is why the ‘son’(:19) is told to “listen”, “do not despise”, “buy” “& do not sell.” These are things that are key to every child’s growth, into adulthood & thruout life. Therefore the father(& mother) is joyfully(:25) responsible as a teacher of his children to bring in the expertise of the ‘Wonderful Counselor’, Jesus Christ(Isa. 9:6).
Examples:
For fathers(& mothers) this is...
•As simple as teaching a young child how to ride a bicycle. Explanation is vital...as is experience.
•As simple as teaching a child how to shoot a gun. The ‘how’ involves much more than merely mechanics of the gun itself. You teach them the importance of a gun’s potential. Potential for danger & potential for provision & protection. You teach them the importance of people’s lives.
•As simple as teaching a child how to use a drill press, or a router, a table saw, etc., etc.. You teach them the importance of safety. You teach them their importance to you, their father. By making something useful or whimsical for others, you teach your child love for their mother & siblings, love for their church, their neighbors. You teach them that love is more than a concept, but is an attitude of the Christian heart that works it’s way out in the mouth, hands, & feet.
•Fathers are not merely to ‘dole out information.’ If that were the case, then there would be no need for fathers...we would just ship our kids off to school for instruction...we would just put a book in their hand without making ourselves available for their their questions, their deepest true needs; their need to know you are there for them.
?Fathers, Do your children witness you involved in ‘shady’ doings & dealings?...?Taking care of business ‘under the table’ or ‘under the radar’ as it were?
?Do they witness you ‘drunk & disorderly’ or ‘high’?
?Fathers, Do your children witness your involvement in physical altercations?
?Does your child see you nervously ‘looking around’ to see if anyone is watching?
?Do your children witness you & your wife yelling at one another?
Take your father’s instruction to heart.
Some things my father taught me:
•My father taught me that people are valuable...intentionally made in the image of the Almighty Creator God.
•My father taught me that people deserve to be treated appropriately, lovingly, kindly, fairly, no matter their societal standing.
•My father taught me that ‘blind’ prejudice is a revealer of self-centeredness. It is disgusting & demeaning for anyone.
•My father taught me to ‘put myself in another’s shoes’ in order to understand the person’s rationale for what they do.
•My father taught me that labor, ‘pain’, & frustration can be close partners with submission, knowledge, & learning.
•My father taught me to be neither a ‘blamer’ nor an ‘accuser’, but rather to ‘own’ my own failures, & to lovingly forgive as God forgives.
•My father taught me that opulence is offensive because it makes a show of selfishness. He taught me that money is a great servant & should never be elevated the position of master.
•My father taught me that hard work is commendable & freeing.
Children of every age, exhibit wisdom when they run godly instruction over & over in their minds & hearts, & live it out practically. Everybody here is somebody’s baby...So, kid’s of all ages, take that godly instruction to heart.
•In so doing any child(of any age) will be wise—putting all things together properly—good, bad, moral, ethical, emotional, physical, spiritual, etc..
Thru a son or daughter’s taking Dad’s godly instruction to heart, that son or daughter will gladly receive the correction, chastisement, discipline, & restraint intended thru God’s truth.
Thru a son or daughter’s taking Dad’s godly instruction to heart, that son or daughter will be drawn to discern fact from fiction.
I encourage you to NOT break the chain that binds you & your family to the Lord God in Christ!
“Buy truth”, because things may actually be very different than you perceive them or even want them to be!
“Buy”—hnq kaw-naw’—Qal Imperative—1) To get, acquire, create, buy, possess—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To get, acquire, obtain—1a1a) Of God originating, creating, redeeming His people—1a1a1) Possessor, 1a1b) Of Eve acquiring, 1a1c) Of acquiring knowledge, wisdom, 1a2) To buy. Strong—a primitive root; To erect, i.e. Create; by extension--To procure, especially by purchase(causatively--Sell); by implication--To own.
“Truth”—tma eh’-meth—Noun Fem.—1) Firmness, faithfulness, truth—1a) Sureness, reliability, 1b) Stability, continuance, 1c) Faithfulness, reliableness, 1d) Truth—1d1) As spoken, 1d2) Of testimony & judgment, 1d3) Of divine instruction, 1d4) Truth as a body of ethical or religious knowledge, 1d5) True doctrine. Adverb—2) In truth, truly. Strong—contracted from Nma[To build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; Render(or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally--To be true or certain]; Stability; figuratively--Certainty, truth, trustworthiness.
“Not”—la ‘al—Negative Adverb—1) Not, no, nor, neither, nothing(as wish or preference)—1a) Do not, let not(with a verb), 1b) Let there not be(with a verb understood), 1c) Not, no(with substantive), 1d) Nothing(as substantive). Strong—a negative particle[akin to al]; Not(the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once(Job 24:25) as a noun--Nothing. Used 12X.
“Sell”—rkm maw-kar’—Qal Imperfect—1) To sell—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To sell, 1a2) Seller(participle), 1b) (Niphal)--1b1) To be sold, 1b2) To sell oneself, 1b3) To be given over to death, 1c) (Hithpael)--To sell oneself. Strong—a primitive root; To sell, literally(as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively--To surrender.
“Wisdom”(See :24—“Wise”—Mkx)—hmkx khok-maw’—Noun Fem.—1) Wisdom—1a) Skill(in war), 1b) Wisdom(in administration), 1c) Shrewdness, wisdom, 1d) Wisdom, prudence(in religious affairs), 1e) Wisdom(ethical & religious). Strong—from Mkx[To be wise]; Wisdom(in a good sense).
“Instruction/Discipline”—rowm moo-sawr’—Noun Masc.—1) Discipline, chastening, correction—1a) Discipline, correction, 1b) Chastening. Strong—properly--Chastisement; figuratively--Reproof, warning or instruction; also--Restraint.?From—roy yaw-sar’—a primitive root; To chastise, literally(with blows) or figuratively(with words); hence--To instruct.
“Understanding”—hnyb beey-naw', tnyb or (plural)twnyb—Noun Fem.—1) Understanding, discernment—1a) Act, 1b) Faculty, 1c) Object, 1d) Personified. Strong—Understanding.?From—Nyb biyn; a primitive root; To separate mentally(or distinguish), i.e. generally--Understand.
Argumentation:
Deut. 4:1-10—Israel was told by Moses,—“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes & the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, & go in & possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you. Surely I have taught you statutes & judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom & your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, & say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise & understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes & righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, & diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, & lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children & your grandchildren, “especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, & I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, & that they may teach their children.’
•And what does that teaching require?...A full-on commitment of body, soul, & spirit to the task!
Lk. 20:17-26—“Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’? “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.”
Jn. 1:14-18—“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
Jn. 8:28-51—“Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.””
Jn. 14:6-11—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
1Tim. 2:1-4—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1Cor. 13:4-8a—“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails....”
Gal. 5:7-8—“You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.”
Illustration:
TV show Live PD or Alaska State Troopers/Officers are always putting their lives on the line, trying to save people from their own destructive ways/Drug-induced people drive when they shouldn’t drive, shoot when they shouldn’t shoot, overdose when they shouldn’t—ingest, snort, smoke, eat inject, or otherwise—any mind-altering substances/The overwhelming majority who do such things, do so because they cannot cope with reality—that is, the reality of life apart from Christ Jesus—they are not meant to!/SHARE TRUTH, WISDOM, INSTRUCTION, & UNDERSTANDING
Application:
?Fathers, Are you continually Sharing God’s TRUTH, WISDOM, INSTRUCTION, & UNDERSTANDING?
?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:
!NO OPENER USED!
Action:
Some foundational demands of Fatherhood is to...
2. SHARE TRUTH, WISDOM, INSTRUCTION, & UNDERSTANDING(:23)
1. EARN YOUR CHILD’S HEART(:22)
Pt# 2 only! presented 09/22/2019am to:
1stBC C’belle
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
