Fathers have the biblical duty to love-Faith talk

Coming from a weekend that celebrated fathers, I am challenged to dedicate this week’s column to all paternal parents in the Republic.

The word father comes from a Hebrew word “abba” which means father. It means “one who causes something to be”, a producer, creator or architect. The word can be used as a figurative for a source, spiritual likeness, counsellor or superior.

A father is a progenitor, one who establishes and begins a generation, a pioneer, he is a patriarch and procreator.

Fathers have the biblical duty to love, guide, command, and train, warn, punish, rebuke, nourish and supply needs. Fatherless children are radarless, without direction or control.
In biblical days, the father was also responsible for training a son in a trade, usually that of his father, and upon the age of 12 or 13, he would have to be introduced to the whole community as a man representing his own father, at a ceremony called a Bar-Mitzvah.

Fathers were also responsible for ensuring that their sons married and did so within the designated clans and religious belief system. Anyone who failed to train and give his son a trade was regarded as having created a criminal. That was why Jesus was a carpenter like Joseph.

Paternal parents provide the identity of a generation; they link yesterday with the present and the future.

They are supposed to be downloaders of vision to their sons.
A good son is one who pursues and finishes the work of his father, hence Jesus says I have come to do the work of my Father and to finish it.

When a dad provides his vision the son runs with it and accomplishes it. A true man doesn’t finish his vision in his own lifetime; he finishes his mission and passes on the vision to posterity.

Fathers are significant in that they bring correction and affirmation – it is not juniors who bestow accolades and stripes`, but generals and commanders. Until my father endorses me as best, I do not believe I am or can be.

Men make babies but fathers raise giants and the good ones spend quality time with their children and know how to challenge them to great achievement.

Prov13:22, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children. Prov 19:14, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers.” Prov17:6, “Fathers are a crown to their children.”

Good fathers pay lobola for their wives, leave honour for their children, and build houses and homes, before driving around in expensive cars.