Flawed Father Figures
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Fathers and father figures are flawed.
We are, after all, human.
Contrary to what the world says, fathers and mothers are different.
[Hi Mom! Story]
That’s OK, we’re the Dads.
Our role in our child’s lives are different.
Today, I want to look at fathers and father figures,
Specifically, a couple of flawed ones.
Two example in Scripture is Elkanah and Eli.
Elkahah
Elkahah
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Elkanah had two wives, one of which had no children.
When he brought the family to Shiloh every year of make offerings, he gave a double portions to Hannah, his childless wife.
He lack of children was quite a burden on Hannah.
Leading her to fervent prayer.
Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
This is where we meet Eli, not as a father figure but as a priest,
And his first impression is not impressive.
And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
Eli sees a woman praying silently and assumes she’s drunk.
He doesn’t even bother to confirm this before condemning her.
“How long will you be drunk?”
After Hannah corrects Eli, he makes what sounds like a half-hearted response.
Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
After Hannah had prayed for a child, God gave her a son, Samuel.
She told her husband her plan.
Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.”
What was Elkanah’s reaction?
So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
Doesn’t sound like a very engaged father, does he?
Sounds an awful lot like the world’s view of fathers.
Once the child is conceived, the father much doesn’t matter.
They don’t see the need for a father in the house.
How fathers and mothers are complimentary when it comes to raising a child.
As I said, we are not perfect, and neither is the situation we raise our children in.
Some people have it harder than others.
Eli
Eli
When Samuel was old enough, Hannah brought him to Eli, to be raised before the Lord.
Even though Eli doesn’t exactly have the best track record as a father.
Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.” And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
How did this father deal with his sons?
Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people transgress.
A good scolding? That’s Eli’s response to the sins of his sons.
It didn’t work very well.
If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.
Even in this environment, Samuel served before the Lord,
And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.
But he did not actually know the Lord yet.
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
God calls out to Samuel, but he doesn’t recognize who it is.
And neither did Eli at first.
Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy.
Finally, Eli recognizes what’s going on.
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
Now Samuel has some less than pleasant information about his father figure.
And the details are not good.
So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.” And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.”
Now Samuel has to decide, tell Eli or hide the truth.
Samuel tells Eli.
Including the fact that he and his sons have been judged.
From all of this, God raised up one of the most powerful and important prophets of Scripture
1 same 3 19-21
Conclusion
Conclusion
What about Hannah?
Even Hannah’s prayer is heard by God.
And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
I used to look at this story in amazement.
How could such a prophet as Samuel be raised in such a situation.
Sent away by his mother, with little more than a “Whatever you want” from his father.
Raised by a father figure with a lousy track record.
How could it be.
Then I realized, while we all have flawed fathers here on earth,
We have a perfect Father in heaven.
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
Samuel did not minister before Eli, but before the Lord.
The Lord was his father figure.
The same way, no matter how good or flawed our earthly fathers have been,
We have a Father in heaven as our example.
No matter how flawed we are as fathers,
Our children can minister before the best father there is, the Lord.