Father
Among the human relationships God designed to point to him in a special way, he included the role of father. While the picture of God as Father isn’t dominant in the Old Testament, it is significant. Psalm 68:5 says, “The God who is in his holy dwelling place is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows.” David also wrote, “He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation’ ” (Ps. 89:26), and his expression appears prophetic of the way Jesus will speak of the Father. Then, as a reminder of fatherhood at its best, Psalm 103:13 takes a tender role of a father and applies it to God: “As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.” The intense personal nature of this passage manages to convey the distinction that the relationship as children of God can only be claimed by those who fear him.
The Ideal Father
God’s role as father intersects with human fathering in two ways: he is the ideal or perfect father, and he is able to overcome the disappointment that invariably occurs as fallen fathers attempt to live out their responsibilities with their children. The Bible doesn’t give many pictures of successful fathers or even offer extended teaching about being a father. But it does give commands that point to what an ideal father looks like. He is a leader and caretaker, he offers religious instruction, and he blesses his children. He disciplines his children in love for their own good. For a father to give his children stones or snakes would be unthinkable (Matt. 7:9–11). The earthly office of father is a sign of the true Father, God, who perfectly fulfills all the commands given to fathers.
Some people dismiss God’s fatherly guidance because of problems with their earthly fathers. They can find a way through their feelings when they realize that failure is the norm. When imperfect human beings live out a role that is intended to point to God in some way, the result will be far from perfect. We love our earthly fathers because they steer us toward God. Even when they don’t, their all-too-real faults and inadequacies can remind us that at best they were only supposed to give us some sense of God’s importance and were never intended to replace God in our lives. All the fathers in Scripture, from Adam to Zechariah, point to God the ultimate Father. They also exhibit some good or evil behaviors (often both) that drew their children to God or drove them from God.
God Our Father
Jesus persistently called God his Father, underscoring their unique relationship. But when asked by the disciples for some guidance in prayer, Jesus immediately said, “When you pray, say this: ‘Father, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come’ ” (Luke 11:2). We have Christ’s permission and direction to address God as “Father.” He repeats this instruction in the longer form prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13). In a glimpse of the inner workings of the Trinity, Jesus told his disciples, “My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me, and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than everyone else, and no one can tear them away from my Father. The Father and I are one” (John 10:27–30). Jesus spoke of his own relationship with the sheep as the divine Shepherd, the Son of God. Then, getting away from the shepherding metaphors, Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Believe in God, and believe in me. My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:1–2). Again, God the Father’s house was in mind, but Jesus was promising to “prepare a place.”
Jesus taught us to call God our Father, indicating a close and loving relationship.
The apostle Paul takes what is already an intimate invitation to address God as Father and deepens it to the endearing term Abba, a child’s simple cry. “Certainly, all who are guided by God’s Spirit are God’s children. You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” (Rom. 8:14–15; see also Gal. 4:6). The Bible uses the figurative language of birth to describe our relationship with God as a miraculous transformation that brings new life (John 3:1–21; Eph. 2:1–10). But the language of adoption is also used, emphasizing God’s choosing us. Salvation and God’s forgiveness are neither earned nor deserved but are poured into our lives through the graciousness of God. Whether we are thinking of our new birth or our adoption, the words of John come to mind: “Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God’s dear children. And that’s what we are. For this reason the world doesn’t recognize us, and it didn’t recognize him either” (1 John 3:1).
Key Verse
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. (Ps. 103:13)