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Manna from Messiah

Pastor Ellen Mumper, Canada

 

 

 

Father, King and Priest of Your Family

 

"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers" Proverbs 17:6.

 

There is a beautiful song I have sung for the people of our congregation on Father's Day which has the words from this Proverb as the refrain of the song. I have searched on the internet for the writers of this song and wanted to give them credit but cannot find the information. It was on a CD given to me by a church in Texas. Some of the words are as follows:

 

"The glory of children is father

He is the strength of our home

Father, we need you and love you

Walk by our side

Counsel and guide

Show us the way of the LORD"

 

It is the plan of our Creator that the man be the head of the home. Most believers are aware of this. God's established order is for the blessing and well being of His people. Sha'ul (Paul) gave instruction to the churches saying "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Messiah; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Messiah is God." (I Corinthians 11:3) In the garden, Adam and Eve failed to act in obedience as a single unit. In the marriage, a man and woman become one flesh. The beautiful truth of this is given in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." What happened in the Garden of Eden is that man had been given instruction from the Heavenly Father. Did he fail to properly teach Eve? There is no real indication that Eve rebelled against Adam or God Himself. There is proof though, that she was deceived and acted independently of her husband in listening to HaSatan (the Deceiver, the Serpent). Adam was at fault for not being the guardian of his home, which is what the father/husband of the home is made to be. They failed to act as a single unit in obedience to God and therefore God had to instruct them in how a man now would be the priest and king of his home.

 

Of course we realize that men are not more highly valued than women and women are not inferior. If that were so, then Messiah Yeshua would be inferior to the Father when in fact they are also One. Yeshua said in John 10:30, "I and my Father are one." Yeshua took a submissive position to the Father PHYSICALLY when He made Himself lower than the angels and took on Himself the form of a servant, made in the likeness of man (Philippians 2). He in no way is inferior or lesser than the Father, as Philippians 2 goes on to say that to Him is given a Name above EVERY name and that at HIS name every knee will bow. Yeshua honoured and blessed His bride, the true church. We are familiar with the passage of Scripture that tells how He loved the body and purchased the church with His own blood. In this way He honoured His bride, the church. 1 Peter 3:7 also tells husbands this "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered ." If he wants the favour of the LORD and for his prayers to be answered he does this. Research shows that when children see the father of the home honouring the mother, and treating her like a queen, there is great effect on them all their lives for the good.

 

Yeshua is an example for every man in that He is a King and a Priest.

 

A king rules. Happy is the home when there is one head of the household. Happy is the home when the children of the home see the mother and father acting as ONE and there is harmony. Many are the instructions in Scripture, especially in Proverbs, about obedience to the father of the home. Proverbs 22:28 says "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set." A Godly father will follow the mandates of the Holy Scriptures to lead his home. The Shema and Ve'ahavta from Deuteronomy 6 are the basis: Verses 5 and 6 say "And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." In this way, the father especially, emulates Yeshua as the king and priest of his home.

 

Many times men are afraid to stand up to wives who are strong spiritually or children who are stubborn and willful. But by taking a strong stand, men build fences of protection around those they love. Sometimes they are wrong because they are not Yeshua. Sometimes they do not rule perfectly. But there can be only one ruler.

 

Yeshua is our great High Priest. What does a priest do? He stands in intercession and ministry between his people and his God. This is also what the father of a home does. A Godly father will pray continually for every member of his family before anyone else. A Godly father will make sacrifices for the well being of his family, sometimes at great cost to himself, as Yeshua did. A Godly father instructs his household in the things of the LORD, knowing the Scripture and living by it and teaching his children to follow. Proverbs 1:8 says, "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother." The father instructs according to the Word of God and the mother upholds that law, and the children are blessed and are called WISE by the writer of Scripture. Proverbs 2:1 - 5 goes on to say "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee... Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."

 

I cannot honour my husband highly enough in bringing up our children. Sometimes I did not agree with him, but we decided on rules together. We sat down at the table every morning with our Bibles and instructed our children. Now in their mid 20s, all three of our children honour their father still; there is nothing they would not do for him and they have never rebelled against him. Woe be to the person who speaks ill of their Dad! He taught them that there is a God in Heaven who loves them, and that the Redeemer Yeshua gave His life for them, and that there is blessing in following His ways.

 

The song I quoted above continues in one of the verses to say:

 

"Dad you have been with us, all through the years

Faithful in happy times, faithful in tears

You serve the real God, taught us to pray

Dad all you've lived for us, thank you today!"

 

Thank you, this month especially, to all you men who love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, bless your wives before your children in their hearing and sight as the example given to us in Proverbs 31, and who teach your children the way of the Lord. We honour you!

 

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and in His law doth he meditate day and night, and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper!" Psalm 1:1- 3.