With Father's Day being celebrated this past weekend, let's take a look at some of the fathers mentioned in the Bible. Note: there are many fathers mentioned in the Bible, I will just cover five.
Adam - The First Human Father
Adam, the first human created by God and the first human father. All humans are a seed from Adam, therefore, Adam is the father of all people. Similarly to Eve, there is not much told about Adam or what kind of father he was, but he did walk with God in the Garden of Eden, and after Eve and he sinned and were taken out of the garden, he went on to have many children.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. - Genesis 2:7
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. - 1 Corinthians 15:21-22
Abraham- The Blessed Father
Abraham exemplified true faith in God throughout his life. He led by example and not just with words. Abraham prayed for his son, loved and cherished his son, but he put God first above all and through his obedience and faith in God, taught his son the most valuable lessons.
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Genesis 12:1-3
Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” - Genesis 17:3-8
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. - Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. - Hebrews 11:17-19
David- The Repentant Father
David was an obedient and faithful child. He believed in God's strength and promises which allowed him to defeat the giant, Goliath, while the soldiers hid in fear. David had many talents, he was a shepherd, played the harp, wrote songs, was attractive, a warrior, and eventually king. Although David started out strong, he became weak with sin which led to many consequences even the death of his son with Bathsheba. While David sinned, as we all have, and kept weaving a web to try to cover the sins up, he was filled with pain and an internal war between the Holy Spirit convicting him and his own pride trying to continue to hide the sin. After Nathan the prophet warned him that God was going to kill him if he didn't repent, David immediately asked God for forgiveness and to cleanse him from his transgressions with a pure and honest heart. God will not let his children continue to live in sin. If you are truly saved, the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin and God is patient with you waiting for you to repent, if you do not, then God will not allow you to continue down the wrong path. If you are not saved, this is the only heaven you will ever know and without conviction of your sin you live a slave to sin and upon death live in hell for all eternity. David was truly saved, and after his repentance he became a faithful servant to the Lord again, leaving a legacy for future generations to learn from and gain wisdom from. Click here to read about Nathan's parable and David's confession.
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth,that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” - 1 Samuel 17:45-47
David's Psalm "Prayer in Times of Chastening". Read Here.
David's Psalm "Prayer of Repentance" when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. Read Here.
Joseph- The Obedient Father
Joseph, the husband of Mary, had a choice to make. Either reject his fiance, Mary, and put her to shame for being pregnant before marriage, or listen to the angel God sent and marry her knowing that she is pure and the baby she is carrying is the Son of God. Joseph made the difficult but right decision and through obedience to God, married Mary, and helped raise Jesus until it was time for Him to complete the Father's work. We are not told much about Joseph, his background, life story, or how he was as a father, but we are told of multiple occasions when Joseph obediently listens to God's instructions which save his family from death, such as after Jesus was born moving to Egypt until King Herod was dead.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. - Matthew 1:18-25
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” - Matthew 2:13-15
Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those whosought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. - Matthew 2:19-21
God- Our Good Father
There is no greater father than our Heavenly Father, God. He is the Creator of everything. God the Father, is perfect, holy, honorable, just, powerful, merciful, and good. There is no one who will love you more than Him, and we will never fully understand the depths or widths of His great love. He desires the best for all of His children and provides for each of our needs. God the Father is agape love, He is light, He is righteous, He is faithful.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, - Ephesians 1:3
Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? - Malachi 2:10a
yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. - 1 Corinthians 8:6
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. - 1 John 3:1-3
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. - 1 John 4:7-9
As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. - Psalm 103:13
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. - Proverbs 3:11-12
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand. - Isaiah 64:8
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; - Deuteronomy 7:9
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. - Proverbs 30:5
for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” - 2 Chronicles 30:9b
that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. - 1 John 1:5b-6