Honoring Fathers

Major League Baseball now uses the designated hitter for all pitchers.  The American League has used it since 1973.  The National League adopted it in 2022.  This seems to be a good image to describe men, in general, and fathers, in particular.  They are not the only leaders but they are designated by God to lead in special ways.
 
God’s word challenges men to be the designated spiritual leaders.  This designation does not create superiority.  Neither does it make them the only leaders.  It does, however, give them a special designation.  “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” (I Corinthians 11:2-3).
 
This ordered designation is spiritual.  Jesus is subject to His Father.  Men and women are subject to both of them and women are subject to men, spiritually-speaking.  Paul wrote again, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28).
 
Paul did not dismiss the sexes.  Males and females still exist in Christ.  Jews and Greeks were still Jews and Greeks.  And, Paul later gave instructions to masters who had slaves telling both of them how to act.  His message was unity.  Everyone is equal in Christ having the same access to all spiritual blessings. But, as it relates to the men and women, God placed in the position of spiritual leadership.
 
Now, let us honor fathers who are leading spiritually.  Joshua is our spiritually leader for this honoring.  He had led the children of Israel into the promised land.  They had secured the territory for themselves, though they did not drive out completely all of the heathen nations as they had been instructed to do.
 
Joshua gave a speech at the end of the book (chapter 24) that bears his name.  From his words, we honor fathers who mimic what Joshua told the people in this, his final speech.  Joshua called all the people to come before God (verse 1).  We honor fathers who call their families to come to God. 
 
In verses 2-13, Joshua told them words from God.  He expounded their history from Terah, the father of Abraham, up to the present moment.  We honor fathers who recount for their families continually the words of God from His word the Bible.
 
Not only did Joshua recount the words that came from God.  He reminded them of all the ways that God had worked on their behalf delivering them from Egyptian captivity and bringing them into the promised land.  We honor fathers who remind their family of all the blessings they have received from God.
 
Joshua closed his speech with an appeal to the people.  “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt.  Serve the LORD!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15).  We honor fathers who appeal to their families with this very same appeal!

— Mike Johnson