Billy Ray Parrish
For many, father’s day is a special day and holds many fond memories especially if their dad is no longer with them. There are many good reasons why all people should celebrate what their dad has done for them. However, there are people who claim that father’s day should not be celebrated and honored and try to cite Biblical evidence to justify their point of view but this falls short every time as the Bible does not say anything, one way or the other, to celebrate or not to celebrate such a day.
Although scripture does not say anything about a specific day to honor dads, there are different examples where Christ recognizes the importance of fatherhood. God had Abram to change his name to Abraham, meaning father of many nations, because God was going to make him the father of many (Genesis 17:5). This is an important story because God went to a man who was not a Christian and used him to do the Lord’s work which is similar to the story of Paul, then Saul, before his conversion and name change and while he was polytheistic, he listened to God and the commands given to him.
When I think about the beginning and how God used men and continues to do so, it always amazes me as it reminds me that the God we serve is an almighty God but He is also a good Father. He does not use people in the ways we typically would imagine. A man like Abraham before he was Abraham was just another man who had no idea what to believe but God saw something special in him just as he did with Saul. Saul persecuted the church of God but God used him to become a great warrior for Christ and stopped at nothing to spread God’s word.
While these are just two stories, they are reminders that God is in control and He knows what He is doing. Although we are sinful individuals living within a fallen state, God continues to lead and guide us through all things much like many of our fathers. Think about the book of Genesis and the creation of man. We are told that we are made within the image of God: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
We must remember that there is only one God so the “us” and “our “ is not a reference to multiple Gods and while some believe this is a conversation with the angels, we cannot forget about the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost/Spirit. This is the “us” and “our” the conversation is taking place between which is significant as we are made in the image of God to not only resemble Him but to be like Him, as well. God is a good and merciful God and many fathers and stepfathers have stepped up to the plate here below to resemble God’s actions and although not perfect, are deserving to be celebrated and honored for all they do.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”
–Genesis 1:26-27
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