Together Again

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” - Malachi 4:6

My seemingly loose definition of a father would be one who shows care and concern for the upbringing of his children. Giving great attention to his children both in the observance and mending of his own behavior, and in the establishing of his children's.

A son would be one whose heart is to walk honorably in the eyes of his father. Whose relational goal is to be close to his father, and therefore, they heed his instruction.

We can observe the disconnect between fathers and their children by examining the history of Israel's kings. When the nation was divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, both kingdoms experienced an increased spiritual, political, and moral decline with each successive king. Whether it was the Northern Kingdom in its consistent cycle of evil, or the Southern Kingdom in its fluctuating cycle of wickedness due to its periods of reform, both nations had come a long way from the priorities of their fathers: That being legacy.

The greatest example of the relationship that we have of a father to his children and of children to their father is of the Father (God) toward His Son Jesus, and of the Son in how He responded to His Father. For the Father to offer and send His son to do a job at the level or standard that only He Himself is qualified to do, says something as to the trust that He has in His son; and the sons dependence and submission in the execution of any assignment given to him by His Father to bring it to completion, speaks of His love for and oneness with His Father. It was understood that this was an assignment that required not just great detail or depth, but perfection. For the son to depend on or draw from His Father not just for every action but every word, said that He respected Him greatly to not go off and follow his heart, or do what he thought best. He actively listened and heeded his Father’s instruction. A father without instruction is like a ship without a sail. All aboard! Yet no one has set course. A father whose children are without discipline is like a man’s pants loose at the waist. No matter how many times you correct them, they still will fall. Discipline is like the belt that continues to hold up and in place the pants. Very closely related to and similar to the word ‘disciple’.

The child who has had ongoing failures and has made numerous mistakes, and now experiences the redemption that is through Christ Jesus, proclaims that the Father’s heart has turned toward them. As a result, theirs too has turned toward Him.

Here are some verses to consider in private study: Colossians 1:21-23; John 14:21; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 2Thessolonians 2:16-17; 3:3-5; Hebrews 10:22-23