20 Bible Verses about Fathers, Examples Of

I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household; and that they may remain in the righteous and just way of Jehovah. Jehovah will bring to Abraham what he told him.

Abram was ninety-nine years old. Jehovah appeared to him and said: I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. I will establish my covenant between us. I will greatly increase your numbers. Abram fell on his face and God said to him:read more.
This is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. You will no longer be called Abram (Exalted Father). Your name will be Abraham (means Father of Many). I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as a long lasting covenant between us. It will be for your descendants after you, for the generations to come. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Jehovah was gracious to Sarah, as he had said. Jehovah did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age. It was at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac (he laughs) to the son Sarah bore him.read more.
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

God tested Abraham. He said to him: Abraham! Abraham replied: Here I am. Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you. Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. He had cut the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out for the place that God had told him about.read more.
Two days later Abraham saw the place in the distance. He said to the servants: Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship. Then we will come back to you. Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice. Abraham carried a knife and live coals for starting the fire. As they walked along together, Isaac spoke up: Father! He answered: Yes, my son? Isaac asked: I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice? Abraham answered: God will provide one. And the two of them walked on together. They came to the place God had told him about. Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he picked up the knife to kill him. Jehovah's angel shouted from heaven: Abraham! Abraham! Here I am! he answered. Do not hurt the boy or harm him in any way! The angel said. Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son. Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it in place of his son. Abraham named that place Jehovah Will Provide. It is still said today: It will be provided on the mountain of Jehovah. The angel of Jehovah called to Abraham from heaven a second time. He said: I am taking an oath on my own name, declares Jehovah, that because you have done this and have not refused to give me your son, your only son, I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies' cities. All the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed your descendants. This is because you obeyed my command.'

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a priest named Zechariah. He was of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God. They blamelessly obeyed all the commandments and ordinances of God (Greek: kurios: God). They had no child for Elizabeth was barren and they both were well advanced in years.read more.
He faithfully executed the priest's duties before God. The custom was to draw lots to see who served in the temple. It was his turn to enter into the temple of God and burn incense. The whole crowd of people prayed outside at the hour of incense. God's angel appeared to him when he was standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled. When he saw the angel he was filled with fear. Have no fear Zechariah, said the angel, for God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elisabeth will have a son and his name will be John. You will be filled with joy, and many will be happy at his birth. He will be great in the eyes of God. He will not drink wine or strong drink and he will be full of Holy Spirit from the time of his birth. Great numbers of the children of Israel will return to Jehovah their God because of him. (1 Samuel 7:3) He will go before God in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness. This will make ready a people whose hearts have been directed to Jehovah (YHWH). (Malachi 3:1) Zechariah asked: How might I be certain of this for my wife and I are old? The angel answered: I am Gabriel, whose place is before God. I have been sent to give you this good news. You will be without voice or language till the day when these things happen. Your lack of faith in what I say has caused this.

They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, His name is John. They were all amazed. Immediately his tongue loosed, his mouth opened and he spoke, blessing God.read more.
Everyone nearby was in fear. These accounts spread abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. All that heard them wondered in their heart, saying, What will this child be? For the hand of Jehovah was with him. His father Zechariah was filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel. He has visited his people and brought them redemption. (Psalm 72:18) He raised up a horn of salvation (power of deliverance) for us in the house of his servant David He spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from ages past. He provided salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. He shows mercy towards our fathers and remembers his holy covenant. It was the oath he spoke to Abraham our father. He gave us deliverance out of the hand of our enemies so we could serve him without fear. May we serve in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Your child will be called the prophet of the Most High. You will go in advance of Jehovah God to make his ways ready. (Malachi 3:1) To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the remission of their sins. A rising of light will visit us from on high because of the tender mercy of our God. The light will shine on them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. It will guide our feet into the way of peace. The child grew and became spiritually strong. He lived in the deserts till the time came to show himself to Israel.

Jesus said: A man had two sons. The younger one said to him, Father I want my share of the property. He divided his property between his two sons. In a short time the younger son sold his share of the property. He left home with the money and traveled to a far away country where he wasted his money in reckless living.read more.
He spent everything! When a famine spread over that country he was left with nothing. He went to work for a citizen of that country who sent him to his farm to take care of the pigs. He wanted to eat the Carob bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. Finally it dawned on him, my father's hired workers have more than they can eat and I am about to starve! I will go to my father and say: 'Father I have sinned against God and against you. I am not fit to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired workers.' He went to his father. He was a long way from home when his father saw him. His heart filled with pity. He ran and threw his arms around his son and kissed him. Father, the son said: 'I have sinned against God and against you. I am not fit to be called your son.' The father called his servants. He said: 'Hurry and bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Get the prize calf and kill it. Let us celebrate with a feast! My son was dead. Now he is alive. He was lost. Now he has been found. The feasting began.' The older son was out in the field. When he came close to the house he heard music and dancing. He asked one of the servants what was happening? Your brother returned home, the servant answered. Your father killed the prize calf because he has returned safely. The older brother was so angry he would not enter the house. His father came out and begged him to come in. He spoke to his father in anger. All these years I have worked like a slave for you. I have never disobeyed you. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! This son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes. When he comes home you kill the prize calf for him! The father answered, My son, you are always here. And everything I have is yours!

Jacob (Israel) loved Joseph more than all his sons because Joseph had been born in Israel's old age. So he made Joseph a special multicolored robe with long sleeves. Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them. They hated Joseph and could not speak to him in a friendly way.

Isaac preferred Esau. This is because he enjoyed eating the animals Esau killed. Rebecca preferred Jacob.

Eli was very old. He heard everything his sons did to Israel. He heard how they slept with the women who served at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them: Why do you do such things? I hear of your evil dealings by all the people. No, my sons. It is not a good report that I hear. You make Jehovah's people transgress.read more.
If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against Jehovah, who will intercede for him? But his sons did not listen to the voice of their father. Jehovah desired to put them to death.

A man of God came to Eli. He said: Thus says Jehovah: 'Did I plainly appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod in my presences me? Did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire from the sons of Israel? Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I have commanded in my house? Do you honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?'read more.
Jehovah, the God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me all the days of your life.' Now Jehovah says: Far be it from me. I will honor those who honor me. I will not regard those who think little of me. The days are coming when I will cut off your arm (reduce your strength) and the arm of your father's house. No old man shall be in your house! You will see the enemy in my house even though God does good for Israel. There will not be an old man in your house forever. Yet I will keep one of your descendants alive. He will serve me as priest. But he will become blind and lose all hope. All your other descendants will die in the prime of life. Your two sons Hophni and Phinehas will both die on the same day. This will show you a sign that everything I have said will come true. I will choose a priest who will be faithful to me and do everything I desire him to do. I will give him descendants, who will always serve in the presence of my anointed ones forever. Your descendants who survive will have to go to that priest and ask him for money and food, and beg to be allowed to help the priests, in order to have something to eat.'

Jehovah said to Samuel: I will do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle. On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end. I told him I would hand down a long lasting judgment against his household because he knew about his sons' sin. They were cursing God but he did not restrain them.read more.
I have taken an oath concerning Eli's family line. No offering or sacrifice will ever be able to make peace for the sins that Eli's family committed. Samuel remained in bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of Jehovah's house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. Eli called Samuel and said: Samuel, my son. Here I am, he responded. What did Jehovah tell you? He asked. Please do not hide it from me. May God strike you dead if you hide anything he told you from me. Then Samuel told Eli everything. Eli replied: He is Jehovah! He will do what he thinks is right.

Abraham said to God: If only Ishmael might live under your blessing! God replied: Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son! You will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as a long lasting covenant for his descendants after him. Concerning Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.read more.
But my covenant I will establish with Isaac. Sarah will bear him to you by this time next year. When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

There in front of the whole assembly King David praised Jehovah. He said: Jehovah, God of our father (ancester) Israel. May you be praised forever and ever! You are great and powerful, glorious, splendid, and majestic. Everything in heaven and earth is yours, and you, O Jehovah, are king, supreme ruler over all. All riches and wealth come from you. You rule everything by your strength and power. You are able to make anyone great and strong.read more.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name. Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything. This is because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already. You know, O Jehovah that we pass through life like exiles and strangers, as our ancestors did. Our days are like a passing shadow, and we cannot escape death. O Jehovah, our God, we have brought together all this wealth to build a Temple to honor your holy name. It all came from you and all belongs to you. I well know, O my God, that you test everyone's heart and are pleased with people of integrity. In honesty and sincerity I have willingly given all this to you. I have seen how your people who are gathered here have been happy to bring offerings to you. Jehovah, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep such devotion always strong in your people's hearts and keep them always faithful to you. Give my son Solomon a wholehearted desire to obey everything that you command and to build the Temple for which I have made these preparations.

Nathan went home. Jehovah struck the child that Uriah's wife had given birth to David. The child became sick. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and lay on the ground all night. The elders in his palace stood beside him to raise him up from the ground. But he was unwilling and he would not eat with them.read more.
On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. They thought: While the child was alive, we talked to him, and he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may harm himself. David saw that his servants were whispering to one another. He realized (discerned) that the child was dead. Is the child dead? David asked them. Yes, he is dead. They answered. David got up from the floor. He took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. Then he went and worshiped in the Temple of Jehovah. After that he returned to the palace and ate. We do not understand, his servants said, while the child was alive you would not eat. As soon as he died, you got up and ate! David replied: I fasted and cried while the child lived. I thought Jehovah might be gracious to me and let the child live. Why should I fast now that he is dead? Can I bring him back? Someday I will go to him. However he will not come back to me.

Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast. They invited many others to come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. The morning after each feast, Job would get up early to offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally.

When they approached the people, a man fell to his knees before him, saying: Lord, have mercy on my son. He has mental problems and is in great pain. He frequently falls into the fire and into the water.

One of the people answered him: Teacher I brought my son who is unable to talk because of a spirit. The spirit seizes him and slams him down. He foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth. I asked your disciples to cast it out but they could not do it.

A man in the crowd cried, Teacher, please look at my son. He is my only child. A spirit controls him and suddenly he cries out. He foams at the mouth. It throws him into convulsions and he is badly bruised.

Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee where he turned the water into wine. There was a nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. He heard that Jesus came from Judea into Galilee. He went to him and urged him to come see his son. His son was near death. Until you see signs and wonders you will not believe, Jesus said.read more.
The nobleman said: Sir, come or my child would die.