HE IS A FATHER FIRST
[Tribute to the Father of all Fathers and to all Dads Everywhere]
Bro'Ken Fabre'
The dictionary defines the word ‘Father’ as, "A male parent; a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; a male protector and provider; a person who has originated or established something, as in the phrase,… our founding fathers." The word ‘Fatherhood’ is defined as, "the state of or the responsibility of being a Father.”
Now concerning the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, history and written recordings from the annuls of time show very little if any evidence of mankind considering any of its numerous and diverse objects of worship or so-called gods as being a father figure per se.
Likewise, the Holy Scripture, our Bible, has most of its references to the word and concept of 'Father' when considering and describing the LORD of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, located not the Old Testament, but in the New Testament.
When Jesus was asked by His disciples "Teach us to pray..." the very first and most important part of His response was extremely revealing not only to His disciples, but to all Hebrews and the Nation of Israel of His day as a whole.
Likewise, with the same Spirit of revelation, Jesus’ response over 2000 years ago is especially relevant to each of us this very day. Why do I say this?
Prior to the appearing of the Son of God on the face of the earth and on the scene, the Hebrew Nation and its people, from Genesis and throughout the entire Old Testament understood the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob gradually and progressively as God, Yaweh, Jehovah, Creator, The Almighty, The Omnipotent One, The Omniscient One, The LORD of Host, Savior, and Redeemer just to name a few. Each and every one of the above were and are very accurate and very important descriptions of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.
But when Jesus taught them how to properly and most accurately approach, greet and address the Great God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, He didn't tell them and us today to say, ‘Oh Jehovah or Oh Yaweh or Almighty One or Oh Great and Benevolent Creator of the Universe’ even. He didn't teach them and you and me to say ‘Oh Holy One of Israel and all Nations of the Earth’, even though each and everyone would be correct and accurate descriptions and acknowledgments of our LORD.
Rather, at this Pivotal moment in all of the existence of time, Jesus who knows the True and Living God better than anyone has ever known Him or will ever know Him, didn't even teach us when we pray to greet, approach and address our LORD and God as ‘Oh Great Savior’... not even as ‘Oh Great Redeemer.’
But Jesus, the only begotten Son of the True and Living God chose to teach them and us to pray by first saying with a sincere and reverent heart, "OUR FATHER" ... He said unto them, “when you pray, say, OUR FATHER, which art in Heaven…" Luke 11:1-2
Why? Because above and beyond all of the other accurate descriptions and characteristics of our LORD, is the fact that He is a FATHER first. And Jesus personally and experientially knew that. He very much wants each of us to personally and experientially Know this as well. So much so that He endured being crucified on a Cross.
As a Father, God had to have a Son. Our Father was so delighted and pleased with this Son of His, even from before the foundations of this world He decided that He wanted to have many, many, more sons and daughters just like His Son Jesus.
Therefore, in the fullness of His time, He decided and said, "Now let Us make man". Proverbs 8: 22-31
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Bro'Ken Fabre'
www.POPAPIC.org
