It is abundantly clear from our text that when the Spirit of God gets a hold of a man, he becomes overwhelmingly concerned about the souls of his children. He is no longer concerned about his career, money, sports, or hobbies. His only concern is their souls. We so often think of the power of the Holy Spirit for ministry, but it is clear that He changes our focus to our children.
Father’s first There are numerous great men in Scripture and church history. We tend to focus on them and their accomplishments. What is often missed is that these men were prepared by fathers who remain unknown. Manoah prayed earnestly that he might know how to raise Samson. David did all the preparation for Solomon’s life work of building the temple. David bought the land, drew up the plans, and gathered all the materials.
A negative example of this is Moses. God would not let him lead the covenant people of God until he first circumcised his own boys. Even the great John the Baptist did not begin on his own. God first came to his dad to instruct him on how to raise his son.
The hard work of preparation Something that is often missed in discussions about the Holy Spirit is all the hard work that goes into preparing a people able to receive God’s blessings. Repentance, fasting, prayer, and reform must all be done. 5 is interesting to note that in numerous passages, it is not necessarily the fathers who receive the blessings. The blessing of the Holy Spirit is poured out on their children.
Long-term effects Exodus 20:5 teaches us that our actions as fathers will have long reaching effects for both good and bad. Our sins will affect three or four generations. However, God’s blessings can be felt for a thousand generations! We must remember this as we make choices now about how much we work, how dedicated we are to the church, and how we live our lives. We must do the hard things so that our children may reap the blessings.
Application: Will you get right with God? Will you turn your heart towards home? Will you pray for your descendants? Will you fight for a Spirit-filled church? Will you do the hard things so your kids can reap the spiritual benefits?
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