By Khutso Mokgehle
The prince, Adonijah, son of King David decided to crown himself king of Israel and Judah while his father was still alive and againt his will.
Such disrespect!
Adonijah had recruited men to rally behind him including some of his father's closest associates. King David was sick as he was old, he would soon die, Adonijah's intention of inflicting so much pain to his bedridden father was awful.
Why would a son do such a thing?
"His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do? ...” 1 Kings 1:6
Adonijah had not been rebuked by his father before. That's where the problem is. He was never rebuked or corrected by father. This made him to take inconsiderate decisions even to a point of offending his dad.
In many families, the responsibility of raising kids is left to the mother. Fathers are normally the "cool" parent. But what is the father's role?
The father has the responsibility of disciplining his children, instilling morals and guiding them in the ways of Lord. There are so many other important roles like providing, loving, caring and protecting their children and it seems the latter are so easy for every man to action and completely do, but disciplining children is usually the missing element, yet one of the most important roles.
The importance of disciplining, especially very early in a child's life is that it paves a way for a successful, well-lived life, therefore bringing joy and pride to any parent. An undisciplined child who grows to be an adult becomes a problematic adult in the society, workplace and family.
In Hebrews 6, where the writer of the book talks about the discipline of the Lord, he makes an analogy that probably does not make sense in our generation in verse 9, "Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it."
We ALL had human fathers who disciplined us. Trust me, many people in our generation do not relate to this statement, perhaps had they said mother, it would have related to many. Perhaps this is the reason many Christians do not believe that God being a loving father would ever discipline them, as they have never witnessed a loving relationship with a father who also rebukes and corrects.
This is a call for men to rise up and take up their rightful positions and understand that discipline does not equate to hate but rather a deeper love of a parent who does not only think about today but rather, the future.
Proverbs 23:24: "The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him."
This article was inspired by my father's sermon on the 19th of June 2023 on Father's Day.
