Parent Like Your Heavenly Father Parents!
June 15, 2025
Scripture: Exodus 34:6, 7
Larry Crabb in his book, Connecting, tells the following story. A friend of mine was raised in an angry family. Mealtimes were either silent or sarcastically noisy. Down the street was an old-fashioned house with a big porch where a happy family lived. My friend told me that when he was about ten, he began excusing himself from his dinner table as soon as he could without being yelled at and walking to the old-fashioned house down the street. If he arrived during dinnertime, he would crawl under the porch and just sit there, listening to the sounds of laughter.
When he told me this story, I asked him to imagine what it would have been like if the father in the house somehow knew he was huddled beneath the porch and sent his son to invite him in. I asked him to envision what it would have meant to him to accept the invitation, to sit at the table, to accidentally spill his glass of water, and hear the father roar with delight, "Get him more water! And a dry shirt! I want him to enjoy the meal!" Crabb goes on to say, "We need to hear the Father laugh. Change depends on experiencing the character of God."
One of the great principles that I learned as a young father was to parent like my Heavenly Father parents me. In our text today, we learn several key qualities of our Heavenly Father. So, let’s look.
At the end of Exodus 33, Moses said to the LORD, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the end of Exodus 33 and the first part of Exodus 34, the Lord instructed Moses to meet him on Mount Sinai in the morning with two chiseled tablets as He would write the commandments on the tablets. The next morning, Moses went up Mount Sinai to meet with the LORD. The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him. Yahweh, the LORD Almighty, the I AM described himself as stated in Exodus 34:6, 7, The Lord, the Lord, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.
The LORD’s own description of Himself is noted several other times in Scripture. For instance, in Numbers 14, the Israelites rebelled, and Moses goes to the Lord to intercede for them. In Moses intercessory prayer, he uses the LORD’s own description Himself as he prays, verses 17-19, “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time, they left Egypt until now” (Numbers 14:17-19).
This description of the LORD is partially used in various other Scriptures: Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13, and Jonah 4:2.
One reason this is repeated so often in Scripture is because humankind tends to forget or neglect the One and only True God! Before the Psalmist mentions these qualities of the LORD, he writes in Psalm 103:2, Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— We forget or neglect the Lord’s benefits. We have a long memory when it comes to our failures, our relational conflicts, and our sorrows, but a short memory when it comes to recalling just how good the Lord has been and Is.
This is one of the reasons that we are instructed to remember the meaning of the Lord’s Supper.
Principle 1: Grasp, take to heart and apply these qualities of the LORD into your own life!
As I mentioned several times before, years ago, when Kathy and I put Aaron to bed, we would pray together. After prayer time, I would ask Aaron 3 important questions. First, I would ask him, “Who is the boss?” The correct answer was “You are.” Sometimes he would say, Mom, the Lord or Me” Then I would ask him, ‘How much does Mom and Dad love you?” The correct answer was “Much.” Then I would ask him, “How much does God love you?” The correct answer was “Even more” as he spread his arms. Then I would say, “And don’t you forget it.”
Why would I tell him not to forget this? Because I knew that there would come a point in time in his life that maybe my relationship with Aaron was not the best. Yet, I wanted him to remember to know that he is dearly loved. Even more important, I wanted him to remember how much God loves him—even when the Lord feels far, far away.
Principle 2: Parent, grandparents, all of you, take to heart being compassionate and gracious.
The LORD says, I am a compassionate and gracious God.
Matthew 9 gives an example of the Lord’s compassion. Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:35-38).
The Apostle Paul wrote, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (II Corinthians 1:3, 4).
This verse also couples compassion with grace. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. God shows grace.
The LORD IS a compassionate and gracious Heavenly Father. So, parents, grandparents, all of you be compassionate and gracious to your children, to one another!
Why does he have compassion? Psalm 103:13-16 gives us the answer. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; For he knows how we're formed. He remembers that we're dust. As for man, his days are like grass. He flourishes like a flower of the field. The wind blows over it and it's gone, and its place remembers it no more."
The Bible describes our frailty, the brevity of life. We are here today and gone tomorrow. The good news is that like a compassionate father, God understands our nature. God understands all this because he designed us, he sees how we were made, he realizes our limitations better than we realize them ourselves. Yet, he shows compassion and grace!
Good earthly dads know their child’s limitations. Good earthly parents consider a son or daughter's age, temperament type, peer pressure, physical and emotional health, potential temptations, and/or the various struggles of life! I am afraid, we often do not understand the LORD, ourselves, and others. As a result, we lack compassion and grace toward ourselves and others. I encourage you to grasp, understand, the LORD’s compassion and grace so you can experience it and show it to others!
Next, the LORD describes Himself as slow to anger. He is patient with us. Yes, He gets angry. But the Lord puts up with a great deal before reaching his boiling point. He has a long fuse. Repeatedly, the Bible tells us the reason God exercises such great patience is that he's hoping we will turn from our sin, seek his forgiveness, and begin to obey him (II Peter 3:9).
He is slow to anger/to punish. A mother might say to her child. "Boy, if I have to come up there one more time … If I must call your name one more time …" That's how God is to us. He's not in a rush to cut us off, but he gives us chance after chance so that we can be restored to him.
Exodus 34:7 notes that He will punish us, and the punishment will not only affect us, but it will affect other generations. This is not wrong or immoral. All sin has consequences. It impacts our families, and it trickles down. God's blessings are generational, and so are the consequences of sin.
There are various times that we need to punish or discipline with the hope that children and others will learn. Hebrews 12:7-10 notes the Lord disciplines for our good. It might initially seem painful, but later it yields the fruit of righteousness to those who respond in trusting in the Lord. Remember the trials of life will either make you better or bitter.
Principle 3: Parent, Grandparents, all of you, be slow to anger and punish/discipline for one’s good.
Be patient! Watch the anger! Use righteous anger to protect them so they don’t ruin their lives or the lives of others. Pick your battles but speak words of correction, discipline in love.
Being slow to anger was something that I had to learn when Aaron was small. Anger was a major issue for me. For instance, Kathy and I had a conflict, and I put my fist through the drywall. I also remember the time when I got mad at the dog and more or less threw him down the basement steps. FYI: Fortunately, the dog was fine.
James 1:19-21 spoke to me as it notes one is to be slow to anger as human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. I needed to learn how to deal with my anger.
Genesis 4:6,7 also spoke to me. God speaks to Cain, who is angry and jealous of his brother Abel. The Lord advises Cain to do what is right and control his anger as sin is waiting to take control of him. So, I would remind myself when anger was lurking to exercise self-control. Now, I still must be on the alert to this especially when I am tired.
It is so important to be slow to anger. Over the years, the Lord has taught me several key principles in dealing with anger such as:
II Timothy 2:24 notes, don’t be quarrelsome, but teach without resentment.
Ephesians 4:15 notes to speak the truth in love.
Ephesians 4:26 notes one is to deal with his/her anger before the end of the day and not to allow bitterness
or resentment to take hold.
Philippians 4:4 instructs to rejoice in the Lord always. This meant even when people are a pain.
Proverbs 15:1, A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
At various times, I still fail in this realm. However, my hope is my anger will be slow in coming about and it will be done in the best interest of others. As I mentioned before, this will occur at times at Kid’s Night Out. Then I tell them that I raise my voice because I want the best for them, I love them!
The LORD describes Himself as abounding in love.
One of the most amazing things about our Heavenly Father is His abounding love. The Lord has especially shown His love in the giving of His Son, Jesus. John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:6-8, 10 states, You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Romans 5:5, God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. God has also given us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us!
Our Heavenly Father fills us with hope, joy, peace (Romans 15:13). John 10:10 says that He gives abundant life. Out of His abounding love He provides (Matthew 6:28-34; 7:11; Philippians 4:19). He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). He teaches us to be wise and understanding. Knowing God’s love fulfills a deep longing inside each of our hearts as His love gives us purpose and meaning. His love prompts us to love Him and to trust Him with all our being. His love also teaches and motivates us to love others (I John 4:7, 8).
I John 3:1 states, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Principle 4: Parents, Grandparents, all of you, abound in love!!!
Show the kind of love to your children as our Heavenly Father shows you! Care for them. Spend quality time with them. Have fun with them. Be a good role model. Teach them. Encourage them. Provide for them (II Corinthians 12:14b). Set healthy limits. Discipline out of love, not your anger. Say I love you. Note I Corinthians 13…
Colossians 3:21, Fathers, do not exasperate/provoke your children, so that they will not lose heart. Sadly, I see this way too much with parenting! There is a tendency to push kids rather than to lead them. Please take to heart. Parenting is leadership and leadership is influence. So, learn how to best influence your child!
Richard Foster tells a story about a father who was struggling with his son in the grocery store. Nothing would calm the son down, so the father finally just started to sing this song to his son: "I love you. I'm glad you're my son, and I'm glad I get to be your dad." He sang it all the way out to the car, and he put the kid in the car seat, and then his son stretched his arms out and said, "Sing it to me again, Daddy; sing it to me again."
Our Heavenly Father is singing that song to you. He is singing it to you in the wonder of nature. He is singing it to you through Jesus. Our Heavenly Father says to each of you, "You are precious in my sight, and I love you!"
When I was a kid, I learned an amazingly simple song, Jesus Loves Me. I didn’t understand the significance of those words years ago. I just went through the motions in singing it. So today, I invite you to join me in singing this song in Spirit and in truth. (SONG: JESUS LOVES ME!)
The LORD also notes that he abounds in faithfulness. He is faithful! This signifies that the LORD is trustworthy, dependable, and reliable. He will keep His promises! Faithfulness indicates that He can be depended on to act according to His Word and nature.
Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:19–23 states, I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness, and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
II Thessalonians 3:3 states, But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. Satan has been seeking to destroy the Thessalonians’ young faith. But the LORD’S faithfulness assures Paul that the Evil One will not succeed. The Thessalonians will overcome the evil one as they appropriately respond to Paul’s two letters.
I John 1:9 states, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Revelation 19:11 describes Jesus upon his return is called Faithful and True.
Since our Heavenly Father is faithful, we also are to be faithful. Principle 5: Parents, Grandparents, all of you, be faithful!
Be faithful in your commitment to the Lord. Be faithful to your family. Be faithful to your children. Be trustworthy. Please do not allow the trust gauge to blow up! Be dependable so that your children can lean on you. Be faithful in keeping your word, your promises. Be faithful in being present!
The last character the Lord uses to describe Himself is forgiving! The end of verse 6, forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.
Wickedness, rebellion, and sin speak about the depth of our sinful condition. We are totally depraved, meaning sin has impacted every area of life. We want our own way more so than wanting to do God’s will. Yet, God is forgiving!
As the prophet Isaiah stated in Isaiah 53:5, But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Hebrews 9:26 states, But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. If you have received Jesus, your sins are forgiven.
Last principle: Parents, grandparents, all of you, forgive!
Ephesians 4:32 states, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
In February of 1993, a young mother named Mary lost her 16-year-old son when another young man killed him. She was so overburdened and so weighed down that she had difficulty continuing with life. When the young man was about to be released, and she decided to visit him. She talked to him, shared her story. She said, "You don't know me, and I don't know you, but I know I need to forgive you in order to lead my life properly." She began building a relationship with him. He later said, "I have a hard time forgiving myself, but this woman was like a mother to me." He was finally released after 17 years. This woman spoke to her landlord and found a space where he could stay in their community. Now they live right next door to each other in their community. She lives in room 902 and he lives in room 904. They're separated by a wall. But she said, "I had to learn how to forgive."
What is the key to putting on the character of God? It is this: Reverence and love for the LORD! Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! When the Lord revealed Himself to Moses, Moses promptly bowed down, worshipped Him, and prayed for God’s forgiveness and presence (Exodus 34:8, 9). The Lord then told Moses that he would reveal His power, and the people are to obey Him.
Psalm 103:17,18 states, But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
Our Heavenly Father’s love is for those who reverence him, who love Him with all their heart, with all their soul and with all your mind. It is to have a reverent love towards the Lord, to seek Him first! It is to trust and obey.
Listen, the ultimate example of parenting is found in the Lord, our Heavenly Father. He is the model of being a great earthly dad. As an earthly dad, I hope you want to earn the respect/the love of your children. Apply these principles and God will work in a powerful way!
Let me close with this story. In one of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman’s meetings, a man rose to give the following remarkable testimony: “I got off at the Pennsylvania depot one day as a tramp. For a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said, “Mister, please give me some money so I can have something to eat.” As soon as I saw his face, I recognized him as my father. ‘Father, don’t you know me?’ I asked. Throwing his arms around me, he cried, ‘I’ve found you!” I’ve found you! All I have is yours!’ I stood begging my father for a few cents, when for 18 years he had been looking for me to give me all he was worth.”
All throughout Jesus' ministry—his birth, his meals with sinners, his healing of the sick, his death on the cross for our sins—he showed us the heart of God, the God who will take a long journey of love to find you. The Lord is pursuing each of you. He wants to take you into His arms and pour out his love.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that out of your glorious riches you will strengthen each person here through your Spirit having Jesus’ dwell in their hearts through faith. May they be rooted and established in your love. Give them the power to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is your love in Christ, and to know that this love surpasses knowledge. May they be filled to the measure of all your fullness and may they know that you are able to do more that all they could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:16-20).1
