The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-08-25


GOLDEN TEXT-Train up child In the
way he should go. Proverbs 22:6a.
PRIMARY TEXT-When God Spoke to a
Boy.
Junior. -e.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Should We Do as We Please?
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Challenge of Christian Fatherhood.
The responsibilities and privileges
of fatherhood need special empha-
sis, and the lesson Of today gives
excellent opportunity for such con-
sideration. Too often the rearing
of children, which is almost inevita-
bly, largely in the hands of the moth
er, is entirely delegated to her, and
the father becomes the man who
pays the bills, occasionally carries
out severe act of discipline, but
otherwise is almost a stranger to
his children.
Girls as well as boys appreciate
and respond to the loving and I'M
derstanding fellowship of a father
who really improves the opportunity
to build himself into the lives of his
children.
Eli is a striking illustration of
man who had attained an honorable
position in life and who had dis
charged his public duties with sue
cess, but who failed his own boys,
because of weak indulgence. Not a
few Christian workers have followed
in Ellis path.
/. A Weak Father and Vile Sons
(3:13).
The sons of Eli we're wicked men
who dared even to use the service
of the temple for the qualification of
fleshly appetites and lusts. (See
2:12-1722) Eli protested against
their most fragrant sin (2:23,24, but
evidently he had lost his influence
over them, for they did not hearken.
1t is not always true that the
wickedness of a son is the result of
weakness in the father, nor is it al
ways the case that weak fathers
have vile sons. Often the sons live
far better lives than their fathers,
and frequently godly and faith
full father suffers the heartbreak of
having a hayward son. But usually
like father, like son" is true.
Boys learn from their fathers-not
so much by words of admonition,
as by deeds. Let US tell our boys
how to live by first living a consist
ent Christian life, and then lovingly
but insistently requiring of them
during their days of irresponsibility
conformity to the standards of God.
We need to build moral fiber into
American youth of our country if it
is not to fall into the decadence of
the civilizations of the past.
ii. ment-PersOnal and Ma
tional (3:12, IA; AID.
Sin brings a horrible harvest of
sorrow, suffering and judgment,
not only to the individual but to his
family, and ultimately to the ma
ton. No man can ever divorce him
self from his relationship to his fam
lily. His people will suffer for his
waywardness, perhaps more than he
suffers himself The nation is made
up of homes, and consequently when
the family suffers the nation will
suffer too.
There is a strange theory current
that social and political entities have
an existence apart from the people
who make them up, that our people
can drink and gamble and steal and
kill, and yet somehow we will still
be the land of the free and the
home of the brave" America is
what the families in your communi-
ty and mine are, and our families
are what we are. May God help
us to be better fathers, mothers,
brothers, and sisters.
III. Responsibility and Opportu-
nifty.
This division of our lesson is
drawn from no special portion of
the Scripture lesson, but is present
ed to place squarely before US the
fact that we (and we are speaking
specifically to fathers) have plain
and unacceptable responsibility for
our family life, as well as to empha-
size the fact that this is not a re-
sponsibility of which we should be
afraid. 1t is Gods gift of glorious
opportunity.
Eli was personal success as a
priest. He had many commend
able qualities, not the least of which
was his gracious recognition of the
ministry of Samuel, who had grown
up in his presence and yet who
was recognized by Eli as the mes
senger of God. Compare Mark GA
and l Tim. 4:12.) But he missed
lifes greatest opportunity by los
ing his own boys. Sad to say, many
father has followed him, yes, even
we are sorely tempted to make our
business (and it may be the "busi-
ness" of the Lord the thing Of pri-
mary concern, and let our children
fit in where they may, or not at all.
Let us look on the brighter side
in closing our study and recall the
inspiring contribution that has been
made to our national life, to our
spiritual life and our social advance
ment by those who have come out
of the most humble of homes, with
the most meager worldly advan-
tages, but with the rugged charac-
ters-physically, morally, and spir-