Text: Prov. 13: 22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
There are many things a good father should do for his children, one of such is leaving an inheritance, not only for his children, but also for his grandchildren. If one should inverse that statement, it will sound like, a bad father does not leave an inheritance for his grandchildren. He might not have even left any for his children, talk less of grandchildren.
For us to be a good father that the bible says, we need to know the kind of inheritance that God wants us to leave for our grandchildren. Note that the bible says ‘leaveth inheritance; not just leaveth money’.
What is an inheritance?
Types of inheritance
There are two types of inheritance. Good and bad inheritance. A good father should seek to leave a good inheritance for his children and grandchildren. What is such good inheritance?
5 Good inheritance a father can leave for his grandchildren
Rev. 5: 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Job 1: 4-5 4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Every instruction a father passed on to his children should be seen as not just that child alone; but also of the generation after him.
Dt 6: 6-7 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
I Kings 2: 1-4 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4 That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Gen. 18: 16-19 16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Jer. 35: 1-6 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. 3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 4 And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: 5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. 6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
A father can, therefore, influence the behaviour of his children and through that, can equally influence the behaviour of his grandchildren also.
Prov. 22:1
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 Chro. 17: 3-5 – years between them 3 And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; 4 But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance
One of the greatest heritage a father can give his generation after him, therefore, is to invest in his children education; it is most likely that such children will follow suit with their own children as well. One day those children and their generation will be able to draw upon the benefits of the education they have received.
Daniel/Shedrach/Meshach/Abednego’s parents
Daniel 1: 3-4
Children of Issachar
I Chro. 12: 32
Father of Mergan Markle. $600m lottery, which afforded him the opportunity to send her daughter to high flyer education where she was able to mingle with friends that connected her to Prince Harry of England. If it was not for the education she received, there would not have been such Cindarella story.
A good father should therefore be able to leave some level of material substance for his children that his grandchildren will later know about.
David/Solomon
I Chro 22: 7-16
Abraham/Isaac
Gen. 25: 5-6
4 Bad inheritance a father must not leave for his grandchildren
These are things we must ask for the grace of God; and also work at very hard not to leave behind for our children; so that they will in turn not leave such for their own children.
Abraham lied about his wife, that she was his sister. Though Sarah was truly his step-sister; but she was still his wife. That made their relationship stronger.
Gen. 12:11-20 – Egypt, treated like an in-law – plague
Gen. 20:1-14 – Abimelech King of Gerar – dream
Isaac
Gen. 26:6-11 – Abimelech King of Gerar – was spying on him
Jacob
Gen. 27: 15-29 – first son Esau to Isaac
We must be determined to stop such bad bloodline during our time; so we don’t pass it on to our children to deal with.
Terah – Abraham, Nahor and Haran.
Abraham – suffered years bareness in marriage (up to 60).
Gen. 11:30
Isaac/Rebekah – 20 years
Gen. 25:20-21
Jacob/Rachel – 14 years
29: 30-31
It is dangerous for a child to know that his father has something he admired more than God. That child will follow in his father’s footstep; and he will pass on that bad conduct to his own children too; given rise to generations of idolaters.
How do you treat prayers and family altar?
How do you treat the written and spoken word of God?
How do you treat even the physical Bible?
How do you treat the Sabbath?
What is your disposition to giving to the things of God?
How do you treat servants of God?
How do you treat the gathering of believers?
Do you rather stay at home and do something else when a church service is going on?
Guess what? Your children are watching you. They will do the same.
This is the problem we have with Christianity in Britain today. We are now a secular state.
They leave church because they want their child/children to go to a Catholic/Anglican school; the school might teach good morals; but we are the greatest teachers of our children. What we did not do; no other person will do it for us.
King Jehoram of Israel – son of Ahab
2 Kings 3: 1-3
We all have things that we desire and need in life. We must however not enter into excessive debts we know we can not write off; and leave such behind for our children to deal with. That will be bad fatherhood.
I know that some of us are on mortgage loan; I pray for the supernatural ability to clear them off for us in Jesus name. Some of our children might also be on student loans; again I pray that their own children shall pay cash upfront in Jesus name.
Those who have not entered into such loans; may God bless you with supernatural ability to pay as you go along and not to owe in Jesus name.
Phil. 4:6
Son of a prophet
2 Kings 4: 1-7
Even though, this is a message for Fathers; yet Mothers can also take a cue from it also. It is possible that you are a widow or single mother, this same teaching is applicable to you as a custodian of children who will raise further generations.
Timothy was a godly child with good character because of the women in his life.
2 Tim, 1:5
May God enable us to leave good inheritance for our children’s children in Jesus name.
Prayers
Father, help me to be a good man/husband/father/grandfather.
Female – good woman/wife/mother/grandmother.
Father, help me to leave a good inheritance behind for my grandchildren.
Sermon delivered on June 21, 2020, on the occasion of Father’s Day Celebration.
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