Like a lot of other preacher-types, I spent a lot of last week getting ready for Father's Day. It was a privilege to share some words from one of the Old Testament's great patriarchs, Joshua. 
I always feel a lump in my throat, when I close my eyes, feel the Israeli breeze, and hear Joshua say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua was 110 years old when he gave his speech. Like most old soldiers I imagine him as standing erect--he probably worked the kinks out as he got up to speak--looking at the representative gathering of his nation with that straight-ahead, no nonsense bearing that tends to mark old soldiers. I figure that before he uttered this line he paused, perhaps cleared his throat, and mentally reviewed what he knew about his family, at this point a number of generations deep. I have to think he knew, this was the quotable line. Perhaps he had even practiced articulating the words. For more than 3,000 years dads have been hearing the words of the old patriarch, and we are still challenged.
I always feel a lump in my throat, when I close my eyes, feel the Israeli breeze, and hear Joshua say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua was 110 years old when he gave his speech. Like most old soldiers I imagine him as standing erect--he probably worked the kinks out as he got up to speak--looking at the representative gathering of his nation with that straight-ahead, no nonsense bearing that tends to mark old soldiers. I figure that before he uttered this line he paused, perhaps cleared his throat, and mentally reviewed what he knew about his family, at this point a number of generations deep. I have to think he knew, this was the quotable line. Perhaps he had even practiced articulating the words. For more than 3,000 years dads have been hearing the words of the old patriarch, and we are still challenged.
I don't understand everything about the way families turn out. In yesterday's message, in addition to talking about Joshua, I talked about another dad, King Manasseh. He was a sorry king and an even sorrier father. (2 Chronicles 33) It is no surprise that he raised a wicked son, Amon. I do wonder at the fact that the next generation included a boy of rare Godliness and courage, Josiah.
I have observed that in general Godly fathers beget Godly families, which beget other Godly families. While there are anomalies like Josiah, in general the converse is true. It is that syndromes that allowed the Old patriarch to make his claim that would have normally sounded like pure arrogance. How could this old man with one foot in the grave claim to speak for the four generations, or so, that by this time constituted his house? He spoke in confidence of what had already taken place.
I experienced a bit of that yesterday. I attribute it to God's goodness. I heard reports of my son's and some of grandchildren involved in serving the Lord. On this day after Father's Day, with humility and great thanksgiving, I quote Joshua's words, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
