Here are three men and the three terrible mistakes they make as bad dads:
Mannasseh is straight- up an overly wicked father. As king of Judah, he set up idol worship in the temple and in high places. Mannasseh sacrificed his children in fire, practiced divination, witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a lot of evil and God was angry with him. (see 2 Chronicles 33:1-6)
Eli was an overly permissive father and put his family ahead of God. He confronted his sons wicked actions, but ended up tolerating them. God was angry with Eli.
1 Samuel 2:29
Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
1 Samuel 3:13
For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.
David was an overly-absent father. King David is described as a man after God’s heart but failed as a father. Amnom, his first born was a rapist and David did nothing. Absalom, his third born son killed Amnon for raping their sister and David was absent. Absalom had a hostile take-over of his father’s throne and slept with his father’s wives, but David did nothing. Adonijah, his fourth born son, tried a hostile take-over of David’s throne and David was talked into action by his wife, Bathsheba and the prophet, Nathan. David was an overly absent father.
There are wicked fathers in our community who serve the idols of meth, alcohol and other substances. Their children are not put through fire literally, but are not getting proper food, clothing or shelter.
There are permissive fathers in our community who tolerate actions of their children that are against God’s best for their lives.
We have overly absent fathers in our community who are gone to work before their children are up and work late including weekends. They are paying the bills, buying nice things, but are losing their children because they are absent.
Avoid being a bad dad by living for Jesus, raising a holy standard in love and by being actively engaged and present in your relationships. God is good and will help us in our relationships with those who matter most in our lives.