ESCAPE DEL SERVICIO DE CERCANÍAS B.1) Cruce de Vías mediante “Salto de Carnero”

The bible is laced with several other accounts of fatherless victors. Men and women who had to endure the lonely loss of a patron figure that would guide them in the difficult paths to victory. One remarkable case is the very promising son of Jacob himself, Joseph. Although loved tremendously by his father (in a sense one may say Jacob avoided the sin of his father in at least recognizing the favor of God upon Joseph and responding to it) yet through situations beyond control Joseph lost the benefit of patron guidance when his jealous and wicked brothers sold him as a slave to Egypt. There, away from the patronage and love he had from his father, God assumed the position of coach and patron to the young man. Amazingly, against very serious odds God was able to see Joseph from the lowest pits of failure and defeat to ensure his place in the highest positions of power. The trying-to-triumphant accounts of Joseph provide yet another classic example of how one can make it without an earthly father figure (Genesis 37:2-36, 39 & 40).

Another moving account is the one of David son of Jesse. Like Jacob, David was neglected while he lived in his father’s house. Although he tended the family’s sheep he was never regarded seriously as a son in the house of Jesse. He did not have the favor of his father. Instead Jesse devoted himself to coaching David’s brothers to victory while the shepherd boy relied on the leadings of Jehovah. God became David’s Father. In Psalms 23 David reveals the variant roles as Father the Lord played in his life. He saw the Lord as leader, provider, protector, healer, comforter, inspiration

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and restorer. And the battle against Goliath demonstrated which of the two fathers had done a better job. It is quite revealing as we observe Eliab, David’s elder brother that enjoyed most favor with

Jesse, join the ranks of cowards that were terrified by the ranting and empty boasts of the giant Philistine Goliath. That David, without any prior trainings from an earthly father was nevertheless able to stand against the Philistine fearlessly tells how much He had learned from God. David’s story ought to encourage every one the great profits of relying on God as Father (1 Samuel 17).

Sometimes the alternative to an active and compassionate father is simply a father figure that substitutes ones actual father. In some cultures, the term employed for this kind of person is godfather. In spite of David lacking favor in his father’s house he found favor with Saul, the King of Israel, and his household. In fact, after the battle with the Philistines Saul took on David as his own son and it was during this period that David was highly promoted in the army of Israel. He even got so intimately acquainted with Saul’s intended heir to the throne, Jonathan, as well as marrying one of Saul’s daughters, Michal. For lack of a better word Saul was what we may describe as David’s

godfather. And in many regards, David was grateful for this

favor from the king of Israel. He performed all kinds of roles just to appease Saul’s often-shifting requirements. When Saul needed music David would be available. When he desired victory in the battlefield David was still available. Ironically, Saul misinterpreted David’s persistent loyalty as

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an ambitious attempt to steal the throne of Israel. Soon he became envious of his own subject and sought to kill him. That is where his role as David’s patron ended. Once again, David was fatherless from a carnal viewpoint. Once again he had to rely on God as his Father. A look at most of the psalms David wrote while hiding from Saul reveals the profound extent David assumed in depending on God as his

refuge, shelter and strength. The intimate relation David had

with God as Father is not only well documented in the Psalms but it so impressed God Himself. Referring to David’s devotions, Jesus remarked that David had a heart after

God (Acts 13:22). And it must be told that God did not

disappoint. Every covenant promise God made with him he actually brought to pass. In the end, of the entire three – father, godfather and Father – the last relation proved most vital to David (1 Samuel 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26).

But perhaps the greatest account of complete submission and reliance on God, as Father, in spite of the presence of an earthly father is the case of Jesus Christ. Although it had been arranged for Him to have an earthly father, Joseph, there is very little evidence of Jesus’ reliance on him. In fact the accounts that reveal His dependence on His earthly father in His infant age as a child were really accounts in which even Joseph himself was depending on God as Father. When Herod sought to kill the baby boy Joseph was constantly ministered to by angels on what to do and where to hide and even on when to come from hiding (Matthew 2:13). Later on in the life of Jesus, we see His preference of the two. At the early age of twelve, Jesus was already conscious of the need to serve and depend on His Father in

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heaven so much that He was willing to do it at the expense of loosing His earthly father. When He told His concerned parents who had lost Him and had desperately been looking for Him that “don’t you know that I ought to be about my

Father’s will” (Luke 2:49) He was clearly demonstrating the

precedence His heavenly Father took on the family tree. Although it is hardly talked about, but it is indeed significant that there is hardly any reference to His earthly father during His illustrious ministry while pronounced reference is made to His heavenly Father. Several times He consulted with God in long prayers. He even confessed on seeking to do the will of His Father in heaven. When He died, it was not His earthly father that He sought. Instead He cried to His heavenly Father in those immortal words, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”(Matthew 27:46)And He was still at it after He rose from the dead when He prevented Mary Magdalene from touching Him till He had presented Himself to the Father (John 20:17).