This subject appears from the note prefixed to have caused more than usual difficulty in its arrangement, owing mainly to the frequency with which God the Father is evidently spoken of without being so named. We think, however, that a wise discretion has been exercised in largely excluding such passages, and merely giving those that definitely present God as Father.
We have no intention of reviewing the work on this occasion generally, but would like to call especial attention to the different uses of the word “Father,” as applied to God in Scripture, briefly indicated in the last section of our subject. We think that it is a line of truth but little searched out, and one that would well repay careful study.
A brief consideration of the subject shows that the word Father is applied to God in six different ways (perhaps a closer study may reveal seven). They are as follows 1. “God the Father” (Galatians 1:11Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) (Galatians 1:1), etc.) merely expresses His position in the Trinity, being (as we say) the first person in it.
2. “The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” expresses His relationship to Christ.
3. “God our Father” shows His relationship to Christians.
4. “Father of Mercies, etc., uses the word in the sense of “author” or “originator.”
5. “God and Father of all” expresses His general relation. ship to His creatures.
These are all found in the last section of our subject; for the sixth, however, we must refer to the o. t., where we find 6. “A Father to Israel,” showing God’s relationship to His ancient people.
From the above it is therefore dear that (5) in a general sense God is a Father to all His creatures, being over all (Ephesians 4:66One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:6)), giving sunshine and rain (Matthew 5:4545That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)), caring for the brute creation (vi. 26), kind to the unthankful and the evil (Luke 6:3535But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (Luke 6:35)).
We next see (6) that Israel nationally being regarded as God’s son (Hosea 11:11When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (Hosea 11:1); Romans 9:44Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; (Romans 9:4)), God is called in a general sense their Father, (1 Chronicles 29:1010Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. (1 Chronicles 29:10); Isaiah 63:16; 64:816Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting. (Isaiah 63:16)
8But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8); Jeremiah 31:99They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. (Jeremiah 31:9); Malachi 1:66A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? (Malachi 1:6)) in a few isolated passages.
We must, however, most carefully distinguish the world-wide application of the word (5) and its national application (6) from its wonderful personal and individual use in the New Testament as applied to Christians in a relationship so near, and with love so intense, that as Father He is said to love His own as He loves the Son (John 17:2323I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)). To show that such a relationship is entirely new, and consequent on the death and resurrection of Christ, we need only refer to such a passage as Galatians 3:44Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. (Galatians 3:4), where, after carefully describing the Jew as a child, differing however nothing from a servant, the apostle proceeds to contrast this with the brighter glory and more intimate relationship of the christian position as a son (4:6, contrast “when we were” in ver. 3, with “because you are” ver. 6). It is the latter alone, and that by virtue of the indwelling Spirit, who can cry “Abba Father”—a beautiful utterance, and one not known under the law. Romans 8:1515For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15) also presents the same cry as the result of the Spirit of adoption.
“Abba” as is well-known is the Syriac form of “father” according to the common language of Palestine, while “pateer,” the other word, is the Greek form of the same. If then we may, without straining the interpretation, regard “Abba” as the Jewish, and “Father” as the Gentile form of the same title, we get a wonderful significance in the union of both in this the Christian’s cry, Jew and Gentile both being one in Christ (Colossians 3:1111Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11)).
If a doubt should still remain in the minds of any as to the entire difference between our relationship to God, and that of the Jew of old, a brief study of pp. 78, 79 contrasted with the six or seven solitary passages in the o. t. that speak of God as Father will show that there is no possible parallel between the two, and that we occupy a place of wonderful nearness to God, little though our souls really enjoy it.
W e have no room in the short space at our disposal to touch upon God in relationship as Father to Christ; (2) a subject full of deepest interest and mystery, containing such utterances as “ My Father is greater than I” and yet “I and my Father are one”; at times taking us into the hidden counsels of the triune God before the world was, at others showing us the delight that rested on the lowly Man on earth; but before we close, we would just allude to “ Father” used as “author.” (4) Take for instance that mysterious passage in Hebrews 12:99Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (Hebrews 12:9), which seems to carry us back to Genesis 2:77And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7), or those beautiful titles given us in our subject, “The comforter of those in trouble,” “The Father of mercies, and God of all comfort,” “The Father of glory.” Oh! how little do we know of this “all comfort,” much though we need it; how little gratitude do the unnumbered “mercies” of our Father cause to ascend from our hearts, and oh! how little are our hearts set by faith on that bright “glory” of which He is the Father, to the exclusion of the earthly shams that are all around. May God indeed use this subject we have considered together to deepen in each of our ‘souls the sense of the blessedness of our position and the greatness of God’s love.