Bad Parents of the Bible
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. -- Psalm 103:13 (ESV)
Ever had one of those "bad parent" days? Few parents haven’t had one, where all goes wrong and you don't respond well.
The baby makes “art” in his or her crib with their diaper contents while you console an older child about not making the team. Dinner burns. And of course, the dog tears into a raccoon and has to go to the vet.
One of THOSE days.
It’s not being a poor parent to respond wrong—it’s being a normal loving human mom or dad who cares about their kids.
The Bible never shrinks from showing both sides.
My Top Three Bad Parents of the Bible Awards
3rd Place. The Hateful Mother. Two prostitutes living in the same house have babies only three days apart. The younger child dies, so his mother switches the infants overnight. In the morning, the other mother immediately recognizes what had happened.
The women seek King Solomon’s decision. He orders the child cut in half.
Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. (I Kings 3:27-28, ESV)
2nd Place. Israelites Who Sacrificed Their Children. Unfortunately, King Solomon also made terrible decisions. He allowed temples to the ancient Canaanite gods which included one called Molech. Molech’s rite of worship was to heat the belly of his metal idol and roll children into the fire as a sacrifice.
You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:21, ESV)
1st Place. Queen Athaliah. After Solomon, the nation split into two kingdoms, Judah and Israel. Kings were. known for either serving Yahweh (good) or Ba’al (evil). Conflicts arose. One of the worst purges happened after the death of Ahaziah, King of Judah. Crowned at age 22, he reigned only a year.
And of course, guess who became queen after everyone died?
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. (2 Kings 11:1, ESV)
Parenting is tough, and there will always be difficult days. Just remember:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, ESV)
Questions for Reflection:
1. If you’re a parent, what challenges have you faced that you need to hand over to God and not try to solve by yourself?
2. Write out a list of advice points for other parents, then share it the next time you’re in a group and discuss. Often the elderly have some of the best advice, except when it comes to electronics.
3. Look up the verses used and read the entire stories to see what you might glean from them.
