Following the bible.org model, this outline and accompanying audio message from Dr. Bill Lawrence of Leader Formation International are designed to assist users of bible.org to grow and teach quality principles of leadership in an appropriate context for their respective audience. These outlines can help you in grasping the themes of each study as well as guide you in your own teaching preparation. You can gain important insights and learn new Bible study and teaching method styles used by others, like Dr. Lawrence.

Abstract

What reduces crime, child poverty, teen pregnancy and requires no new taxes? The answer is good fathers. This message focuses on the difference between “Freeing up Children” and “Frustrating Children” and the vital role that father’s have in shaping character, teaching values and preparing their children for career preparation and choices.

Introduction

Barbara Dafne Whitehead wrote these words in the April, 1993, edition of Atlantic Monthly.

Over the past two and a half decades Americans have been conducting what is tantamount to a vast natural experiment in family life. Many would argue that this experiment was necessary, worthwhile, and long overdue. The results of the experiment are coming in, and they are clear. Adults have benefited from the changes in family life in important ways, but the same cannot be said for children. Indeed, this is the first generation in the nation's history to do worse psychologically, socially, and economically than its parents. Most poignantly, in survey after survey, the children of broken families confess deep longings for an intact family.1

Question

What has been this vast natural experiment in family life?

Answer

The experiment of rampant divorce which has resulted in the absence of fathers from so many families in our day.

Transition

In our day we have made self-satisfaction our highest value rather than self-sacrifice.

Development

We have put our own interests ahead of our children's interests, with the result that our children suffer at the hands of those who should be their protectors. Children often become parents to their parents, growing up long before our time.

Balance

I realize there are many who have struggled heroically to do the right thing, often with great success.

Point

Yet, the evidence is undeniable that the absence of fathers is devastating to family health.

Assertion

This most obvious of realities has often been overlooked in the past.

Transition

Listen to these words from an expert, a psychologist, who speaks for her field and the thinking many have done.

Amazing as it may seem, developmental psychology has only recently become aware of the vital role fathers play in the lives of their children. For many years, child psychology was preoccupied with the mother-child relationship, as if fathers were secondary figures…

Our research is part of a growing body of knowledge that puts this lopsided view of child development back into perspective. Fathers exert a critical influence on their sons and daughters throughout childhood and adolescence, helping to shape their characters, values, relationships with other people, and career choices… . Children do not dismiss their fathers just because there has been a divorce. Indeed, it is the children of divorce who taught us very early that to be separated from their father was intolerable. The poignancy of their reactions is astounding, especially among the six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds. The cry for their daddies--be they good, bad, or indifferent daddies.2

Question

What difference do fathers make?

The loss of traditional family values means
The loss of peace and security in America.

1. All the sickness of our society can be traced to this shift away
from a focus on fathers and their role in the family and society.

2., All the research in recent years traces every ill in our nation to this reality.

Crime,

violence,

child poverty,

teen-age pregnancy

all flow directly from the parental selfishness that rejects the abiding and legitimate concerns of the child we bring into our world.

Support

Children from single parents homes are more likely to commit crimes than those from traditional families. They use drugs more heavily.

They are more likely to be gang members.

They make up 70% of delinquents in state reform institutions.

They commit 76% of the adolescent murders.

They are 70% more likely to be expelled from school.

Balance

This is not true of all, of course. But it is a pattern.

The greatest crime in America today is the crime of fatherlessness.

1. Here is an interesting question:

What reduces crime, child poverty, teen pregnancy and requires no new taxes?

2. The answer:

Good Fathers!

1. Father absence contributes to welfare dependency, crime and delinquency, to educational failure, to health risk, and to long-term success.3

2. Fathers are not superfluous, although they have often been thought of that way.

3. These realities have nothing to do with race!

4. These realities have everything to do with a failure in fathering
which marks our nation today.

Transition

In light of these realities, we must look at fathering today.

Preview

We are going to discover two things about fathering, perhaps the two most important realities we need to know for our times. Both of these realities are developed from the same passage, Ephesians 6:4. One reality tells us what fathers are not for, the other what fathers are for.

Transition

Come to the passage with me and see that

I. Fathers Are Not for Frustration -- Eph. 6:4.

A. As fathers, we are commanded not to create anger in our children.

1. We create anger in our children when we provoke them.

a. "Provoke" is a strong word, a word that means to cause to explode, exasperate, ignite.

b. This term describes a habitual attitude, the constant spirit that marks the child, the settled response to life.

c. We are not to cause a deep seated rage in our children.

d. The anger that we feel as adults may well have its roots in a father who failed to obey this commandment.

2. As fathers we must understand how great our influence is.

a. We create the very inner atmosphere in which our children live.

b. We create the feelings they have about life and wholeness and reality.

c. We create a sense of peace and purpose, or we create a sense of stress and emptiness.

d. The way we raise our children determines how they feel about reality and life.

e. The apostle speaks to fathers because we set the tone in our families; even when we are not there we set the tone in our families.

f. As fathers we must choose to create an atmosphere for growth in our homes.

Point

If you have been raised by a father who disobeyed this command you must make a choice to give up the anger that has been ignited within you by forgiving him for what he did to you. It does you no good to hang onto the anger and the hatred and the bitterness. You are only hastening on your death and raising your children to be your victims even as you were his. Take responsibility for your anger and call upon God to enable you to give it up before you do great harm to your children and yourself.

Transition

How do we provoke our children?

B. We provoke our children when we fail to love them.

Quote

Victor Hugo is quoted as saying, The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.4

Point

Based on what we are seeing in our world today, the greatest need our children have is to know their father loves them.

Question

How do we fail to love our children.

1. We fail to love our children when we reject them.

a. We reject our children when we are absent from them.

Development

Howard Hendricks has said that the average American father spends 37.7 seconds a day with his children.5 The biggest problem we fathers face is that we are too busy for our children. We have a business breakfast early in the morning so we are gone long before they get up. We work late at the office after everyone is gone because no one will bother us, so we get home after they have gone to bed. On weekends we have work to do around the house, or we're so worn out we don't have energy or patience to be with them. We are committed to success, to more and better, often in the name of our children.

Question

Must we be failures in business in order to raise our children well?

Answer

No, that is not what I'm calling for.

Point

I am calling for all fathers in this room to take stock of their commitments and to determine that they will center their lives around the Lord and their families and their service to him in business and in other settings. Then we fathers must make certain that we are making weekly and even daily choices to know and understand our children.

There are times when we must travel or when we must work long hours. It just doesn't have to be all the time! According to a national survey taken some years ago of fathers, there are four primary factors that create time pressure for us:

jobs, outside activities, television, and financial pressure.

Instantly, if this is true in our lives, television can go. Next go any outside activities that we cannot incorporate into our lives. Next comes the discipline needed to get finances under control. Then we have a realistic picture of what it takes to be a business success as well as a success as a man walking with God and leading his family.

Home is not where we come to rest; home is where we come to lead.

Transition

Not only does absence mean rejection;

b. Control means rejection.

Development

There are three ways we can control our children, all of which will generate anger.

We talk without listening.

We can run right over their explanations. We fail to respect them, nor give them the respect of hearing what they want to say, even when we already know what it is and know it won't change a thing.

One of the things we can learn from God as our Father is that we always must listen even if we cannot change our minds. He never rebukes us for coming back to Him again and again with our stupid little mistakes. If this is how He fathers, isn't it the way we should father?

Whenever one of my sons would say, You're not listening to me, I always would stop, ask him to repeat what he has been saying and then repeat it back to him and get him to affirm that he has heard me say what he said.

Then I go ahead with my plan of action, unless I do hear something I hadn't already heard.

If he's right, and I haven't heard him, I change. If he's just stalling for time, I point that out to him and go on. He may not like what I'm doing, but he has absolutely no valid objection that I am not listening to him.

We demand without understanding.

Often our children are right. We don't understand them and what they are experiencing. We simply made demands of them without showing any interest in their concerns.

Illustration

We decide without consulting.

Our responsibility as fathers in their lives is to be stakes for our children. They are like young trees planted in the front yard of life. The winds come, the storms of life fall upon them, lightening lashes out at them, they shake and tremble in the gale, but our job is to hold them up and stabilize them. However, we must remember that the cords cannot be too tight or we'll cut off the life from the young tree.

Transition

This is exactly what we do when we don't give them ourselves.

2. We fail to love our children when we don't give them ourselves.

a. We give them our money, but not ourselves.

b. We given them their way and smother them with false love, but we don't give them ourselves.

c. We give them our anger with the harshness of a rigid control which denies their very existence, but we don't give them ourselves.

d. It isevident that anyone who so seeks to control a child so he is not a problem is really telling that child he never wanted him in the first place.

3. We fail to love them when we don't let them be themselves.

a. Often fathers try to be too protective of their children, and they deny their child's identity as a result.

b. Perhaps nothing damages more, perhaps nothing creates more anger in a child than unreasonable restrictions that deny that child the freedom of his true identity.

c. It's risky and frightening to let a child be themselves, but we must let our children take the risk of being themselves.

Illustration

Joel swam the stream at Yosemite.

Illustration

Listen to these feelings expressed by the parent of a teenager.

Prayer for a Teenage Son

Lord, the night is quiet.

There is only the hum of the clock--glowing at 3:11 A.M.

and the even breathing of my wife

and the quickened beating of my heart.

For Bill is late. So much later than he said he'd be.

You know he's a good boy, Lord,

kind and thoughtful--

but, oh, so vulnerable

And there are many pressures out there,

in the world of the night.

Noiselessly I creep from my restless bed

and silently prowl the shadowed rooms.

Lord, you have blessed us with him

and blessed him with your grace.

Listen to my prayer and watch over him now.

I will for the phone to ring--and not to ring--

For my fear is great.

Trust, you seem to tell me

Trust in me and do not fear.

But the beat of my heart will not quieten.

Now at last I hear his key in the lock

And I am filled with the warmth of relief.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing Bill safely home.

Now help me to listen as he speaks--

And not to be angry.6

Question

What if we provoke our children?

Illustration

Transition

But if fathers are not for frustration, what are fathers for?

II. Fathers Are for Freedom -- Eph. 6:4.

A. We free our children when we bring them up in the lord.

1. To bring them up means to feed them.

2. It has the idea of bringing someone from need to need.

3. It demands that we be need oriented, that we know our children well enough to recognize their need and that we act in such a way that we provide for their needs.

a. These needs are physical.

b. These needs are mental.

c. These needs are emotional.

d. These needs are spiritual.

4. We must given our children the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual nourishment they need to grow to be healthy and whole human beings.

5. This is why we must adjust our lives to meet their needs.

a. We need to know the different personalities of our children.

b. We must be aware of the different stages of life which they face.

c. We must be prepared to meet the needs which thesedifferences create.

Development

There are some very significant steps which we must take.

We must pray for our children.

We must have honest discussion with our wives about our children's needs and how we can best meet them together.

We must let our children know us as human beings and so express our trust in them.

We must spend time to watch, observe, listen, talk, think, pray, and act.

B. We free our children when we discipline them.

1. This word means to educate.

2. The focus of this word is to educate by means of physical discipline.

3. Physical discipline is essential in raising children, and fathers must be faithful to exercise it.

a. Faithful discipline demands personal discipline.
It demands the discipline to do it when it should be done, even if this is the most inconvenient thing of all.
It demands the discipline to do it in a fair and appropriate way, which means we are under personal control when we do it, what the Bible calls dignity.

b. Faithful discipline demands preventive discipline.
We must play with them.
We must love them.

C. We free our children to be themselves when we instruct them.

1. We instruct them by our model before them.

Illustration

The time Pop went to church on a stormy night, and I learned the meaning of commitment.

2. We instruct them by our teaching of them.

a. We teach them manners.

b. We teach them morals.

c. We teach them truth, especially spiritual truth.

3. We instruct them by our commitment to them.

Illustration

Conclusion

Fathers are for freedom, not frustration.

Question

What if you have had a father who turned out to be for frustration and not for freedom?

Answer

FORGIVE HIM!

Question

What if you have been a father who has been for frustration and not for freedom?

Answer

Pay any price you must, but CHANGE!

Answer

GAIN FORGIVENESS!

Now make a commitment to love your children:

to give them your time,

your attention,

yourself,

and their identity, which they can only find through a relationship with you.

Question

Are you where I am: inadequate, afraid?

Good.

Let's commit together to join the fellowship of fathers for freedom, let's commit ourselves to depend on the Lord this morning.

¹ Whtiehead, p. 84.

² Wallerstein, Judith S. & Blakeslee, Sandra, Second Chances, pp. 233-234.

³ Brochure, The National Initiative for Fathering.

⁴ English, O. Spurgeon, M.D. and Foster, Constance J. Foster, (New York: G. Putnam;s Sons, 1961) Fathers Are Parents, Too.

⁵ Hendricks, Howard, (Dallas, TX: The Art of Family Living) The Anatomy of a Father.

· The Ace reminds us that there is only one God.

· The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments

· The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

· The Four represents the Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

· The Five is for the five virgins. There were ten but only five of them were glorified (Matthew 25:1-13).

· The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth (Genesis 1).

· The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation (Genesis 2:3).

· The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth (Genesis 7:7).

· The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him (Luke 17:11-19).

· The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone (Exodus 20:1-21).

· The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell (Ezekiel 28:11-19).

· The Queen represents Mary, mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38).

· The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings (Revelation 19:16).

· When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with a total of 365, one for every day of the year.

· There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

· The four suits represent the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.

· Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

When you want to thank God, I just pull out a deck of cards and am reminded of all that we have to be thankful for.

Introduction

The biblical record of God’s prophet Elijah is filled with many unusual and at times miraculous events. Thus in the first encounter that the reader has with God’s prophet, he is startled by the prophet’s ominous pronouncement: “As certainly as the LORD God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.” Anyone who lives in areas where heaven sent water is in scarce supply would instantly recognize the seriousness of such a declaration. This was especially true of the Bible lands for they are “prone to drought and aridity” and “the world of the Old Testament is an agrarian world in which people are aware of their dependence on weather.”¹ Therefore, “No rain, no life. It was just that simple in OT times in the Promised Land.”²

In what follows we shall note the particular significance and emphases of dew and rain as presented in the Bible (especially the Old Testament) with a view to some of their applications to the believer’s life. We shall examine them in the order in which Elijah stated them.

Dew

As mentioned above, water, including dew, was critical to life in the biblical world. Dew, however, was normally in rather good supply. As Cogan remarks, “Dewfall is known year round; it is particularly abundant on the coastal plain and helps sustain summer planting.”³ Dew was seen as part of God’s creation. Among the dialogues with Job, where the Lord is portrayed as the creator of the earth and that the element forces of nature are under his control (Job 28:25-26; 36:37; cf. Ps. 147:16-18) God poses the question to Job, “ Who has fathered the drops of the dew?” (Job 38:28). In context the clear answer to the rhetorical question is: God Himself and Job understands it quite well (cf. Job 40: 1-5). The purpose of the dew, like the other manifestations mentioned in Job 28:28-30, is “to impress Job with God’s superb control of all such things.”⁴ So it is the Solomon wisely pointed out:

By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth;

he established the heavens by understanding.

By his knowledge the primordial sea was broken open,

and the clouds drip down dew (Prov. 3:19-20).

It is God, therefore, who ultimately controls the dew and provides it for his people in accordance with his blessings to them (Deut. 33:26-28). Accordingly, when fathers as leaders in ancient Israel invoked God’s blessings upon their sons or people, they would sometimes call for God’s blessings by using the imagery of the dew so necessary for good crops and a productive life. Thus when Isaac mistakenly blessed Jacob thinking that it was Esau, he prayed, “May God give you the dew of the sky and riches of the earth” (Gen. 27:28). Likewise, Moses blessed the tribe of Joseph saying, “May the Lord bless his land with a harvest produced by the sky, by the dew, and the depths crouching beneath with a harvest produced by the daylight and the moonlight” (Deut. 33:13). The dew, therefore, at times symbolized the blessing of God.

By way of contrast, God’s withholding of the dew could be a sign of his disfavor and punishment. In the case of 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah’s announcement of the withholding of the dew likewise declared God’s punishment of unfaithful Israel. Israel had gone after Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility and rain. Baal’s supposed power over rain appears in the Ugaritic story of Aqhat. There Aqhat’s father Danel laments his son’s passing by pronouncing a curse, which involved the activity of Baal:

For seven years let Baal fail,

eight, the Rider on the Clouds;

no dew, no showers,

no surging of the two seas,

no benefit of Baal’s voice.⁵

Understandably then, Elijah’s pronouncement provides a notice of distinct disfavor of and challenge to the authority of Baal and his state sponsorship by Ahab and Jezebel. The challenge would reach a climax in the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, where Elijah boldly declared, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is follow him!” (1 Kings 18:21). Soon afterwards, in accordance with Elijah’s sacrifice and prayer, the Lord sent the needed rain (1 Kings 18:41-46).⁶

Figurative Uses of Dew

Of special interest is the fact that in blessing his healed and restored people God likens himself to refreshing dew (Hos. 14:5). Indeed, “The dew becomes symbolic here of a life-giving vitality that provides the source of renewed life and strength for Israel—God himself.”⁷ Similarly, Isaiah records the Lord’s assurance that in the future God’s people in Israel will live again,“ like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits” (Isa. 26:19). Herein is found one of the key Old Testament texts suggesting the believer’s bodily resurrection. As Oswalt observes, “God’s dew will rest upon the dead as he will force earth to give them up to life in his presence forever.”⁸ Smith concurs, saying that much more than national Israel is involved here: “These are not promises of national restoration, but a commitment to bring someone who was considered dead back to life.”⁹

The psalmist reminds the Lord’s anointed that because of God’s presence, he will have willing followers who themselves will experience God-given refreshment, hence success in the day of battle (Ps. 110:1-3). As Delitzsch points out, “The host of young men is likened to the dew both on account of its vigorousness and its multitude, which are like the freshness of the mountain dew.”¹⁰ It has been suggested further that because Jesus cites Psalm 110:1 as having prophetic application to himself as David’s heir, hence the divine Messiah (Matt. 21:41-46), this verse may also contain a veiled hint of that great future triumph of Christ at his return to subdue the nations, accompanied by the heavenly hosts (Rev. 19:11-16). It is perhaps not without merit to suggest also that even in this life God’s people who willingly follow the Lord in their daily struggles can lead victorious lives, and in so doing they will prove to be a godly example to those with whom they come in contact (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14-17). Such certainly is in accordance with the well-known hymn, Lead on O King Eternal:

Lead on O King Eternal, we follow not with fears!

For gladness breaks like morning wher-e’er Thy face appears;

Thy cross is lifter o-er us, we journey in its light;

The crown awaits the conquest—lead on O God of Might.¹¹

Dew can at times also be a picture of refreshment. Thus the author of Psalm 133 declares that true brotherhood is reflected in living in harmonious unity. Where such is the case, it is not only a pleasant experience, but testifies to a rich spiritual relationship, which is akin to both priestly service and a source of refreshment ( v.1).¹² It is also a source of spiritual refreshment like unto the refreshing, vitalizing morning dew: “It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion” (v.3a). As Allen observes, the dew is “a simile with positive overtones of divinely sent refreshment.”¹³ Furthermore, the spiritual unity and harmony among believers finds such favor in God’s sight that it evokes the blessing of a conscious living enjoyment of his presence both in this life and the next: “Indeed that is where the Lord has decreed a blessing will be available—eternal life” ( v.3b).¹⁴ Dew, therefore, at times appears in the Scriptures to symbolize the benefits of a committed spiritual life in God’s presence, which provides sustenance, renewal, refreshment, vitality, and true success. It reminds believers of the high value of their life in the presence and power of God, for his glory and their good.

Unfortunately, the dew could also be used in contexts symbolizing unfaithfulness and inconsistent conduct before the Lord, which brings God’s punishment. For example, Hosea laments Israel’s inconsistent faithfulness to God: saying of his people “Your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew” (Hos. 6:5). “As these appear briefly only to vanish with the rising sun, so God’s people have shown brief flashes of spiritual progress and then have shortly afterwards resorted to their own selfish ways. Even worse now, they attempt to blend the worship of Yahweh with respect for foreign deities.”¹⁵ Indeed, Israel’s lack of faithfulness will occasion God’s certain soon coming punishment: “There is a saying about them, ‘those who sacrifice to the calf idol are café kissers! Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like early morning dew that evaporates” (Hos. 13:2b-3). Like dew as well as mist, chaff, and smoke that can vanish all too quickly, Israel’s continued infidelity would not long endure. Indeed, the Northern Kingdom could soon disappear and be no more (cf. Hos. 13:9-16). The only hope for God’s people lay in a genuine repentance, which is reflected in a consistent faithful living in the presence of God (cf. Hos. 6:1-3; 14:1-3). As noted previously, if such should occur, it would bring God’s healing and Israel’s godly remnant will experience his renewed blessing: “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily” (Hos. 14:5). The lesson of Israel’s experience ought not to be lost by today’s believers as well (cf. 1 Pet. 2:4-12).

Thus in addition to the natural physical benefits of dew, the Scriptures testify to the fact that dew owes its existence to earth’s Creator. Dew is in the final analysis a divine blessing, which provides a source of refreshment, renewal, and vitality to the land—a blessing, however, that can be withheld as a source of correction where sin and disregard of God’s standards are involved.

Rain

Among the many Hebrew words used to depict rain, by far the two most common are mâ?âr and gešem. The former is the more frequent and most commonly considered to be the more general term, but where a distinction is to be observed, the latter is taken to refer to heavier occasions of rain. A third frequently occurring word, zerem, is viewed as being used of violent weather such as cloudbursts or electrical storms, which at times were accompanied by hailstones.¹⁶ Futato concludes concerning these terms, however, “The modern reader can discern no difference between mâ?âr or gešem.”¹⁷ Our study will particularly feature the Old Testament teaching concerning the two most frequent terms for rain.

The underlying Hebrew roots behind these two nouns at times also appear in verbal form. In a great many cases these words for rain simply refer to literal rain. Such is obviously so in the previously mentioned declaration of Elijah (1 Kings 17:1, 7, 14; 18:1, 41).¹⁸ The Scriptures abundantly attest to the fact that it is God who created the rain (e.g., Deut. 11:11-14; Job 5:10). Thus in the original creation account it is recorded that, “no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth” (Gen. 2:5). Moreover, it is God who sends the rain (Isa. 55:10; cf. Matt. 5:45) and certainly is not as a result of mankind’s idolatry (Jer. 14:22). The God sent rain was a sign of the Lord’s blessing (Ps. 147:8; Isa. 30:23; Ezek. 34:26), including the seasonal rains of fall and spring (Joel 2:23). Joel’s reference to the rains and the seasonal rains is set in a context of God’s renewal of a repentant covenant people who have come again into renewed fellowship with the Lord (cf. Hos. 6:1-3). “Not only will he give renewed fellowship (v. 23a) and renewed rain (v. 23b) but also renewed provision (vv. 24-25). Their threshing floors will be filled with grain, their collecting vats will overflow with fresh wine and oil, and God will thoroughly restore to them the years the devastating plague had caused them to lose (cf. 1:4, 10, 17; 2:19).¹⁹ Indeed, the blessing of rain was distinctly related to covenant faithfulness: “If you walk in my statutes and are sure to obey my commandments, I will give you your rains in their times so that the land will give its yield and the trees of the field will produce their fruit” (Lev. 26:3-4; cf. Deut. 11:14; 28:12; Jer. 5:23-24). Thus as noted already, God’s withholding of rain was a sign of his disfavor for covenant infidelity and/or rampant sin (cf. Deut. 11:17; 2 Chr. 6:26-27; 7:13-14; Jer. 3:3; Zech. 14:17). In an ironic twist, however, heavy rain, especially accompanied by hailstones and/or violent wind, could signify God’s punishment (e.g., Gen. 7:11-12; Exod. 9:22-23; Ps. 105:32; Ezek. 13:11-13; cf. Ezek. 38:22).²⁰

Occasionally both māṭār and gešem are brought together in juxtaposition for special emphasis. Thus Elihu remarks concerning God, “God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways, does great things beyond our understanding. For to the snow he says, ‘Fall to the earth,’ and to the torrential rains, ‘Pour down’” (Job 37:5-6). Amos combines the noun gešem with a form of the verb māṭār to mark God’s attempt to bring his people back to covenant faithfulness: “I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I gave rain to one city, but not to another. One field would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up” (Amos 4:7). In one case not only these two prominent words for rain but also another word for rain, that is, a thunderstorm (ḥāzȋz) appears with them (Zech 10:1). The three words, therefore, admonish God’s people to “pray to the Lord, realizing that all blessings come from him.”²¹ Thus all forms of rain are the result of God’s blessing upon this faithful people.

Figurative Uses of Rain

Even in figurative uses rain may be used in both a positive and a negative sense. In the former case, beneficial rain is compared to sound advice (Job 29:21-23) or the actions of a godly king: “He will descend like rain on the mown grass, like showers that drench the earth. During his days the godly will flourish, peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky” (Ps. 72:6-7). Rain at an inappropriate time, however, is likened to giving honor to an undeserving fool: “Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fit for a fool” (Prov. 26:1).

The mention of snow is also of interest. Although snow is used here in a negative sense, most often it appears in a positive way. Thus David prays for the Lord’s cleansing, saying, “Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7). Such can be the situation with people and even nations that confess their sins and commit themselves to the Lord’s standards of righteousness (Isa. 1:17-19). Of special interest is Daniel’s vision in which he sees God the Father seated on his throne clothed in attire “white as snow” (Dan. 7:9), thus symbolizing “the absolute moral purity of the divine judge.”²² In like manner the risen Christ appears to John having head and hair “white as snow” (Rev. 1:14). “For John, the same functions of ruler and judge ascribed to ‘Ancient of Days’ in Daniel’s vision relate to Jesus. In Eastern countries, white hair commands respect and indicates the wisdom of years. This part of the vision may have shown John something of the deity and wisdom of Christ (cf. Col. 2:3).”²³ Doubtless the snow likewise spoke of Christ’s absolute holiness and moral purity.²⁴

Dew and Rain

It will be recalled that our opening citation of I Kings 17:1 featured both the dew and the rain, which were to be withheld because of the sins of Ahab and Israel—especially in their worship of the Canaanite storm god Baal. Elijah’s announcement that both would cease until he, as God’s messenger would give the word for their renewal, was thus a pronouncement of judgment. Of a similar negative nature is David’s curse upon the mountains of Gilboa as being the scene of the death of Saul and Jonathan: “O mountains of Gilboa, may there be no dew or rain on you, nor fields of grain offerings! For it was there that the shield of warriors was defiled, the shield of Saul lies neglected without oil” (2 Sam. 1:21).

Dew and rain also appear together figuratively.²⁵ The prophet Micah tells of a distant future for God’s blessed people in which they will serve as channels of blessing to the other nations. Thus Barker observes, “Israel will be a blessing to the other nations and people groups of the world, as her covenant Lord intended originally. Just as dew and showers do not depend on humankind to perform their refreshing influence, so Israel will trust in her Lord. The Lord himself will make his people just such a blessing (cf. Ps. 72:6, 16-19).”²⁶ In a more general setting Moses demonstrates that godly teaching is like the refreshing and revitalizing effects of dew and rain (Deut. 32:1-3):

Listen, O heavens, and I will speak;

hear, O earth the words of my mouth.

My teaching will drop like the rain,

as rain drops upon the grass,

and showers upon new growth.

For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;

you must acknowledge the greatness of our God. ²⁷

In an ironic twist dew and rain appear in close proximity to one another in our previously noted case of Hosea’s admonition to his fellow countrymen, whether in Israel or Judah (Hos. 6:3-4). Having encouraged the people to “return to the LORD” (Hos. 6:1), should they do so God will prove himself faithful to his covenant people: “He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land” (Hos. 6:3). Nevertheless, despite Hosea’s urging, it was unlikely that they would heed his challenge to them. Therefore, he records God’s lament over his covenant people: “What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew” (Hos. 6:4). Indeed, certain judgment laid ahead (Hos. 6:5-6). The prophet’s heart surely must have mirrored the heart of God, for although the very symbols of the people’s renewal, revitalization, and refreshment were proclaimed to them, he realized that they will fail to respond.

Application

The texts and imagery associated with dew and rain stand as another visible reminder that God is in control of all things, including the physical world (cf. Ps. 104:1-9). Not only is God the Creator of all things, but he is their controller and the consummator of the flow of history (cf. Job 38:1-11; Isa. 40:1-23, 28). More specifically, the New Testament records that such was accomplished through Christ Jesus (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-20). Thus even the common, mundane things of life, which mankind so often takes for granted, are the result of God’s goodness to man (Ps. 104:10-25; 107:9; 145:9; James 1:17).

Nevertheless, the above texts serve as a reminder that God’s goodness is not to be taken lightly. Even as Israel learned, those who are members of his earthly family are to respond in faithfulness to him and his high moral standards. Otherwise God’s favor can be turned into needed chastisement and correction (2 Kings 17:1-23; Isa. 26:1-6). Believers, therefore, should resolve to maintain a whole soul faith that is committed to the Lord (cf. Ps. 37:3-5; Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 2:20; 3:11). Those who so live demonstrate their true relationship to God and have the sure hope of an eternal reward (2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 2:10).

Even before that grand future time, much as the dew and the rain can symbolize refreshment and renewal, so also consciously living in God’s presence and in accordance with his word provides an abiding sense of refreshment and spiritual vitality (see, e.g., Josh. 1:8-9; Ps. 23; 27:11-14; 63:1; 119:25-32, 49-50, 140, 144; cf. John 15:7; Eph. 5:25-26; 1 Pet. 2:1-3). Surely it is the better part of wisdom to follow the psalmist’s teaching that those who pursue Worldly acclaim and pleasures or who live a selfish or evil lifestyle are ultimately destined for a disastrous end (Ps. 73:3-22, 27). What really matters is a life lived in the conscious presence of the Lord (Ps. 73:23-26): “But as for me, God’s presence is all I need” (Ps. 73:28). Indeed, the believer can know the rich experience of a truly successful and satisfying life. It is one that exudes the abiding spiritual vitality of Christ’s preeminence and leading in his life (Col. 1:27).

To that end that apostle whom Jesus loved (John 19:26) admonished all believers: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Let us, therefore, as did Paul not be satisfied with anything less than a living experience with Christ (Phil. 3:8-11) and the power of God’s word (Phil. 2:16; Col. 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:1-3; 3:14-18). When such is the case, it proves to be even more refreshing and revitalizing then the heaven sent dew and rain.²⁸ For then the believer has at his disposal the full force of what Jesus promised to the Samaritan woman—a far superior water source: “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

The hymn writer expresses this so well. Anne Ross Cousin wrote:

O Christ he is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love;

the streams on earth I’ve tasted more deep I’ll drink above.

There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,

and glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s land.”²⁹

1 “Rain,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, eds., Leland Rykken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1998), 694.

2 Mark D. Futato, “gšm,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997) 1: 900.

3 Mordecai Cogan, I Kings, Anchor Bible (New York: Doubleday, 2001), 425.

4 Francis L. Andersen, Job, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: InterVarsity: 1978), 278.

5 Michael David Coogan, ed., Stories from Ancient Canaan (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978), 41.

6 As a sidelight, the Lord’s victory over the Canaanite god Baal vindicated his prophet Elijah, for, “Elijah was shown to be the true prophet, while Baal’s prophets were put to death.” See further, Richard D. Patterson in “1 Samuel-2 Kings,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III, and David E. Garland, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), 3:769. James points out that God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer stands as an example of the power of the pure prayer of faith (James 5:17-18).

7 Richard D. Patterson, Hosea (Richardson, TX: Biblical Studies Press, 2009), 139.

8 John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah: Chapter 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 488.

9 Gary B. Smith, Isaiah 1-39, The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2007), 454.

10 Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 3:191.

11 E. W. Shurtleff, “Lead On, O King Eternal.”

12 See the helpful comments on Psalm 133 by Konrad Schaefer, Psalms, Berit Olam, ed. David W. Cotter (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2001), 315-16.

13 Leslie C. Allen, Psalms 101-150, Word Biblical Commentary, ed. John D. W. Watts (Waco: Word, 1983), 215.

14 See further the helpful comments of Willem A. VanGemren, Psalms, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds.

Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 5:937. On a human level a king’s favor is also likened to “dew on the grass” (Prov. 19:12).

15 Patterson, Hosea, 65.

16 See, for example, H-J Zobel, “mâ?âr; geðem; zerem,” in Theological Dictionary of The Old Testament, eds G Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringren, and Heinz Jose Fabry (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 8:250-52. Such a conclusion for zerem is warranted by the fact that both noun and verbal forms of the underlying Hebrew root are uniformly accompanied by other terms expressing the seriousness of the situation.

17 Futato , “gešem,” 901.

18 Except where a particular emphasis is to be noted, the distinctive nature of the Hebrew words will not be discussed. It should be noted that the two more commonly occurring Hebrew roots both occur in the Elijah account.

19 Richard D. Patterson, “Joel,” in Daniel-Malachi, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 8:334.

20 God could also cast hailstones against the enemies of God’s people as part of his arsenal as the Divine Warrior (e.g., Josh. 10:10-11; Ps. 18:12). For the motif of the Divine Warrior, see Tremper Longman III and Daniel G. Reid, God Is a Warrior (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995).

21 George L. Klein, Zechariah, The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2008), 287.

22 Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), 204.

23 Alan F. Johnson, “ Revelation,” in Hebrews-Revelation, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 13:605.

24 It is interesting to note that the angel of the Lord, which appeared at the tomb of the risen Christ, is described as having clothes that were “white as snow” (Matt. 28:2).

25 Dew or rain often is attested in literary works. One striking example of both being used together occurs in the English devotional poet George Herbert’s classic work entitled “The Temple” in the portion called The Church,

in the section designated The Flower:

And now in age I bud again,

After so many deaths I live and write;

I once more smell the dew and rain,

And relish versing: O my only light,

It cannot be

That I am he

On whom thy tempests fell all night.

These are thy wonders, Lord of love,

To make us see we are but flowers that glide’

Which when we once can finde and prove,

Thou hast a garden for us, where to bide,

Who would be more,

Swelling through store,

Forfeit their Paradise by their pride.

26 Barker, “Micah,” 103-04.

27 For added emphasis Moses includes two additional words for rain to underscore the positive and beneficial effects of godly instruction.

28 For further scriptural teaching with regard to various forms of water, see Richard D. Patterson, “The Scriptural Use of an Archetype: Water,” Biblical Studies Press, 2009.

29 Anne Ross Cousin, “The Sands of Time Are Sinking.”