The History And Importance Of Father’s Day
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, June 21, 2026 (Donate)
“Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
(Exodus 20:12, NKJV)
As a father, this day is special. Any father should love
this day but in a secularized culture many fathers come under attack in various
ways. So many fathers are left reeling in neglect and brokenness and my heart
goes out to them. I understand—I lost my father years ago.
Being a father is hard and often underappreciated. And yet,
the expectation is higher than one realizes.
Honoring your father (and grandfathers) has ancient biblical foundations. It
goes back to the example God gave in creation—being our ultimate Father and
creator of mankind. He echoes this honor in The
10 Commandments by explicitly naming one’s father and mother to be
honored. This should really be a lifelong honoring, but today we set aside days
to honor mothers (Mother’s
Day) and also Fathers (Father’s Day)
The Origin Of Father’s Day In The USA
Father’s Day is a holiday set aside to honor fathers
and recognize their influence in the family and within our greater society. In
the United States, the idea is usually credited to Sonora Smart Dodd of
Spokane, Washington.
After hearing a Mother’s
Day sermon in 1909, she desired a similar day to honor her father, who
had raised six children after the death of their mother. The first local Father’s
Day celebration was held in 1910.
Over time, the observance spread across the nation. In 1972,
President Richard Nixon signed legislation making Father’s Day a
permanent national holiday in the United States.
While Father’s Day itself isn’t a prescribed biblical
holiday, the Bible repeatedly commands the honoring fathers and mothers (Deuteronomy
5:16; Ephesians 6:1-3). For Christians, Father’s Day is a reminder to
thank God for faithful fathers and father figures who rightly and by god’s
grace guide, protect, teach, and encourage their families in godly instruction
and living.
The Importance Of Fathers In A Biblical Worldview
From the beginning, God established the family as a
foundational institution with the first marriage.
Adam was created first and was given responsibility to lead and care for his
family under God’s authority (Genesis 2). Throughout Scripture, fathers are
called to instruct their children in the ways of the Lord (e.g., Proverbs 22:3-6).
In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, parents were commanded to teach God’s
Word diligently to their children. Fathers especially were expected to pass on
biblical truth to the next generation. The New Testament echoed this
responsibility when he instructed fathers to “bring them up in the training and
admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, NKJV).
A godly father is more than a provider. We are teachers,
protectors, leaders, encouragers, examples, and…we can be goofballs too! Our
role is to point our family toward God—in thoughtful and hopefully joyful and
fun ways. While no earthly father is perfect, faithful fathers emulate and
mimic aspects of God’s love, care, patience, discipline, and provision.
Children Are A Blessing Like Arrows In A Quiver
Modern secular-influenced culture often views children as
burdens, inconveniences, or obstacles to personal success. Consider the horrible
abortion
industry. The Bible presents a very different picture. Scripture declares:
“Behold, children are a heritage
from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a
warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.” (Psalm 127:3-4, NKJV)
Children are described as blessings from God and compared to
arrows in a warrior’s quiver. Just as arrows must be carefully crafted, aimed,
and launched, children must be lovingly trained and prepared for life. As a
father, I want to love and encourage my children in the things of the Lord
while I sometimes spoil them a bit too much in the process!
A wise father invests time in teaching, discipling, and
encouraging his children so that they may stand firm in the truth and I’m
constantly learning this as a growth process. The goal isn’t merely to raise
successful adults, but faithful servants of God who will impact future
generations. This is where I want to encourage fathers reading this.
God Is Our Ultimate Father
The Bible teaches that God is the ultimate Father of us all
and all creation. In Luke 3:38, Adam is described as “the son of God,”
highlighting God’s role as Creator. Since God created Adam, He stands as the
ultimate source of human life. As a caveat, Adam isn’t to be confused with the
only begotten (i.e., unique) Son of God who is Jesus Christ who is God who
took on flesh to save us from our sin.
Nevertheless, throughout the Old Testament, God is often
described as a Father to His people. He cared for Israel, protected them,
disciplined them, and He even showed them mercy. Unlike human fathers who are
limited and imperfect, God is perfect in wisdom, justice, holiness, and love
(consider the omni’s
of God).
Every good father reflects, even if imperfectly, some aspect
of God’s fatherly care. When earthly fathers faithfully lead their families
according to Scripture, they provide a glimpse of the greater Fatherhood of
God.
God Is Our Ultimate Spiritual Father
Beyond being Creator, God is also the spiritual Father
of believers. Through faith in Jesus Christ, Christians are adopted into God’s
family. The New Testament repeatedly speaks of believers as “sons of God” and
children of God.
Romans 8:14-15 teaches:
“For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God... you received the Spirit of adoption by
whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Likewise, Galatians 4:4-7 explains that believers are
adopted into God’s household through Christ. This adoption isn’t merely
symbolic. Christians become heirs of God’s promises and members of His family
forever.
Because of this relationship, believers can approach God—not
merely as a distant Creator—but as a loving heavenly Father who is close to our
heart. He hears their prayers, provides for their needs, disciplines them for
their good, and promises them an eternal inheritance through Jesus Christ.
Final Remarks
Father’s Day is more than a cultural holiday. It is
an opportunity to thank God for the fathers who have influenced our lives and
to reflect on the biblical importance of fatherhood. Scripture presents fathers
as leaders, teachers, protectors, and examples within the family. Children are
described as blessings from God, and fathers are entrusted with helping guide
those blessings toward maturity and faithfulness.
Ultimately, every faithful earthly father points beyond
himself to the perfect Father in heaven—which is my hope every day. God is the
Creator of mankind, the Father of believers through adoption in Christ, and the
One whose love and care never fail.
As we celebrate Father’s Day, we can honor godly
fathers while giving thanks to our Heavenly Father, from whom every good and
perfect gift comes.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
* Image generated by ChatGPT
