God; a good father or a deadbeat dad. Which is the truth?
The use of the term Father in speaking of God is quite ancient and was around way before Jesus started using the term, even though he used son of man a lot more than son of God.
Moses 7:35
35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.
Moses 6:57
57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
In the language of Adam, God the Father's name is 'Man of Holiness' and the name of Jesus Christ is 'Son of Man'. Jesus is referring to himself as the Son of the Man of Holiness. God the Father is an exalted man and we are created in his very likeness and image.
A son calling someone father in the proud way Jesus did is respecting a worthy father, but if we look at Yahweh, I do not see how anyone could be proud of such a father.
First off, Yahweh is not God the Father. Yahweh is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ as the word of God has the authority to speak in the first person as God the Father. Yahweh is Jehovah or the Great I AM. Jesus taught that he was I AM in John 8:57-59. When ever you see LORD in capital letters in the old testament, it is Jehovah or Yahweh (Jesus Christ in his pre-mortal state of being).[/QUOTE]
Yahweh is definitely portrayed as being quite vile thanks to his use of genocide, infanticide and punishing the innocent instead of the guilty quite often. Yahweh is also shown to covet Joseph’s wife, cuckold Joseph, produce a son and then take off for parts unknown leaving his responsibility for his son to others thus showing himself to be a deadbeat dad.
It always amazes me how people like to hold God to mortal standards. God knows that we are immortal beings by nature and that he is giving all of us immortality to be joined to our bodies through the resurrection for eternity. Thus, in the eternal perspective of things, God is not held to the mortal law of 'thou shalt not kill' but is the overseer of mortal life and it is his responsibility to give and take life to fulfill the purpose of this mortal stage of eternity. God is God and does what is necessary to fulfill what is need in this life and is not here to be another mortal or be judged by them.
To think that God the Father 'took off' and did not raise his son shows a lack of understanding the scriptures. Throughout Jesus' life he spent a great deal of time praying to his Father in heaven. When he was young, his mother lost track of him and eventually found him in the temple doing his Father in heaven's business.
Luke 2:41-52
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Surely God the Father was quite active in raising his Only Begotten Son in the Flesh. Jesus now sits on the right hand of the Father is the judge of all mankind.
Scripture say that we are all sons of God. To be relevant to his children, a father has to be around to interact with them. It seems that God does not want to be relevant to us as he remains absent and places us, his children, at the mercy of people who have written scripture more to enrich themselves than to give us the messages from God that they claim to know. Even though scriptures say that God id unknowable and unfathomable and his desires cannot be known.
I believe that Jesus had much more interaction with his Father than any father on this earth has with his son or daughter. He could not make a statement like if God was not with him:
John 8:29
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
My analysis of the bible and God does not show God to be a good father.
I think you need to study the scriptures in more depth to gain a better understanding of them.