Authority Figure in Bible Examples

As a child, one always questions authority and discipline especially from a parent. A father’s love may appear measurable, to a child, based upon how much time he spent together, and how much punishment he delivers. Some people believe in physical punishment, which may include a spanking, or they believe in taking nonphysical measures, which may include a timeout or going to bed early. Throughout the ages, people argue the issue that parents may play favorites or discipline one child more harshly than the next. However, there stands one Father, throughout history, who has never shown favoritism nor has His disciplinary action ever been unjust. Many know this Father as a Heavenly Father who shows grace and mercy countless times. God demonstrates an unconditional love towards everyone, no matter their actions or attitudes. God’s Word has been used for centuries as the basis of laws and stipulations for man’s actions. Even in the beginning of time, the first two people ever created are given one stipulation: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die (Gen. 2:16-17 NIV). Adam and Eve are living in perfect harmony with God. However, they fail to abide by the stipulation which broke the unity with God causing separatation. God then sacrifices a perfect lamb to save Adam and Eve from their impurities. In the first five book of the Bible, the Torah, man must perform sacrifices, like God demonstrated for Adam, in order to maintain purity and sanctification from sin. Yet, mankind performs sacrifices again and again because they could not stop sinning, which, consequentially, ends in more laws. Man’s actions and sacrifices alone result in separation from God, but...

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...t the message of the Torah gives hope to all readers that a final sacrifice will be given to restore a relationship with God because the sacrifices offered by man are not sufficient enough. Although God brings down punishment upon multiple generations throughout the Torah, His unconditional love and mercy tends to always be present. Although man continues to sin, God delivers His people and saves them from death. Just as an earthly father will sacrifice his own life for his child, God sacrifices His own son. The ultimate intension of God’s plan is for all people, everywhere, to worship and trust Him. Without the reassurance and hope found in the Torah, the readers are left helpless and desolate. However, because of the author’s structured message, everyone has hope because of the relationship and unity between man and God, the Heavenly Father.