The father should also be the source of healing in the family. The book of Hosea talks of the prophet who married a prostitute. The wife became unfaithful and left him. But God commanded the prophet to go and redeem her, meaning, to buy her from her trade – to take her back. This shows what healing is – it is forgiveness. It is restoring people back to their dignified state.

The father then should ensure that the wife and children are treated with dignity. They are not to be abused but instead, should be nurtured and led to God's forgiveness.

In the third chapter of Genesis, we see the fall of man. If you remember, I mentioned that God told the man not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This command was given before the woman was created. It was not given to the woman. So, if you will notice, when the woman ate the fruit, the man and woman did not notice their nakedness. It was ONLY when the man ate the fruit that they noticed their nakedness.

This shows that when the woman ate the fruit, the man could still redeem the situation by not eating it. The man was supposed to protect his wife. But sadly, he did not. So with his sin, everyone after him was marked with sin. In fact, we read in scripture “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous”. Sin came through the woman but it was the man's fault!

The man's actions will have repercussions on his family. To be a husband and father is a great responsibility.