It is not uncommon to hear someone say, “like father, like son.” And by that, they are saying that they aren’t surprised in the behavior of the son because it is assumed he will behave like his father. Usually, this is meant in a negative sense, though it is possible to intend something positive.
Another way of saying the same thing is, “fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Sometimes an additional caveat is offered: “…unless it’s planted on a hill.” But that caveat is generally intended as dry humor or a very rare exception.
Clearly every colloquial saying can’t be measured for its accuracy in all situations – after all, they are simply intended as general truths – but this particular one gives me concern because it dismisses the sovereign work of God in any of our lives.
Here’s a biblical example:
I’ve prepared a chart comparing/contrasting the lives of Ahaz and Hezekiah, both kings of Judah. While there are many more points that could be compared, I have limited this to 10 points.
1. Ahaz became king at 20 years of age and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem (2 Kgs 16:2, 2 Chr 28:1).
Hezekiah became king at 25 years of age and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18:2, 2 Chr 29:1).
2. Ahaz: “Unlike David, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God ( 2Kgs 16:2, 2 Chr 28:1).
Hezekiah: Like David, “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD (2 Kgs 18:3, 2 Chr 29:2).
3. Ahaz’s wickedness is compared to the Kings of Israel (2 Kgs 16:3, 2 Chr 28:2).
Hezekiah’s righteousness is contrasted with the Kings of Judah (2 Kgs 18:5).
4. Ahaz’s Wicked Actions Described:
A. Sacrificed his sons in the fire [to Molech] (2 Kgs 16:3, 2 Chr 28:3);
B. Spread idolatry throughout Judah (2 Kgs 16:4, 2 Chr 28:4, 24-25);
C. Pilfered and rearranged the Temple furnishings (2 Chr 28:10-18).
Hezekiah’s Righteous Actions Described:
A. Removed the high places (2 Kgs 18:4);
B. Broke the pillars (2 Kgs 18:4);
C. Cut down the Asherah (2 Kgs 18:4);
D. Broke in pieces the bronze serpent (2 Kgs 18:4).
5. Ahaz’s Enemies:
A. Rezin, King of Aram [Damascus] (2 Kgs 16:5, 2 Chr 28:5-8);
B. Pekah, King of Israel (2 Kgs 16:5, 2 Chr 28:5-8);
C. Philistines (2 Chr 28:18).
Hezekiah’s Enemies:
A. Assyria ( 2 Kgs 18:7, 2 Chr 32:1);
B. Philistines (2 Kgs 18:8).
6. Prophet in the Story of Ahaz: Oded (2 Chr 28:9).
Prophet in the Story of Hezekiah: Isaiah (2 Kgs 19:5-7, 20-34; 2 Chr 32:20-21).
7. Assyrian Leader During Ahaz’s Life: Tiglath-Pileser (2 Kgs 16:7, 2 Chr 28:20).
Assyrian Leader During Hezekiah’s Life: Sennacherib (2 Kgs 18:13, 2 Chr 32:1).
8. Ahaz’s View Toward Assyria: “I am your vassal, come and save me… (2 Kgs 16:7)”.
Hezekiah’s View Toward Assyria: “He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him (2 Kgs 18:7).”
9. Ahaz was buried in the City of David (2 Kgs 16:20), but not in the tombs of the kings of Israel (2 Chr 28:27).
Hezekiah “was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are (2 Chr 32:33).”
10. Summary of Ahaz’s Life: “In his time of trouble, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD (2 Chr 28:22).”
Summary of Hezekiah’s Life: “In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly (2 Chr 31:21).”
A father and son could not have been more different than Ahaz and Hezekiah. Perhaps Ahaz was planted on a hill, or better, let’s recognize God’s sovereign work in Hezekiah’s life and pray for the same in our own lives.
What I Learned at Chuck E. Cheese’s
In a recent trip to the pizza arcade, I learned a couple of things. The first thing I learned is how to guarantee a higher skeeball score, thereby increasing the number of tickets distributed by the machine.
I’m not sure if the manager of the establishment would approve, but I learned that if you walk up the deck and simply place the balls in the highest number hole (as demonstrated by the girl in the photo at the top right), you can really run up the score.
It’s not a very competitive approach, but it does increase your average score.
The second thing I learned is that there is generally a big difference in the way men and women approach playing arcade games with their children. My observation is that women tend to patiently watch their children play the games and rarely interfere, regardless of the outcome. By that I mean, it matters not if the child wins redeemable tickets or not. On the other hand, men tend to “help” their children play the games, eventually taking over for the child. It seems that the dads have good motives: they want the kid to get as many redeemable tickets as possible, and there’s no sense in not winning tickets just because a kid can’t push a button quick enough or throw a ball through a particular hole.
I’ve also noticed that dads scan the games for tickets that have been carelessly left behind by inattentive children. Women, it seems, couldn’t care less if 100 tickets sit abandoned in front of an arcade game – they will not touch them. Let’s just say that men will generally react to said find in a completely different manner.
At first, I thought this was simply a difference between Colleen and me. But, after taking a step back and watching many families at different pizza arcades, I’ve come to believe that my observations reveal a general rule. Obviously, there are exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.
There is one rule, though, that has NO EXCEPTIONS: No matter how many tickets you win, the amount of tickets it takes to get any prize is not reciprocal to the value of the prize. No exceptions.
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