Jacob, played favorites with Joseph and neglected his other children leading to them hating their brother to the point of faking his death and selling him into slavery (Gen 37-45).
Aaron's two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, irreverently offered strange fire before the Lord and were consumed by fire (Lev 10:1-3).
Eli, the high priest, did not rebuke/discipline his sons appropriately who were worthless men (1 Sam2:12) despis[ing] the offering of the Lord" (1 Sam 2:17) and "lay[ing] with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting (1 Sam 2:22). God's vision to Samuel includes "For I have told [Eli] that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them" (1 Sam 3:13). His two sons, Phinehas and Hophni were killed soon thereafter as the Philistines routed Israel and took the ark of the Lord (1 Sam 4).
David sets a horrible example for his children by killing his loyal servant Uriah so that he can steal Uriah's wife Bathsheba who he has already gotten pregnant (2 Sam 11). An example of the fruits he later reaps with his children, David's son Amnon rapes his sister Tamar and is not punished by his father. David's other son Absalom ends of seeking revenge for his sister's disgrace, kills Amnon, and runs away (2 Sam 13). It ends up taking the king's servant, Joab, persuading the king to finally bring back Absalom after 3 years of exile. Father and son's relationship are never reconciled and Absalom ends up temporarily taking the thrown from David,that is, until David's men kill Absalom in a later battle.
Solomon's son, Rehoboam, leads the country to the dissolution of the single nation of Israel into the divided kingdoms and continues Solomon's idol worship in Judah (which started when his 700 wives and 300 concubines turned his heart away from the Lord after other gods) (1 Kings 11-13).
Hope that was an upper for all. Seriously, these guys are some of our heroes of the faith, yet they royally screwed up their kids or at least ended up with screwed up kids. My question is, what hope do you or I have of doing any better?
After the anxiety passes, I'm very thankful for passages of scripture like the above that demonstrate we cannot trust in man, including ourselves, but that we must seek the Lord in raising our children and ultimately rely on Him alone.
Remember, you're probably not the "World's #1 Dad"; so, seek the one Dad who is.
Pray for your kids!
Psalm 127:1 "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it..."
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