The COMMANDMENTS (7)
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee..”—Exodus 20:12
With this commandment the emphasis in the decalogue shifts from the “vertical” to the “horizontal,” or, if you prefer, from responsibility to God to responsibilities to others under God. It is the point at which the Lord Jesus Christ divided the “ten” into two, from “God” to “neighbor.” (Cf., e.g., Matt. 22:34-40) The so called “second table” of the law is no less significant, but its immediate direction is different.
There is an implied prerequisite to this commandment that is often overlooked. That is the implication of the responsibility God places on parents in the matter of raising children. If submission to parents is to be all it should be, then parents must function in that capacity under the government of the heavenly Father. It takes godly parents to cultivate godly children. That parallel is revealed in scripture on more than one occasion, and is especially relevant to fathers. In God’s plan, the wife is to function under the authority of the husband (Eph. 5:22) and the family is to be under his control. Fathers are responsible under God to exhibit submission to God and to cultivate the spiritual order of the household. In far too many cases in the visible church this order is not followed, and spiritual initiative is left to the wife and mother. In such cases, though father and mother are still to be honored, the divine plan will not function as God intended. A man’s relationship to his heavenly Father, and a woman’s respect for her husband’s authority should illustrate the child’s relationship to his or her earthly father.
“Honor thy father and thy mother.” To honor parents is to love, respect and obey them, just as all are commanded to honor God. We honor our heavenly Father when we love Him and out of love obey Him, and our responsiveness to the first four commandments lays the ground for our children to respond to this one. Jesus reiterated this commandment on more than one occasion, with emphasis, extending it into old age: “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition [Mt. 15:4-6, cf. Ex. 21:17, Prov. 20:20].” In addition, He exemplified it when after His adventure in Jerusalem at the age of twelve He “…went down with [Joseph and Mary], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them… And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man Luke 2:51-52].”
Writing to the Ephesians the apostle Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) referred to this as “the first commandment with promise.” (Eph. 6:1-3). The promise is well being and long life. There are temporal benefits as well as eternal ones in keeping God’s commandments and respecting His order.
The general tenor of scripture reinforces the importance and value of this commandment. Noah evidently had the respect of his children, long before the commandment was codified in the decalogue. As a result, when he entered the ark his children and their wives entered in with him and enjoyed as a result much longer life than had they not respected their father. While the world scoffed they evidently believed him and no doubt aided him in the construction of the instrument of deliverance. Every godly man wants all his children in the “ark” of salvation. Realizing that blessing begins with godly parents and eventuates with children who honor them.
Abraham was commended by God as one who would “…command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hath been spoken of him [Gen. 18:19].” In sad, but striking contrast is Eli, a godly priest, but a deficient parent, of whom it is written, “And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever [I Sam. 3:11-14].”(Christian workers take note!)
May God give us enough love for our children to “train them up in the way that they should go,” and our children enough love for us in consequence that they will honor us—and Him—by “following in His steps” and “not depart from it” when they are old.
And, to God be the glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment