Exodus 20:12 ~ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 21:17 ~ Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
Ephesians 6:1-3 ~ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.
Psalm 11:13 ~ If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Honor is the bond between generations (George Stob).
The Fifth Commandment is at the heart of God’s Law. It concludes the first four Commandments that address our relationship with God. It introduces that last six commandments which govern relationships between people.
About a generation ago, American youth in general quit honoring their parents. Today we see appalling results. Respect and reverence for elders have been replaced with rejection, rebellion, and rioting against authority in the home school, church and government.
Youth are not entirely to blame for the breakdown of the family. Many parents fail to command the respect of their young because their own lives are in shambles. Obedience to the Fifth Commandments begins with faithful parents and spiritual elders who teach and guide the young by example and loving discipline.
When parents flout God’s moral law in relation to family, society and government, the meltdown passes on to the next generation. Parents who drink, flirt have no moral authority to restrain their children from drugs and porn. When church and clergy compromise the norms of marriage and family, we should not be surprised at the rising tide of divorce/annulment and teenage pregnancy among Christians.
The Fifth Commandment is hailed as the first commandment with promise: that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land (Ephesians 6:2-3). It would be unwise to reduce this promise to motive. Doing right for rewards is no longer right. We honor and obey our parents, not for reward but simply because it’s the right thing to do. As Paul said, children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (Ephesians 6:1). When you do that, things will go well for you.
Honoring parents, however, does not guarantee immunity from sickness, accidents, or premature death. The promise linked to the Fifth Commandment is not about rewards but results. It’ about how life works. When children honor their parents, there is no generation gap, no matter how times may change. When children respect and obey their parents, they have the best chance at a long, fruitful and happy life.
The Fifth Commandment with its promise simply echoes general principle of the Bible: the only way to live life well is to live life on God’s terms.
“Honor your parents unconditionally ~ in thought, word and deed ~ regardless how they live and no matter how they treat you (PAST, PRESENT or FUTURE).
~50.DAY 2015~
” My parents are not perfect,flawless and faultless but they are a gift from God that makes them as a perfect Mother and Father to me.”
thebeautitudes 