Exodus 20:12
~3 min read
The first four commandments govern our responses to God, and the last six commandments govern our responses to human relationships. Love for God must come first because we cannot truly love one another unless we love God. And in teaching us how to treat one another, God starts with our families. Loving our neighbour starts at home, by first honouring our parents.
If anyone fails to honour his parents, do you think there is anyone else he will honour? The relationship between the parents and child is the first and primary relationship. Normally, the first people a child knows are his parents. If we do not respect authority at home, we will not respect it anywhere. Charity does begin at home!
The Israelites had just been brought out of the land of slavery and God had promised to lead them to the Promised Land. One way to ensure they would keep living in the Promised Land was to honour their fathers and mothers. In the Old Testament, some of the most frightening curses are reserved for children who rebel against their parents (c.f. Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18, 19, 21). In the New Testament, disobedience to parents is listed as one of the signs that we are living in the last days when
perilous times shall come… (2 Timothy 3:1-2).
Dear children, our parents deserve to be honoured for the many sacrifices they make for us. They deserve to be listened to because of their wealth of life experience. But the most important reason is that keeping the fifth commandment glorifies God. What about you? Have you been obeying and honouring your parents? Your parents will not be with you all the time, and whatever time God has given to your parents to be with you; cherish, love, honour and obey them to the glory of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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