Bethany Fellowship Hall SS Class

May 15, 1988

Bob Newman

The FifthCommandment

Exodus 20:12: Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live longin the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16:  Honor your father and your mother, asthe LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it maygo well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving   you.

Its Meaning: What does "honor" your parentsmean?

Not to physically abuse them:

Ex 21:15: Anyone who attacks his father or mother must be put to death

Not to curse them:

Ex 21:17: Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death (cp Lev20:9)

Respect them:

Lev 19:3: Each of you must respect his mother and father

Listen to their teaching:

    Prov 1:8:  Listen, my son, to your father'sinstruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching (cp Prov 4:1, 5:1, 6:20,etc.)

Obey them:

    Deut 21:18:  If a man has a stubborn and rebelliousson who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them whenthey discipline him ...

    Col 3:20: Children, obey yourparents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (cp Eph 6:1‑3)

Help them in old age:

    Prov 23:22:  Listen to your father, who gave youlife, and do not despise your mother when she is old (cp Matt 15:3‑9)

    1 Tim 5:8:  If anyone does not provide for hisrelatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith andis worse than an unbeliever (also v 16)

Its Seriousness: How does God view this?

Death penalty for disobedience:

Striking parents: Ex 21:15

Cursing parents: Ex 21:17

Stubborn rebellion: Deut 21:18‑21

Cursed by God and His people:

Deut 27:16: Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother

Training ground for all respect forauthority:

see discussion in Westminster Catechisms

see handout by Zimmerman, "BiblicallyBalanced Parenting"

Its Continuation: Is this still in force today?

Gospels:

    Matt 19:19: Jesus quotes thiscommandment in response to rich young ruler's question about getting eternallife (parallels in Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20)

Epistles:

    Eph 6:1‑3:  Children obey your parents in the Lord,for this is right. "Honoryour father and mother" – which is the first commandment with apromise ‑‑ "that it may go well with you and that you mayenjoy long life on the earth" (note how Paul generalizes "land" to "earth"; cp Col3:20)

Its Limitations: Obey in everything?

When there is disagreement, we must obeyGod:

    Acts 5:29:  We must obey God rather than men (Peterresponding to Sanhedrin; cp Acts 4:18‑20)

    Matt 10:37:  Anyone who loves his father or mothermore than me is not worthy of me (cp Luke 14:26, note "even his own life")

Relation to Christian service?

    Matt 15:3‑9:  Jesus rebuking Pharisees for oraltradition that sanctity of vows cancels 5th commandment (good discussion ofthis in Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 2:17‑21

1 Tim 5:8, 16: Responsbility to care for elderly parents