The Fifth Commandment

The Fifth Commandment

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Exo 20:12

The main point of this commandment is that God has put people in authority over us, and therefore as we submit to them, we submit to him. Rebellion against them is rebellion

against God. Yes, there are qualification, as Paul says, “obey your parents in the Lord,” i.e., only as far as their commands are in accordance with the Lord; if those in authority

over us tell us to sin (if a boss tells us to lie), then we are not to obey. We may suffer ill consequences at their hand, but be that as it may be, we have obeyed God.

“But Peter and John answered them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you (obey) more than to God, you judge.” Act 4:19

But in the lawful affairs of life, God tell us to obey; the devil tells us to dis-obey.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise, “so that it may be well with

you and you may live long on the earth.” Eph 6:1-3

“Know this: In the last days perilous times will come. Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,

unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, slanderers, unrestrained, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers

of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Turn away from such people.” 2Ti 3:1-5

These versus are quite clear.

The Commandment is repeated by Paul, and the promise emphasized, so that we of the New Testament Age need not wonder if it applies to us – IT DOES!

And in the middle of this list of quite serious and heinous sins, “disobedient to parents” is listed, and we are told to “turn away from such people.”

To honor and respect our parents, for obviously “obedience” changes once we ourselves are adults, is to honor and respect God, whom we must always obey. Parents, insist that

your children honor and obey you. Do not let your children play with children who dishonor and disobey their parents.

To dishonor parents – “The eye that mocks at his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it.” Pro 30:17

This is serious. If this were the only sin listed in 1Ti 3:1-5, we would absolutely say we are in “the last days”. In the general American population, children are totally

disrespectful, disobedient, and dishonoring of parents. They mock their parents, hit them, flagrantly ignore them, and curse them out. Go to any shopping mall in America and

watch how children treat their parents. It is a wonder God does not rain fire and brimstone down on us, as he did Sodom and Gomorrah. We deserve it. And many

children in Evangelical Christian homes behave the same way – a disgrace indeed.

So children, you need to know that God takes seriously your obedience, submission, and honoring of your parents. To disobey this commandment is to risk his wrath in a

shortened life, and to have “the ravens pluck out your eyes”. This is obviously figurative, but the figure stands for something, and is certainly does not stand for a blessing!

God never blesses sin.

Parents, God has put your children into your hands, to be under your care. If you let them treat you improperly, you too are sinning. If their school is a problem, change

schools; if their friends are a problem, change their friends. Children are not your equals, they are the children, you are the parent; they are commanded by God to obey you, and

you are commanded to command them.

I am in NO way condoning child abuse, but GOD says spanking is the way to deal with disobedience in children.

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” Pro 22:15

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him early.” Pro 13:24

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from death.” Pro 23:13-14

“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.” Pro 29:15

Parent, think of yourself as a doctor; the illness is foolishness, self-will, etc which is in a child from birth because they have a fallen nature inherited from Adam. The medicine:

the rod of correction, applied to the seat of learning.