Hunger Mountain Christian Assembly
The Ten Commandments - Commandment No. 5
Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
Introduction: I am in the process of bringing you a series of messages on the Ten Commandments. Commandment 1 is “you shall have no other gods before Me.” Number 2 is “not to make any false idols and worship them.” Commandment 3 is “you shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God.” Commandment 4 is “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” and today, I want to continue our series with Commandment 5, “honor your father and mother.”
The first four Commandments relate to God and the last six relate to man. Commandment 5 is the one commandment with a promise of blessing if we obey it.
What does honor mean?
1. The word “honor” means to treat someone with the proper respect due to the person and their role.
2. With regard to parents, this means:
• Treating them with deference (submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgments of another; courteous respect).
• Providing for them and looking after them in their old age. 1 Tim. 5:4 (NIV)
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
Exodus 20:12a Honor your father and your mother.
1. Amp. Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy).
2. TEV. Respect your father and your mother.
3. It doesn’t say to love them or to like them.
4. It doesn’t mean to obey them by sinning for them.
5. It doesn’t mean that your parents can run your life forever.
6. It means that you respect and obey your parents until you are of age and on your own and care for them in their old age as they have need, all the while honoring and respecting them as your father and mother.
Exodus 20:12b That your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
1. The promise from God to all who honor their father and mother.
2. This promise is for more than long life, but also one that is filled with God’s presence and favor.
We are to honor God our Father. 1 Tim. 1:17 (NLT)
Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
1. We honor God the Father with love and obedience. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (NIV)
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13and to observe the LORD'S commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
We honor our spiritual fathers and mothers. 1 Cor. 4:14-16 (NLT)
I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. 15For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16So I ask you to follow my example and do as I do.
Conclusion: God commands that we honor our father and mother. With this is a promise of long life with His presence and favor. By honoring our father and mother we are to respect them and care for them in their old age as they have need. We are to honor God the Father and we are to honor our spiritual fathers and mothers. God is big on giving honor where honor is deserved. Giving honor to our father and mother does not mean approval of their lives and how good parents they were. We honor the natural office of father and mother.
Close: Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother" -- which is the first commandment with a promise -- 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."