"Honoring Your Parents"
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
Exodus 20:12
Dr. Rick Bartosik
Mililani Community Church

Honor your father and your mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you" Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER?

The word "honor" in Hebrew means "to make heavy." So to honor them means that they ought to carry a lot of weight in your life, from your childhood until the day they die! This is not just a command to young children, but also to adults who have parents who are still living. To dishonor or disrespect, or to treat your parents lightly is to dishonor God. You show your respect and reverence for God in the way you treat your parents! A man or woman who honors God will honor his or her parents. How you treat your parents is a barometer of your relationship with God!

WHY DOES GOD INSIST THAT WE HONOR OUR PARENTS?

It teaches children to honor all authority. The greatest gift you can give your kids is to teach them to honor and respect you. Your children will become "national treasures" as adults who have learned how to function effectively in all relationships.

The honor you give is the honor you will receive. How you treat your parents, while your kids are watching, is the way they will likely treat you later.

HOW TO HONOR YOUR PARENTS

Teach your children to respect you

In Ten Secrets for a Successful Family, Adrian Rogers says, we teach our children respect when we….

Love ‘em

Lift ‘em

Limit ‘em

Lead ‘em

Proverbs 13:24 — ﾒIf you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don’t love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them" (NLT)

Treat your parents with respect

Synonyms for "honor"

• Value highly
• Care for
• Show deep respect
• Obey

Proverbs 15:5 — ﾒA fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence"

Take care of your parents in their time of need

I Timothy 5:4-8 — Read this important passage!

CONCLUSION: If your heart is heavy today because you come from a background of alienation and rejection and hurt, allow the pain of that broken relationship with your earthly father or mother drive you into the arms of your Heavenly Father who is able to heal and bring wholeness where there is brokenness.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land the Lord your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12, NKJV)

OBSERVE

The Fifth Commandment is initially given in Exodus 20:12, and it is repeated by Moses to a new generation in Deuteronomy 5:16. Compare these two passages. How does the Deuteronomy passage expand on the Exodus passage?

The book of Ruth tells the story of the support that ruth gave to her aging mother-in-law, Naomi. Read this brief book and list 10 ways that Ruth honored and supported her mother-in-law.

INTERPRET

The Fifth Commandment says, "Honor your father and your mother." The ancient Middle East was a patriarchal world in which women had few rights and were accorded little respect. What does this Commandment suggest about God’s view of the value of women?

The Apostle Paul addresses children directly in Ephesians 6:1-3. what does Paul tell children to do? How do you differentiate between obeying your parents and honoring your parents?

APPLY

Even if you and your parents have had a difficult relationship, list three things that you respect or admire about them.

Think of the way you have treated your parents, and list three ways in which you will honor them during each week this month.

Read the Apostle Paul’s strong words about caring for the needs of one’s family, in I Timothy 5:3-8. How will you put your religion into practice?

Copyright © 1999-2006 Rick Bartosik

Ten Commandment Series

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