How Society Succeeds

The first four commandments deal with the relationship between humans and our Creator. The fifth deals with the relationship with our parents.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you,” (Exodus 20:12 NASB).

Since everyone has parents this commandment speaks to all. Regardless of whether they treated us good or bad. God grants parents authority. It’s the natural order of how He designed the world.

This commandment teaches us how to obey and honor. Honoring someone means to respect them. If a child learns to respect parents, then they won’t have any trouble respecting teachers, the law, or leadership in the church.

It is important to note that God doesn’t attach a condition to this commandment. He doesn’t say honor your parents only if they deserve it or their life can be copied. It has nothing to do with the character of the people, rather it has everything to do with the power of the position granted by God.

Think of Peter. Even when the Emperor Nero killed Christians by cutting them in half or burning them on stakes, Peter still said “honor the king,” (1 Peter 2:17). It is the spirit of Peter that we must also honor our parents.

The world tells us different. It says that looking after aging parents is a burden. A difficult marriage is easily annulled. If the birth of a child is inconvenient we abort them. Christians are never promised a life without burdens in the Bible. It’s only the fifth commandment that separates us from the horrors of a Nazi-like regime.

I fear that our society has made a terrible mistake when we refuse to acknowledge this command. A stable, two-parent family is always ideal, but is becoming increasingly rare. The current political climate mocks and scorns God’s system, and the consequences to this is being felt by all.

Even if it might be too late for society, it is not the same for you and me. If you failed to keep this commandment in words or in your heart, then acknowledge this to God. There is forgiveness in the cross and encouragement to do better in the future.