Honor Your Father and Mother
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12)
The first four commandments were vertical in nature. They had largely to do with one's relationship towards God. Now, after building a strong relationship with God, it's supposed to affect our relationship with our neighbor, and that's what the next six commandments are about.
The first of these horizontal commandments is that we are to honor our fathers and mothers. It is also the first commandment with a promise. You don't need to be told that God is seriously interested in how we treat our parents. There's a direct blessing tied to honoring parents. There's also a direct curse associated with dishonoring parents.
"If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness." (Proverbs 20:20)
"The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures." (Proverbs 30:17)
To honor is to not treat lightly; it is to hold in high esteem. It's demonstrated by both words and deeds. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he made reference to this commandment and explained the blessing attached to it:
"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (Ephesians 6:3)
Lasting success is the portion of the one who honors their parents.
Remain inspired!
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