9L ESSON 9 The Ten Commandments, Part 5 How many observe Christ s birthday! How few, his precepts! O! tis easier to keep holidays than commandments. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Kirk s Comment The Fifth Commandment has to do with honoring your father and mother. As a teenager, I was guilty of breaking this Commandment on a daily basis. Q UESTIONS & OBJECTIONS God is unfair in that Hitler and a dear old lady (who never accepted Jesus) will both go to hell. Sinners often accuse God of being unjust, because they assume that everyone will receive the same punishment in hell regardless of whether their sins are menial or heinous. God s judgment, however, will be according to righteousness (Acts 17:31). In Matthew 11:24, Jesus said, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you. And in Luke 10:14, we see that the more sinful cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida will receive a more harsh judgment than Tyre and Sidon. These verses show that there will be degrees of punishment. (See also Luke 12:47,48; Hebrews 10:29.) 65
SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL EVANGELISM I n this lesson we are going to look at the Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you (Exodus 20:12). This Commandment is unique, because it is the first commandment with promise (Ephesians 6:2). To honor our parents is to esteem them, show them respect, and obey them. The New Testament instructs children to obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right (Ephesians 6:1) and obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing to the Lord (Colossians 3:20). Are children to obey only the things they want to, or that sound reasonable to them? No; in order to please the Lord, they are to obey in all things. That doesn t mean their parents will always make wise decisions or treat their children as they should, but God will hold the parents accountable for their own actions. Regardless of the parents parenting skills, the children are to obey that is their role for which God will hold them accountable. Why is this so important? Since children are naturally sinful, they need to be instructed in the ways of the Lord; parents must train up a child in the way he should go (Proverbs 22:6). Proverbs 29:15,17 warns, The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself brings his mother to shame...correct your son, and he shall give you rest; yes, he shall give delight unto your soul. One who will not submit to the authority of his parents, who are God s agents to train and discipline him, is very unlikely to submit to God s authority and obey God s Laws. In essence, this commandment promises that, if children do not honor their parents, all will not go well with them and their days will not be long upon the earth. This is the reason all isn t well with this generation. It has been left in the dark about the requirements of the Law and is suffering the consequences of its transgression. It is plagued with drug and alcohol addiction, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, broken families, and a massive suicide rate (go to www.1000deaths.com, click on the photos, and weep). The Bible says that the Messiah would magnify the Law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). Jesus did this many times, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. Mark 7:5 13 tells us that the Pharisees had dishonored the Law by merely giving God lip service. They made this Com- 66
LESSON 9 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, PART 5 mandment void through their tradition, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. The Savior brought honor back to the Law by teaching that the Law was spiritual in nature, and that outward observance was not enough. God required truth in the inward parts (the thought-life, intent, and motives). Again, the lawful use of the Law is to show us how far we have fallen short of God s perfect standard. The Law brings the knowledge of sin. The best of us haven t honored our parents as we should. However, in witnessing, you will encounter some who will contend that they have kept this Commandment and have perfectly honored their parents. They therefore need to be confronted with the sins of the flesh first before they are confronted with this Commandment. Have they lied? Have they stolen? Almost everyone will admit to lying and stealing; therefore, they have dishonored their parents name by being a lying thief. Q UESTIONS 1. What does it mean to honor your mother and father? 2. Should someone always have to honor his mother, even if, for example, she s a prostitute? 3. Why is it so important for children to obey this Commandment? 67
SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL EVANGELISM 4. When witnessing, why is it important to go through the Commandments that deal with the sins of the flesh before mentioning this one? P REACHER S P ROGRESS Miss Informed: I don t think that the Bible can be trusted because there are so many versions. Which one is right? Christian: There are versions in Chinese for the Chinese. There are versions in Russian for the Russian people. There are actually thousands of versions of the Bible some are in modern languages, some in foreign languages, and some are in old English. Few, in the printing age, can claim that they don t have access to the Scriptures in their own language. Miss Informed: The Bible is open to interpretation. I mean, so many people think that one verse means one thing and someone else thinks it means something completely different. It s so totally confusing. Christian: Try deciphering this: Jesus said, Unless you repent, you shall perish. Miss Informed: Um... Christian: How would you interpret that? Miss Informed: Hasn t the Bible changed down through the ages? Christian: No, it hasn t. God has preserved His Word. Anyone can now obtain access to computer programs that give the original Hebrew and Greek words, and the only changes are ones that have been made for clarity. Take for example the verse we just looked at. The old English says, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, while a contemporary version may say something like, Unless you repent, you too will all perish. Miss Informed: Okay. I m getting the message. 68
LESSON 9 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, PART 5 F EATHERS FOR A RROWS Back in the Old West, a number of men were upstairs in a boarding house amusing themselves with a game of cards when they heard a cry from the street below: Fire! Fire! The men looked at one another in disbelief. One of the windows grew orange with the flames. Wait! said the dealer. Let s just finish this hand; we ve got plenty of time I have a key to the back door. The men nodded in approval, then quickly picked up the dealt cards. Precious minutes passed. One of the men became nervous as the flames licked through the now broken window. With darting eyes and a sweat-filled brow, he asked for the key. Coward! muttered the dealer as he tossed across the key. Each of them then rushed to the door and waited with bated breath as the key was placed into the lock. It won t turn! the man cried. Let me have it! said the dealer. As he tried in vain to turn the key, he whispered in horror, It s the wrong key! W ORDS OF C OMFORT I have an uncanny knack of getting stuck in places. When I was a small boy, I got stuck on a high cliff and someone had to rescue me. When I was in my thirties I stayed off cliffs, but still managed to get stuck. I forgot to take a key to use a restroom that was shared by a number of shopkeepers. Fortunately, the door wasn t locked. I went inside and shut the door. However, I discovered that I couldn t get out without a key. I had to put my head through a small gap, and humbly ask a passerby to go to a store and ask for a key to let me out. Memory Verse Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. PSALM 34:14,15 Last Words St. Francis of Assisi (1182 1226), founder of the Franciscan order of monks: Farewell, my children; remain always in the fear of the Lord. That temptation and tribulation which is to come is now at hand and happy shall they be who persevere in the good they have begun. I hasten to go to our Lord, to whose grace I recommend you. 69