Honor Your Parents
When looking through my limited catalog of images, I came across this one that I believe is truly fitting for this devotional. Although I was not able to capture the fawns of the doe in this image, as there are many; I did capture this lovely family of mallards enjoying dinner along side their “deer” neighbor (pun intended). It was so beautiful to capture two different species eating together in peace and harmony. These creatures are a perfect example of how the offspring in the wild listen and learn from their parents. They do exactly as taught and doing so allows them to survive. As I go further into this weeks devotional, you will see exactly how this applies.
This week I am touching on the fifth Commandment which tells us to honor our parents. Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which YAHWEH your ELOHIM gives you. (Aramaic) Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and mother, as Adonai your ELOHIM ordered you to do, so that you will live long and have things go well with you in the land Adonai your ELOHIM is giving you. (CJB) Sounds simple enough, right? It does to me and maybe it does to many; however I grew up in a typical home with both parents and while they were very strict and at times in my feeble opinion seemed unreasonable, I always wanted to please them much in the same way that I want to please YAHWEH-YESHUA.
As the youngest of 6 girls, I didn’t have the same experience as my sisters, typically I would watch my older sisters, getting ready for dates, listening to albums, talking on the phone; pretending to hang up when my dad would enter the room and then resume the conversation when he left, and even sneaking out at night. I remember sitting silently on the floor as I would listen to conversations of “I can’t wait until I’m old enough to leave home” after my parents had discovered their rules had been breached, and then tightened up the reigns. In those times I was only around 7 or 8 years old and the most I wanted to do then was play jump rope, Chinese jacks, and swim at my friends house around the corner. After a few years and then a teenager, while more often I disagreed with some of my parents ways, I still never quite felt the angst that my sisters did. No, I was not perfect in keeping their rules, and attempted my own stunts; some of which were a success and some that failed miserably. However, along the way even in times where I felt my parents were too strict; regardless of how strict my parents were in their home, they had rules that we needed to follow and for the most part, this I did do.
What is particularly beautiful about the fifth commandment is that it holds a promise “that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you, in the land which YAHWEH your ELOHIM gives you” Scripture as well holds this commandment in such importance like many of the others that the penalty of transgressing it is death. Exodus 21:15,17 says, Whoever attacks his father or mother must be put to death. 17:Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. (CMB) YAHWEH takes the child honoring parent relationship seriously. This may have something to do with how much the dynamic of this relationship resembles our relationship with Him. Proverbs 22:6 says, Train a child in the way he [should] go; and, even when old, he will not swerve from it. (CJB).
This subject is difficult for me to speak on in detail because I am not a parent, I can only speak from the experience of understanding what my parents tried to do, and what other parents whom I know try to do with their children. Whether in a single parent home or a home with both parents present, at the very core there are rules or laws; just as there are rules/laws when walking in covenant with our ELOHIM and I believe this is where the standard practice of having rules in the home come from. A good example of this is in Malachi. The priests (cohanim) offered to YAHWEH polluted sacrifices and placed them upon the altar which is a no, no; and He called them out on it. Malachi 1:6-8 says, A son honors his father and a servant his master. But if I’m a father, where is the honor due me? and if I’m a master, where is the respect due me? — says Adonai-Tzva’ot (MASTER or YAHWEH of HOSTS) to you Cohanim (Priest) who despise my name. You ask, ‘How are we despising your name?’ 7: By offering polluted food on my altar! Now you ask, ‘How are we polluting you?’ By saying that the table of Adonai (MASTER/YAHWEH) doesn’t deserve respect. 8: so that there’s nothing wrong with offering a blind animal as a sacrifice, nothing wrong with offering an animal that’s lame or sick. Try offering such an animal to your governor, and see if he will be pleased with you! Would he even receive you?” asks Adonai-Tzva’ot (MASTER or YAHWEH of HOSTS) . There is so much more behind these verses but it does depict the parent child relationship between YAHWEH and His children and what He expects of us. If parents are walking in and teaching the ways of our Creator to their children, Proverbs 22:6 is a promise that they will grow up revering and honoring our ELOHIM as well, and imagine what kind of world this would be then. ☺️
Just as our ELOHIM commanded, we must strive to honor our parents, to listen to them and do what they say. I no longer have my parents but the older I grew the more I listened to them and still do as their advice still echos in my ears; time has shown that they were correct in many cases. I do understand that there are many in this world who are not growing up in healthy households and though my childhood upbringing had many flaws, I can see where my parents did their best to instill in me a morality that originated from YAHWEH and because it was my desire to listen to my parents, I did my best to base that morality on a belief in YAHWEH-YESHUA introduced to me so many years ago in that same household. I pray for the children who are raised by parents who have no moral code and are raised to go the ways of the world. These children may honor their parents never understanding that they are being taught to transgress the laws of our Creator. It is this very reason why we must spread the Besorah (Gospel) to all four corners of the world with a fervent prayer that the beautiful news of our precious MASHIACH is heard by a child, teenager or young adult who is being reared in the wrong direction.
To conclude, for all the parents reading this, not realizing they are raising their children in the opposite direction of what YAHWEH intended, repent and get on the narrow path studying His ways so that your children will grow up in the nurturing and care and protection of our Father YAHWEH. It says in Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, don’t irritate your children and make them resentful; instead, raise them with YAHWEH’S kind of discipline and guidance. (CJB) All that has been done can be reversed; it won’t be easy but it will be worth it. For all those who have parents who are doing their best to direct your paths in the ways of our CREATOR, listen to them. You may not understand now, but you will later and their instruction just may save your life. Proverbs 3:1-2 says, My son, don’t forget my teaching, keep my commands in your heart; 2: for they will add to you many days, years of life and peace. (CJB) You see, YAHWEH already had the parent/child relationship in mind and as the Father of us who desires this of Him, let’s listen to Him because unlike our parents His laws, His ways, His teachings and His chastisement are always right and never flawed. When the 3 Hebrew boys were thrown into the midst of the fire in Daniel 3, Azariah prayed to our Father YAHWEH the most beautiful prayer, here is a bit of it; Prayer of Azariah 1:2-4 Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said, 3: Blessed art thou, O YAHWEH ELOHIM of our fathers; thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore; 4: For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us; yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth. I pray that we all continue to collectively honor our earthly parents and our HEAVENLY Father YAHWEH Tzva’ot much like Azariah and His friends as they all were delivered from the fiery furnace unscathed. Malachi 3:6 says, But because I, YAHWEH, do not change, you sons of Ya‘akov (Jacob) will not be destroyed. Therefore, if He did it for them, He will do it for us, how exciting and comforting to know this!
Shalom & Berekah!
Just a few supporting scriptures:
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which YAHWEH your ELOHIM gives you. (Aramaic)
-Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, as Adonai your God ordered you to do, so that you will live long and have things go well with you in the land Adonai your God is giving you. (CJB)
-Deuteronomy 5:16
Whoever attacks his father or mother must be put to death. 17:Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. (CMB)
-Exodus 21:15,17
Train a child in the way he [should] go; and, even when old, he will not swerve from it. (CJB)
-Proverbs 22:6
Malachi 1:6-8 says, A son honors his father and a servant his master. But if I’m a father, where is the honor due me? and if I’m a master, where is the respect due me? — says Adonai-Tzva’ot (MASTER or YAHWEH of HOSTS) to you Cohanim (Priest) who despise my name. You ask, ‘How are we despising your name?’ 7: By offering polluted food on my altar! Now you ask, ‘How are we polluting you?’ By saying that the table of Adonai (MASTER/YAHWEH) doesn’t deserve respect. 8: so that there’s nothing wrong with offering a blind animal as a sacrifice, nothing wrong with offering an animal that’s lame or sick. Try offering such an animal to your governor, and see if he will be pleased with you! Would he even receive you?” asks Adonai-Tzva’ot (MASTER or YAHWEH of HOSTS) .(CJB)
Fathers, don’t irritate your children and make them resentful; instead, raise them with the Lord’s kind of discipline and guidance. (CJB)
-Ephesians 6:4
My son, don’t forget my teaching, keep my commands in your heart; 2: for they will add to you many days, years of life and peace. (CJB)
-Proverbs 3:1-2
Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said, 3: Blessed art thou, O YAHWEH ELOHIM of our fathers; thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore; 4: For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us; yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.
-Prayer of Azariah 1:2-4
But because I, YAHWEH, do not change, you sons of Ya‘akov (Jacob) will not be destroyed.
-Malachi 3:6
Every one of you is to revere his father and mother, and you are to keep my Shabbats; I am Adonai your God. (CJB)
-Leviticus 19:3
Stand up in the presence of a person with gray hair, show respect for the old; you are to fear your God; I am Adonai. (CJB)
-Leviticus 19:32
Listen to your father, who gave you life; and don’t despise your mother when she gets old. (CJB)
-Proverbs 23:22
A wise son is a joy to his father, and only a fool despises his mother (CJB)
-Proverbs 15:20
The eye that mocks his father and scorns obeying his mother will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley, and the vultures will eat it. (CJB)
-Proverbs 30:17
A person who curses his father or mother must be put to death; having cursed his father or his mother, his blood is on him. (CJB)
-Leviticus 20:9
Furthermore, we had physical fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them; how much more should we submit to our spiritual Father and live! (CJB)
-Hebrews 12:9