Ten Commandments (1972)_b.pdf - Herbert W. Armstrong

The Fifth Commandment 75
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"HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER: that thy days
may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee."
Why "honor" our parents?
The true answer reveals the DEPTH of this commandment
and its true import. If only EVERY parent on earth
might come to realize the tremendous INFLUENCE upon a
child's later life that automatically comes as a direct result
of obedience or disobedience to this God-given command!
This commandment is one of the TEN GREAT POINTS of
God's eternal, spiritual Law. Under the Old Testament
dispensation, the penalty for directly and flagrantly violating
this law was DEATH!
"He that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be
surely put to death . . . And he that curseth his father, or
his mother, shall surely be put to death" (Ex. 21:15, 17).
That is how IMPORTANT this command is in God's eyes!
The home and the family unit is the basis of all decent
society. And the relationship of children to their parents is
an exact type of the spiritual relationship between true
Christians and God. The lessons of character learned in
that relationship may last children the rest of their lives ­
and for ETERNITY!
In the eyes of a small child, a parent stands in the
place of God Himself For the parent is the child's provider,
protector, lover, teacher and lawgiver.
A child's early training and response to this relationship
will in large measure determine his later response to
the larger relationships with society. And, ultimately, it is
certain to affect his relationship with his spiritual Father
in heaven.
Honor and Respect for Parents
The New Testament magnifies this command in
many places. The Apostle Paul wrote: "Children, obey
your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy
father and thy mother, which is the first commandment
with promise" (Eph. 6:1-2).
The original command to "honor" father and mother
applies to all of us throughout our lives. But in this place