Ten: Week Five
The Fifth Commandment – Honor

God gave us the Ten Commandments to teach us about relationships, relationships with Him and with other people.  We’ll study this fifth commandment by examining: 

1. How the Fifth Commandment is a transitional commandment.
2. The principle of honor.
3. The benefits of honoring your parents.
4. Some suggestions of ways to honor your parents.

• The Fifth Commandment is a transitional commandment. 

The first 4 Commandments are vertical, which is having to do with God. The last 6 Commandments are horizontal directives dealing with our relationships with each other.

This helps us understand how our theology determines our ethics not the opposite.

Put God in the rightful position in your life, and your ethics and behavior will fall in line.

In Exodus 20:12, God chooses the parent-child relationship as a connective commandment bridging the first 4 Commandments (the relationship to God) and the last 6 Commandments (relationships with each other).

• To understand the Fifth Commandment, we must understand the principle of honor.

In Exodus 20:12, the meaning of the word “honor” is much stronger than the word “respect.” To honor our parents, it should be reflected by our attitudes and our actions.

Are you honoring your parents? No matter how worthy they are of honor, are you honoring them?

• There are benefits to honoring your parents.

1. Longevity – “…so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving  you.” Exodus 20:12

2. Stability  – “…so that you may live long and that it may go well with you…” Deuteronomy 5:16

    – We are to be subject and obedient to authority. (Romans 13:1-2, Luke 2:51-52)

3. Sensibility – It’s just common sense. (Ephesians 6:1)

4. Tranquility – There’s inner peace when you do life God’s way. (Colossians 3:20)

• Here are some suggestions of ways to honor your parents.

1. You can honor your parents by loving them. It’s a demonstration. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

2. You honor your parents by cooperating with them or choosing to live under their authority. (Romans 13)

3. You honor your parents by valuing them. (Your parents are smarter than you are.)

4. You honor your parents by appreciating them. 

– Meet their needs.

– Include them in special days.

– Give them gifts.

You can honor dishonorable people by forgiving them so that you can be set free from the hurt and anger. (Ephesians 4:26-7) Forgiving someone is a decision not an emotion. It’s for you not the person who hurt you because you’ll be free.