The problem in our today’s generation is that children, just like many parents, are unfamiliar or have turned away from God’s Biblical principles regarding proper family relationships. Most parents have neglected their God given role to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. Due to lack of proper training in God’s Word, majority of the children have turned into rebellion including indulging in wrong relationships, drugs and prostitution to name a few. In most public schools, God and His Law is not even taught. Majority of children turn against their parents after reaching the age of 18 and above which is totally against what the Word of God teaches.
God expect for children to honor and respect their parents
Look at Deuteronomy 5:16
16 Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
The Scripture above tells us to honor our parents so that we may live long and so things will go well with us. No age limit is specified, which leads us to believe that as long as our parents are alive, we should honor them.
What God expects from children of ALL ages
- Children are to obey and honor their parents
- Exodus 20:12: (The 5th commandment) “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee”.
- Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth”.
- Colossians 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
- Proverbs 6:20: “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:..”
- Proverbs 13:1: “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke”.
- Proverbs 15:5: “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent”.
- Proverbs 23:22: “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old”.
Also see: Deuteronomy 27:16, Leviticus 19:3, and Proverbs 1:8-9
2) Children are to take care of their parents: But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. ( 1 Tim 5:4)
3) Younger people are also to submit to their elders: (1 Pet 5:5) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
The following Scripture speaks of the sign of the last days
2 Timothy 3:1-2 – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, …”.
Some of the punishments in the Old Testament that God imposed for disobedient children:
- Exodus 21:15: “And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death”.
- Leviticus 20:9: “For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him”.
- Proverbs 20:20: “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness”.
- Deuteronomy 21:18-21: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: (19) Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; (20) And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. (21) And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear”.
- Proverbs 30:17: “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it”.
Jesus Himself repeated both the 5th commandment and the punishment for cursing one’s mother and father in the New Testament. God never changed His mind on how severe disobedience is:
- Matthew 15:3-4: “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? (4) For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death”.
Important Note: “Honor your father and mother” is mentioned twice in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) and six times in the New Testament (Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2).
Halfway through the Ten Commandments, God instructs His people to honor their fathers and mothers. Peter repeats in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” God knows we are incapable of following His commands, and thus made a way for us to be forever forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross.
In Ephesians 6:2, Paul emphasizes “honor your father and your mother” as the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.” When Paul wrote these words, the covenantal promise of occupying the land God had prepared for them had already come to pass. So, why would Paul repeat it? Why is it important for us, New Testament believers, to remember?
Deuteronomy 5:16 tells us to honor our parents so that we may live long and so things will go well with us. No age limit is specified, which leads us to believe that as long as our parents are alive, we should honor them. Of course, once a child reaches adulthood, he is no longer obligated to obey them (“Children, obey your parents…”), but there is no age limit to honoring them. We can conclude from this that parents are next in the list of priorities after God, our spouses, and our children. After parents comes the rest of one’s family (1 Timothy 5:8).
The following Bible verses also give the needed answers to all the questions which arise in families.
- Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
- Ephesians 6:4: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 5:4: But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
- Ephesians 6:1-3: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
- Proverbs 19:18: Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
- Proverbs 13:24: Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
- Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- 1 Timothy 5:8: But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
- Colossians 3:20: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 11:3: But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
- Titus 2:4: And so train the young women to love their husbands and children.
- Colossians 3:21: Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
- Ephesians 6:1-4: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; …
- Proverbs 31:28: Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Proverbs 29:17: Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
- Proverbs 23:13: Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die
- Proverbs 22:15: Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
- Deuteronomy 4:9: “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.
- 1 Peter 5:5: Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Peter 3:7: Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
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