A Commandment with a Promise - Exodus 20:12

Exodus 20:12

""Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."

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This commandment is probably one of the most well known and most well-loved by parents.  :)   But did you know that this is the only one of the ten commandments that comes with a promise?  I wonder why God seemingly highlights this special commandment with a promise?  Interestingly this commandment also acts as a bridge between the first four commandments which teach us how to love and respect God, and the last five commandments which show us how to love and respect our fellow man.  The promise of the 5th commandment is that if we honor our father and mother, we will live a long and prosperous life.  I believe God created the family to not only show us how to love and  respect our earthly and heavenly father, but to also provide a setting so that we can learn to love our fellow man.

There are many other passages in the Bible that exhort us to honor our mother and father such as: Deut 21:18-21, Ezek 22:7, as well as Matt 15:4, Mark 7:10 and finally Eph 6:1-3.  Eph 6 even goes further though and specifically calls out us fathers and tells us "not to provoke our children to wrath", or in the NLT translation ""do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them".  So for this promise to be completely fulfilled and for the Christian family to be whole, we parents also need to treat our children with gentleness and understanding.  

All of us have trials and stresses in this life and your family should be your sanctuary of peace, support, and protection from the outside world.  Take some time this week to hug your kids and/or hug your parents and tell them that you love them.  God created the family and he meant it to be the basis of human society.  Let's do our part to support each other through our families.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

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Ephesians 6:1-4 

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."