Honor Father & Mother.

The command to “Honor your father and mother” is found in the Bible, specifically in the book of Ephesians. It’s considered the first commandment with a promise. Let me share the verse with you:

Ephesians 6:2 (New International Version): “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise.

This exhortation encourages us to show respect and regard to our parents. It goes beyond mere obedience; it’s about valuing and appreciating their guidance and authority.

When we honor our parents, we demonstrate love and respect, and it’s a principle that applies throughout our lives. Whether we’re children or adults, honoring our parents is a timeless commandment that reflects God’s design for family relationships.

Additionally, Exodus 20:12 also emphasizes the importance of honoring parents: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This commandment reminds us of the blessings that come from honoring our parents and maintaining healthy family relationships.

Remember, honoring our parents isn’t just about obeying rules; it’s about recognizing their role, appreciating their sacrifices, and treating them with love and respect.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

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. Belief in Him saves us, not following rules.

So, what then, is the purpose of commands such as “honor your father and mother,” in our New Testament lives? It’s out of God’s protective and provisional love for us that commands like this continue to act as guardrails to the full life Jesus died to give us.

What does honor mean in the Bible?

The contextual definition of Old Testament honor (the Hebrew word kabod) means heavy or weighty. To honor someone, then, is to give weight or grant a person of position respect and even authority in one’s life. In the context of Exodus 20:12, it means to prize highly, care for, show respect for, and obey.

Where does the Bible talk about honoring your mother and father?
“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). Originally appearing in Exodus as Moses introduced the Ten Commandments to God’s people, the command is again repeated in Deuteronomy 5:16.

In ancient times, and even in some cultures today, deceased ancestors were honored. “In Israel, the honor due to parents has a definitely covenant context and pertains to accepting and passing on the Torah,” according to the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. It was a passing down of their faith from generation to generation.

Jesus spoke of this commandment to the Pharisees in Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10, and again when He spoke of commandments that prohibit wrong actions and attitudes against others. He also mentioned it when speaking about those who will inherit the kingdom of God in Matthew 19:19, Mark 10:19 and Luke 18:10.

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?

The entire Old Testament is the story of Jesus. The entire Bible points to Him, and we as His chosen and adopted people look forward to the promise of His return.

Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” We are to bypass our craving for respect and authority to give all honor to God. Our children are first and foremost His, a stark reminder we are first and foremost His, as well.

The Difference Between Honor, Obedience, and Respect.

Respect and obedience are actions and inflections that reflect honor. While honor is an internal attitude of respect, courtesy, and reverence, it should be accompanied by appropriate attention or even obedience. God created us and intended for us to honor Him in and through all we do. We obey out of reverence, love and trust in our sovereign Father, deflecting the admonishment of respect in deference to honoring Him. Honor trusts God’s sovereign hand, believes He is Who He says He is, and humbly and hopefully reflects a Christ-led life. Integrity, consistent behavior of the heart regardless of situation or audience, is a continual choice to live in honor of the One from whom all life originates.

What does Scripture mean by mother and father?

“When God issued this commandment to Moses on Mount Sinai, He demonstrated His sovereign plan for real relationships,” “And just as we are to honor the One who created us, so we are to honor those who were chosen to carry out God’s plan for our creation- our fathers and mothers!” In a world riddled with broken marriages and pieced together families, it is more important than ever to stop pointing fingers and start embracing God’s command to honor each other. Many of us are fathers and mothers, either by blood or adoption. If we are caring for someone, or they us, we are to honor them.

God said, above all else, to love Him and each other, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We all know what it’s like to be a child. Many of us know what it’s like to be a parent or caregiver. I believe this commandment was so important to God because we are so important to Him. Family is important to God. We are His family. When we honor our families, it’s a direct reflection of how He loves us. Often dysfunctional and broken, He loves us.

Should the verse be taken literally?

Jesus’ obedience to his parents challenges the insecurities in us that often make us averse to submit and obey, according to this . When Jesus came to earth, He lived the example we are to follow. Jesus obeyed His parents (Luke 2:51). If God-made-man obeyed Joseph and Mary, we too should strive to honor our parents. “His ultimate submission was to God; his second submission, to Joseph and Mary,” “Because his Father said, ‘Honor you father and your mother.’” We honor our parents through our trust in God, whose authority trumps all, and protection and compassionate care uphold us when those we honor threaten to get it wrong.

Who is supposed to do the honoring?

It’s impossible for any of us to be exempt from this command. Even those of us who have not known our maternal mothers and fathers have caregivers who have adopted us into their lives. We honor them. We all look to those who have gone before us and done the best they knew to do. Believers or not, our obedience to honor our parents is part of God’s eternal plan.

Whether we are children or adults, we are to honor our parents. Children are taught to honor their parents by the basic lesson of discipline and obedience, which in time blossoms into respect as we are able to see and experience the wisdom. Eventually, we honor them out of love and trust, remembering how they have provided for us throughout our lives to the best of their human abilities in a very fallen world. Choosing to see the best in them, even after their time ends in this life, honors them.