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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the
reading of His holy word.
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son
brings grief to his mother. 10:1
A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
but a mocker does not respond to rebukes. 13:1
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a
foolish man despises his mother. 15:20
Proverbs 10:1, 13:1, 15:20
This ends this
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
NOTE: From Proverbs, Chapter 10 through Chapter 22:16,
Solomon writes a series of individual proverbs for us to consider. I will try
and group similar proverbs in my devotions as I cover what Solomon wrote over
these chapters.
Most everyone is familiar with the Ten Commandments, even those who do
not claim to be believers. You’ll recall that these commandments were passed
onto Moses from God on Mount Sinai for delivery to the Israelite people, a
primer for the behavior the Lord expected from the people He created.
Those commandments, although mandated more than 2,000 years ago, are
still valid today. God expects His creation to obey them as they are designed
to keep His people from the very sin He despises. Indeed, those who follow His
commands will always be in good favor with Him and thus can be considered wise.
Let’s review those commandments now:
“You shall have no
other gods before Me.
“You shall not make
for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin
of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but
showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My
commandments.”
“You shall not misuse
the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who
misuses His name.”
“Remember the Sabbath
day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor
your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested
on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it
holy.”
“Honor your father and
your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving
you.”
“You shall not murder.”
“You shall not commit
adultery.”
“You shall not steal.”
“You shall not give
false testimony against your neighbor.”
“You shall not covet
your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or
female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:3-17
When the people of Israel received these commandments, scripture tells us
that they were terrified and said:
“Speak to us yourself
and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Exodus
20:19
Such was the convicting nature of the word of God on His people. Such was
the respect and reverence they had for their Lord. If the fear of the Lord was
the beginning of wisdom, then the people were becoming wise and it was revealed
through their words. Moses sought to put them at ease by saying:
“Do not be afraid. God
has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from
sinning.” Exodus 20:20
God’s word had tested the very hearts of His Israelite listeners. They
had heard His commands and their fear indicated that they been convicted, perhaps
because their past transgressions had been exposed and they were concerned
about God’s judgment. Read the word of God regularly and you will have a
healthy fear of the Lord as well, a Lord who will judge everyone.
Moses’ words sought to put the people at ease to a point, instructing the
people that God was testing them through His commandments, seeking to place the
fear of the Lord within them so they would turn from sin and instead seek
righteousness. These are the people that we have seen in Proverbs as being deemed
as wise.
Yes, the God’s ten commandments are still in play and my focus today is
on the fifth commandment using several proverbs from Solomon. The commandment
is simple:
“Honor your father and
your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving
you.”
God’s word is clear. All children are to honor their father and mother,
turning away from anything that would bring them disgrace or shame. Keep in
mind that this applies to us for as long as we live. I think some adult
children seem to forget this I think after they get out on their own and they
shouldn’t because the Lord attaches the blessing of long life to obedience to
His command to honor parents.
So what did Solomon have to say regarding this matter of children and
their parents? Take a look at these three proverbs:
A wise son brings joy
to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. 10:1
A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond
to rebukes. 13:1
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his
mother. 15:20
Note that wisdom is attached to obedience to God’s fifth commandment.
Those who choose to honor their father and mother and heed their instruction
are wise. They are the ones who will reap the benefits of long life that God
promises.
Conversely, those who choose to disobey God’s command to honor their
parents are fools. They are the ones who bring grief to those who bore and
raised them, the ones who reject their parent’s guidance and direction, those
who act in a way that shows they loathe the very people God placed them with.
Friends, the word of God is clear. We are to honor our father and mother,
and in doing so be counted among the wise.
As the Lord looks into your life, what attitude does He see in this
regard?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
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