Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long on the land which the LORD your God gives you. I. CONSIDER VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH A MAN MAY HONOUR HIS FATHER AND MOTHER. 1. By doing his best in the way of self-improvement. 2. By habits of care and frugality. 3. By keeping himself in soberness, temperance, and chastity. II. HONOUR TO PARENTS IS ONLY THE PRINCIPAL AND MOST IMPORTANT APPLICATION OF A GENERAL PRINCIPLE. The apostle bids us honour all men, and again, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." III. FROM THE CONCEPTION OF LOVE DUE TO FATHER AND MOTHER WE RISE TO THE CONCEPTION OF THE LOVE DUE TO GOD. By what heavenly process shall we melt the cold, hard law which forbids idolatry, into the sweet, gentle principle of heart-worship and love? I believe that in this respect the First Commandment is much indebted to the Second, which is like unto it, "Honour thy father." And so, when God condescends to call Himself our Father, the clouds which conceal Him from our sight seem to break and vanish, and we feel that we can love and houour Him, not merely acknowledge Him, and refuse to accept others besides Him: not merely fear Him, as one too powerful to be safely set at naught; not merely philosophize about Him, and try to express His Infinite Being in some scientific formula of human words. No; but love Him as a father ought to be loved — with all our hearts, and souls, and strength. (Bp. Harvey Goodwin.) Parallel Verses KJV: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. |
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