“If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.”
This is the, obey the commandment in Exodus to honor your father and mother, verse from Solomon. I always found it interesting that in neither place does it add a qualifier “when they are right”. There is something powerful at play in obeying our parents regardless. Obviously if they are asking us to sin, to disobey God that’s not what is being dealt with here. However, except for very few cases that will not be the case anyway. More often the person who worries about that has a wrong view of sin or wants to feel justified going their own way in a situation. I also find a powerful truth in seeing that neither place mentions to do this if the parent is a follower of God, a believer in our case. There is something at work deep in our lives when we grasp the reality that regardless of the circumstances God could have given us very different parents. For good or bad we are where we are by His design to bring Him honor and glory through how we treat the parents He chose for us. And He never makes mistakes. In this verse Solomon tells of a very dark consequence for cursing, dishonoring our parents. In Exodus Moses promises a long life to those who obey, honor them. Pretty powerful difference in results. However one parses this verse it is very clear that God feels very strongly about how we respect or disrespect the parents He gave us. Today honor your parents, maybe even give them a kind call. #BeTheEdge
“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 NIV
