Honor Your Father and Mother Ephesians 6:2

Paul the apostle gave directives to the family members within the Ephesian church. He began with the “wives”, continued with the “husbands”, and then turned his attention to “children”. “Children” were to “obey” their “parents in the Lord, for this is right”, and in chapter six and verse two of his letter, Paul continued his instructions to “children” as he declared a “promise” to those who “honor” their “father and mother” where we read:

Honor your father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

The verse begins, “Honor your father and mother”; Paul began with the word, “Honor” which means “estimate, fix the value, revere and venerate” “your father” who is the “generator or male ancestor” “and mother” who is “the female producer of children”. “Children”, according to Paul, are to ascribe great “value and reverence” to their parents.

The verse goes on to say, “(which is the first commandment with promise;)” Paul continued with the parenthetical words, “which is the first” or “chief, principal and foremost in rank” “commandment” which refers to an “order, charge, precept, injunction and prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done” “with promise” or “assent and pledge especially with a divine assurance of good”. God Almighty attached a “promise” to children who “honor” their parents.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we not only discover the “command” of God, but also the benefit to obeying it. What would this world be like if “children” “honored” their “mothers and fathers”? Paul relayed God's order, and by the help of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, when obedience prevails, unity and oneness are realized in the home. Oh that people everywhere would obey the “commands” of God, and thereby see the blessings of the Lord that are available to them by conforming to His ways.

Next time Paul shares the promise to “children” who “obey” their “parents” and “honor” their “fathers and mothers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.