“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exo. 20:12).
Were there other laws that supported this initial Old Testament law?
- “And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death” (Exo. 21:15).
- “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death” (Exo. 21:17)
- “Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:3).
- Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:32).
- “Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand” (1 Kings 2:19).
- “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck” ( 1:8-9).
- “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent” ( 15:5).
- “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness” ( 20:20).
- “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice” ( 23:22-25).
- Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer” (Pro. 28:24).
- There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother” (Pro. 30:11).
- The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it” (Pro. 30:17).
- A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Mal. 1:6).
It is easy to think about these verses as Old Testament, which are “not for us today.” However, is there any indication that the New Testament teachings might include similar judgments or perhaps even additional laws?
- “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Matt. 15:4-6).
- Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:20).
- Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” ( 6:1-3).
- Children, obeyyour parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Col. 3:20-21).
Without a doubt, even in the New Testament, the command is there. But notice our Heavenly Father’s goodness and mercy in the promise “…that thy days be long….”
- “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed” (Deut. 4:26).
- “Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever” (Deut. 4:40).
- “But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Deut. 25:15).
- “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For itis not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” ( 32:46-47).
- Happyis the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her” (Pro. 3:13-18).
Leviticus 20:9
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD, which sanctify you. For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him (Lev. 20:19).
Do we fully understand what it means to curse someone? The term yekallel signifies not only to curse, but also to speak contemptuously, disrespectfully, or to make light of a person. All speeches which have a tendency to lessen our parents in the eyes of others, or to render their judgment, piety, suspected or contemptible, is included in this definition. Through the act of cursing, or of treating the parent with injurious, abasing, insolent language, they shame the parents. However, the child who conscientiously keeps the first commandment can be in no danger of judgment.
- Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen” (Deut. 27:16).
- “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness” (Pro. 20:20).
- “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother” (Pro. 30:11).
- “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey hismother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it” (Pro. 30:17).
- “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:4-9).
- “For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother,It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:10-13).
SO WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HIS BLOOD SHALL BE ON HIS OWN HEAD?
- “And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Lev. 20:11-13).
- “And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Lev. 20:16).
- “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them” (Lev. 20:27).
- “Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him” (Joshua 18-19).
- “That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren” (Judges 9:24).
- “And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.
- “And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father” (1 Kings 2:31-32). And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah” (1 Kings 2:31-32).
- “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt. 27:24-25).
Parents have a responsibility to teach these things even to the very young children and to help them not to make the mistake of rejecting the authority God has set over them. It is also the parents’ duty to demonstrate a godly authority (through kindness, compassion and mercy) for each child. Remember, you were once a child yourself.
Beth Johnson