Honor your father and mother

Review: The last few weeks we talked about:

1. The Ten Commandments. God gave the Ten Commandments.
2. You shall have no other gods before me. Joshua challenges the people to chose,
but for him and his household they would serve God.
3. Do not make idols in any form, nor shall you worship or sever them. The
Israelites made a golden calf to worship.
4. Do not misuse or dishonor the name of God. The seven son’s of Sceva, the chief
priest.
5. Keep one day of the week as a holy day to honor God. The manna provided by
God.

Review:

Let’s review the story from last week. The story of the manna provided by God. This story
illustrates the truth taught in the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Do not misuse or
dishonor the name of God.). Let’s review by retelling the story as a group. We want to retell
it as faithfully as we can to the story from the Bible. We do not want to add to it or leave out
anything important. Who will get us started?

God spoke the Ten Commandments to Moses:

1. There is only one God; you shall have no other gods.
2. Do not make idols in any form, nor shall you worship or sever them.
3. Do not misuse or dishonor the name of God.
4. Keep one day of the week as a holy day to honor God.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet other people or their things.

Background:

The fifth of the Ten Commandments is: “Honor your father and mother.” There are many
events or stories from the Bible that address the fifth commandment. We will look at one
event where the children do not honor their father and one event in which the child does
honor his father.

The first event records how the children of God’s prophet, Samuel, did not honor their
father. The second event illustrates how Joseph showed respect and honor for his father,
Jacob (also known as Israel).

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Honor your father and mother

An example of children who do not honor their parent: 1 Samuel 8

Samuel was a prophet of God. He lived and served during the time the Israelites first lived
in the Promised Land, before they had a king. God spoke to the Israelites and their leaders
through Samuel on many different occasions.

When Samuel was old, he appointed his sons (Joel and Abijah) as Israel’s leaders. But they
did not follow the ways of their father. Instead, they went after wealth and personal gain.
They were dishonest. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

The people rejected Samuel’s sons as their leaders because of their dishonesty and
perversion of justice. The Israelites asked Samuel to appoint a king over them instead. The
people were so set against the sons of Samuel that even when Samuel told them all that a
king would do, they still wanted a king.

This concludes this first story from the Bible.

An example of a child who does honor their parent: Genesis 45-50

God blessed Joseph. God brought Joseph to Egypt as a slave and raised him up to be the
second most powerful man in all of Egypt.

Joseph made arrangements for his brothers to bring his father down to Egypt to save them
during a great famine. He showed honor and respect for his father when they finally
arrived. He sought his father’s blessing for his own sons. He responded to his father’s
request to be buried in Canaan with a commitment to do what his father wanted.

Joseph honored his father’s request to be buried in the same place as his father back in
Canaan. After a time of mourning in Egypt, Joseph requested that Pharaoh allow him to
honor his father’s request. Pharaoh not only granted his request but all of Pharaoh’s
officials, the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt, went back with then for
the funereal. Joseph showed great honor and respect for his father.

This concludes this second story from the Bible.

Other stories:

 Children that did honor their parents

o Jesus honors his mother by providing for her care after his death – John
19:25-27
 Children that did not honor their parents
o Daughters of Lot – Genesis 19:30-38

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 o Joseph’s brothers lie to their father and tell him that Joseph is dead – Genesis
37:29-35
o Jacob deceiving his father, Isaac, in order to steal his bother’s birthright –
Genesis 27

Retelling the stories

Let’s review these stories by retelling them as a group. We want to retell them as faithfully
as we can to the story from the Bible. We do not want to add to them or leave out anything
important. Who will get us started with the story about the sons of the prophet Samuel?
Who will get us started with the story of how Joseph showed honor and respect for his
father?

Questions:

The questions and discussion about the Ten Commandments should be focused beyond the
events that tell the story of how God gave them to Moses and address the fact that they
were given by God for his people to follow. A foundation should be laid for obedience to the
commandments.

These stories demonstrate two very different responses to the fifth commandment, which
says: Honor your father and mother. The questions should address the importance of our
obedience to honor our parents. It is important to note that this commandment does not
mean that we are to disobey God in order to obey our parents. It does admonish us to be
respectful of our parents, even when our obedience to God conflicts with what our parents
want us to do.

What is the fifth of the Ten Commandments?

Honor your father and mother.

What were the consequences for Samuel’s sons when they did not honor their father?

Does the fact that the parents serve and honor God mean that their children with serve and
honor God?

Did Joseph have any reasons to not honor his father?

Yes, Joseph’s family was dysfunctional and his father caused much of it.

Is it possible to honor our parents too much?

Does this commandment instruct us to obey our parents even if it means that we must
disobey God?
This commandment does not mean that we are to disobey God in order to obey our
parents. It does admonish us to be respectful of our parents, even when our
obedience to God conflicts with what our parents want us to do.

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What are some real life examples of situations where our obedience to God conflicts with
what our parents want us to do? How can we be respectful of our parents is these
situations?

Memory verses

Let’s review the memory verses, Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength.