I want to provoke your thoughts about our annual observances of both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. These practices are the arguable result of a Christian worldview and the desire for people to honor their mothers and fathers. But I’m wondering how informed our Church-going population is regarding what it is to honor one’s mother and to honor one’s father.
One hundred thirty-six verses are found to contain the word “honour” in the English Bible. The usual Hebrew word, honour, is related to making honor, honoring, honor, and glorify.[1] The usual Greek word, honour, refers to counting as valuable, value, or revere.[2]
Understand that I have not studied the matter thoroughly but am musing the topic in the hopes that you (and I) can benefit from our brief consideration.
I have seven considerations for you, with related verses below:
#1 Perverse honor. Genesis 49.6 records part of Jacob’s death bed will, his opinion about Simeon and Levi’s retaliation against Shechem and Hamor for the defilement of his foolish daughter, Dinah. Their retaliation was motivated by their perverted sense of “honor.” But Jacob identifies “mine honour.” Thus, their revenge was wrong, and their retaliation to avenge their father’s honor was misplaced. This suggests to me that honor is the possession of the one to be honored, not the possession of the one who seeks to display honor.
2. Determines Honor. Exodus 14.17-18 reinforces
the idea that honor belongs to the one who should be honored, rather than the
one who does (or ought to) show honor.
3. Nation Building. When God redeemed the children of Israel from four centuries of Egyptian bondage, He parked His people at the foot of Mount Sinai for one year and gave Moses the Law on two tablets of stone. The first four commands were written on the first tablet, showing the vertical relationship between God and His chosen nation. The second tablet contained the commands showing the horizontal relations required to form and preserve a rightly ordered nation. Interesting to me is that the fifth command, to honor fathers and mothers, precedes the command not to kill. This shows the crucial ingredient of honoring one’s parents in any nation and culture. That this command is repeated in the New Testament establishes it as a timeless principle in human relations and thus of profound importance. Exodus 20.12; Deuteronomy 5.16; Matthew 15.4, 6; 19.19; Mark 7.10; 10.19; Luke 18.20; Ephesians 6.2
4. The Aged Are To Be Honored. Leviticus 19.32 is the verse that was observed by my grandparents when they trained my parents to rise from a chair whenever an aged person walked into the room, giving them the choice of where they were free to sit. It also establishes the principle of showing honor to the aged. I have not observed this to be a pattern of instruction of late.
5. Honoring the LORD involves giving. One cannot honor God without giving to God because honoring someone necessarily includes more than a cheap display of respect. It is substantial, Proverbs 3.9. So with God, and so with others to whom honor is shown, as you will see if you read First Timothy 5.3 and 17.
6. What Comes First, Honor Or Humility? Proverbs 15.33 and 18.12 establishes that God’s plan for His creatures is that we humble ourselves. Humility chronologically precedes honor. It must be so? Why? James 4.10 answers: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” Honoring oneself is self-exaltation, which is a demonstration of pride.
7. Who Owns Honor? Malachi 1.6 reinforces the concept that honor belongs to the one who is to be honored. Thus, the LORD refers in this verse to “mine honour.” I submit that you consider the concept that your honor is yours and my honor is mine, just as God’s honor is His.
Let me bring this together in my thoughts. Two days ago, my daughter honored me. That is, she demonstrated respect for me in a manner that displayed her recognition of my ownership of my honor. She treated me respectfully to honor me by showing me love and courtesy, preparing me a fine meal to celebrate Father’s Day, and giving me a gift. Thus, her display of honor toward me was not her notion of what she ought to do, divorced from a recognition that the honor was mine to receive, and apart from fulfilling my wishes, she would not have honored me.
Dad? Were you honored two days ago by your children? Did they show you courtesy, display love and affection toward you, and perhaps even bless you with a gift? That is what it is to honor one’s father or mother.
Perhaps you convince yourself that being honored is not so important. I
would suggest that a matter raised many times in the Bible establishes its
importance beyond doubt. I urge you to communicate to your children and
grandchildren the importance of showing honor to their parents, not in how they
want to show honor, but in how those who are honored want to be honored.
Honoring parents and the aged is an essential ingredient in a nation’s health
and a family’s constitution.
Ge 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their
secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their
anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
Ex 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts
of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon
Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Ex 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am
the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and
upon his horsemen.
Ex 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that
thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Le 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary
head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the
LORD.
De 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as
the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that
it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Pr 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy
substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Pr 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the
instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Pr 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is
haughty, and before honour is humility.
Da 4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol
and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways
judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Mal 1:6 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?
Mt 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy
father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the
death.
Mt 15:6 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.
Mt 19:19 Honour thy father and thy
mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mr 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and
thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mr 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not
commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud
not, Honour thy father and mother.
Lu 18:20 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.
Joh 8:49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but
I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me;
and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour.
Ro 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Ro 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues:
tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom
fear; honour to whom honour.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which
is the first commandment with promise;)
1Th 4:4 That every one of you should know how
to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1Ti 5:3 Honour widows that are widows
indeed.
1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be
counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and
doctrine.
1Ti 6:1 Let as many servants as are under
the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and
[his] doctrine be not blasphemed.
1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the
brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father
honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Re 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and
honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
Re 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created.
Re 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Re 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven,
and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that
are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Re 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and
wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our
God for ever and ever. Amen.
Re 19:1 And after these things I heard a great
voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and
honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give
honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made
herself ready.
[1] Francis
Brown, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, The New
Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew And English Lexicon, (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), page 457.
[2]
Cleon Rogers, Jr. and Cleon Rogers III, The New Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998),
page 445.
