55. How do we fear and love God in keeping the Fourth Commandment?
We fear and love God by not despising our parents, guardians, or other authorities. Despising means
A. looking down upon them or making fun of them;
Proverbs 23:22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.B. disobeying or rebelling against their God-given authority.
Proverbs 15:20 A wise son makes a glad father, , but a foolish man despises his mother.We fear and love God by receiving and recognizing parents and authorities as His representatives. We do this by
A. honoring them;
Read Mark 7:10-12, where Jesus condemns those who used man-made religious traditions as an excuse for not honoring their father and mother.
B. serving and coming to the aid of our parents.
John 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.Read Genesis 47:11-12, about how Joseph cared for his father and brothers.
C. obeying our parents, pastors, teachers, employers, and government authorities.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may livelong in the land."Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
D. loving and cherishing our parents and other authorities on account of their God-given vocations.
Luke 2:51 And He [Jesus] went down with them [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.Read Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 23:22-24; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; and Titus 3:1.
Eventual commentary
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