If we do not honor our parents according to Ephesians 6:2-3, will we have a short life and things never being well for us?
Let’s read those verses. Ephesians 6:2-3 says, “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.” This tells us that to honor our mother and father is the “first commandment with promise.” That commandment and promise is found in Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” We should notice here that we should not honor our mother and father to receive a long life. We should honor them because they are honorable, and because the Lord has instructed us to honor them. We read in Deuteronomy 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.” So, to fail to honor our mother and father would be an act of disobedience to the Lord.
What does it mean to honor your mother and father? The Greek word for honor is ‘timáō’ and it means to fix a valuation upon; by implication, to revere: to honor, to value. We find that word being translated as ‘value’ in Matthew 27:9 where we read, “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was VALUED, whom they of the children of Israel did VALUE.” In other words, we should place great value on our mother and father.
Let’s look now at what we read in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” This shows us that there is a distinct difference between parents and mothers and fathers. Parents are to be obeyed. This would indicate an underage person still living with his parents and being under their authority. Children are commanded to obey them. However, after we are grown and have homes of our own, we are no longer under the authority of our parents. While we might often consult them for their advice, we are no longer required to obey them. After we are grown, when we no longer are told to obey our parents, we are told to honor our mother and father. The role of a parent is a temporary one. We act as parents to our children while we are raising them. The role of a mother and father is a role that lasts for the rest of our lives. As adults, we honor them. We value them. We revere them for all they have done for us while raising us in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4).
So, if we honor our mother and father today, are these promises of a good and long life still in effect? Let’s note that the promise in Ephesians 6:3 and Exodus 20:12 are not the same. In Exodus, the promise is, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” This is definitely Jewish and refers to the promised land the Lord gave to His earthly people. In Ephesians the promise is that, “thou mayest live long on the earth.” This is more general and would include Gentiles who were never promised the land of Canaan. Let us look at a few scriptures that speak of prolonging our days upon the earth.
- To attend to our health by eating properly and exercising consistently brings its own reward as we read in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For bodily exercise profiteth little (a little while): but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
- To those who have received the correction of the Lord, thus living an obedient life, we read in Job 5:26, “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.”
- We read of a promise to those who reverence the Lord in Proverbs 10:27, “The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.”
In the Old Testament, one who honored his mother and father would enjoy having a long life. However, in the day in which we live, it is not a rule without exceptions. It is possible for one who truly honors his mother and father to die early or unexpectedly. My own daughter who honored my wife and myself, died at the age of 44. I’m sure you can think of cases where one showed honor, yet still passed away before reaching old age. The above-mentioned verses show a pattern of living that would normally guarantee a good and long life, but exceptions do exist. One who exercises and eats healthily can still develop cancer and die early. One who lives in obedience and reverence to the Lord can still be murdered or be run over by a car. However, the general rule in effect today does promise long life on the earth, but it does not guarantee that there are no exemptions.
The Apostle Paul did not live a particularly long life. It is thought he lived to be around 60 years old. Certainly, as an apostle, Paul lived a life of obedience to and dependence upon the Lord. History tells us he was beheaded because of his faith in the Lord Jesus. Yet, Paul writes in Philippians 1:23-24, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” His true desire was to be with the Lord, WHICH IS FAR BETTER. For the believer, whenever the Lord decides to call us home to Glory…we can rest assured that it is FAR BETTER to be with Him than to continue to live on the earth. (CC) (614.4)