Parental Honor

Proverbs 23:22–25 KJV 1900

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.

Introduction

We are to honor and obey our parents.

This is the fifth commandment being brought into focus.

Exodus 20:12 KJV 1900

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

All children (that’s you and me) are admonished to live right and to live for God. A big part of that is to honor their parents throughout their lives.

I talked to a husband and wife who have deliberately moved south so they don’t have to be around their aging parents. In this case, both husband and wife agree that they can “no longer stand” being around their parents. They are both career people with extremely busy schedules. When the old parents call on the phone, they cut them off because the time is never right. Both young parents are in poor health and two of their three children are experimenting with drugs. They fail to see the connection between their attitudes toward their parents and what is happening in their own lives.- Author Marsha Drake

Listen and do not despise your mother’s advice.

Proverbs 23:22 KJV 1900

Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.

The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." The guests responded with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir." It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I'm sure she had it coming."

When your mother is old means when you are no longer required to obey. We are to listen to our father and not despise or disrespect our mother.

We show disrespect by living in ways that are not right and that are ungodly or by neglecting them. An ungodly life—abandoning the path of righteousness—disrespects or dishonors our parents. We honor and bless our parents by seeking to please the LORD and living right.

Do whatever it take to get truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

Proverbs 23:23 KJV 1900

Buy the truth, and sell it not; Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

These four are not cheap to acquire; they come at a great price.

John Bunyan pictures the pilgrims as passing at one time through Vanity Fair, and in Vanity Fair there were to be found all kinds of merchandise, consisting of the pomps and vanities, the lusts and pleasures of this present life and of the flesh. Now all the dealers, when they saw these strange pilgrims come into the fair began to cry, as shopmen will do, "Buy, buy, buy—buy this, and buy that." There were the priests in the Italian row with their crucifixes and their beads. There were those in the German row with their philosophies and their metaphysics. There were those in the French row with their fashions and with their prettinesses. But the one answer that the pilgrims gave to all the dealers was this—they looked up and they said, "We buy the truth; we buy the truth," and they would have gone on their way if the men of the Fair had not laid them by the heels in the cage, and kept them there, one to go to heaven in a chariot of fire, and the other afterwards to pursue his journey alone. This is very much the description of the genuine Christian at all times. He is surrounded by vendors of all sorts of things, beautifully got up and looking exceedingly like the true article, and the only way in which he will be able to pass through Vanity Fair safely is to keep to this, that he buys the truth, and if he adds to that the second advice of the text, and never sells it, he will, under divine guidance, find his way rightly to the skies. "Buy the truth, and sell it not."-Charles Spurgeon

In fact, teaching these priceless treasures is the great purpose of Proverbs. As godly parents we should make the teaching of these a priority.

God’s Word is truth

John 17:17 KJV 1900

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

We receive wisdom through God’s Word.

2 Timothy 3:15–17 KJV 1900

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Instruction comes through chastening.

Hebrews 12:7 KJV 1900

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

We must be willing to pay the price—endure chastening—in order to learn to control our fleshly desires and obey God’s Holy Word.

God’s Word gives us understanding.

Psalm 119:130 KJV 1900

The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.

Understanding means God’s Word teaches us why to live right.

Whatever the cost we must purchase these, and never sell them for anything this world has to offer.

Be a righteous and wise

Proverbs 23:24–25 KJV 1900

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.

We brought our newborn son, Adam, to the pediatrician for his first check-up. As he finished, the doctor told us, “You have a very cute baby.” Smiling, and with pride I said, “I’ll bet you say that to all new parents.” “No,” he replied. “just to those whose babies really are good-looking.” “So what do you say to the others?” I asked. “He looks just like you.”-Matt Slot

It is not the parent of the rich and famous child who rejoices but the father of the child who live right.

Nothing is more important to parents... especially godly parents than the right living and godly life of their children.

Conclusion

Many people rejoice because their children are popular, prize-winners, recognized, or promoted but what should please us most is that they are living right and godly lives.