May 14th 2017
God Commanded You To Honor Your Mother!
Exodus 20:8-12 (NIV)
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
The selected verses for today’s commentary cover the instructions from God about the observance of the Sabbath Day (the 4th commandment), and then, about showing honor to our father and mother (the 5th commandment). The emphasis of the commentary is being pointed toward the 5th commandment, as this Sunday has been set aside to honor mothers. However, this order of God’s commands is especially important as the 4th commandment is the last one about honoring God, and the 5th commandment is the first commandment God emphasized for how we are to treat other people.
God’s order of His commandments puts the honor of our parents as the first one He wrote related to relationships with other people, and it seems to me, as His assignment of importance of relationships especially within your earthly family, as the most important to Him! Please remember that these commandments were given to God’s people directly by Him through His servant Moses. God inscribed the stone tablets Moses prepared with His own finger! When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)
This Sunday, in the USA, we are expected to honor our mother! Some of us will only be able to remember our mother, as they have gone on to their eternal reward. Some may only be able to honor their mother by long distance, as their mother does not live close enough for them to be able to visit. Some may not feel like honoring their mother, as there has been some problem(s) in their relationship! Please note here that God has written this command using the word honor, while we might expect the word love. Please do you best to forgive your mother for anything you feel she has done, which may cause you to not want to honor her this Mother’s Day!
Paul has written some interesting comments about getting along with everyone, mothers included, by emphasizing where the onus of responsibility lies with forgiveness and getting along with other people, “as far as it depends on you!” Forgive and forget, is what Jesus did for you, when He chose to die on that cross for you. Can you die to self, enough to forgive the other person, even if you think they were the offending party? Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
Do you seek peace or do you seek apology from people with whom you are in a relationship? Forgiveness is a wonderful freeing experience, and is a magical relationship builder. Anger causes people to push back, while apology brings them together. Do you seek your own way, or do you attempt to mirror the relationship modeled by Jesus, when He walked this earth? Jesus was concerned about His mother, as He was giving up His life on the cross. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
This Sunday is Mother’s Day, so be sure to think of your mother in a special way, and let her know of your love for her, if possible! If that cannot be accomplished please do something to honor her. God has commanded you to do so!
Not all women are mothers, but all are daughters! And those who chose to follow Jesus are His sisters! So besides your mother think of some woman you may honor is some way this Sunday. If you have chosen to follow Jesus, then all the women of your church are your sisters too!
For all of the mothers, and sisters too, I want to wish you a
Happy Mother’s Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Exodus 20:8-12 (NIV)
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
The selected verses for today’s commentary cover the instructions from God about the observance of the Sabbath Day (the 4th commandment), and then, about showing honor to our father and mother (the 5th commandment). The emphasis of the commentary is being pointed toward the 5th commandment, as this Sunday has been set aside to honor mothers. However, this order of God’s commands is especially important as the 4th commandment is the last one about honoring God, and the 5th commandment is the first commandment God emphasized for how we are to treat other people.
God’s order of His commandments puts the honor of our parents as the first one He wrote related to relationships with other people, and it seems to me, as His assignment of importance of relationships especially within your earthly family, as the most important to Him! Please remember that these commandments were given to God’s people directly by Him through His servant Moses. God inscribed the stone tablets Moses prepared with His own finger! When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)
This Sunday, in the USA, we are expected to honor our mother! Some of us will only be able to remember our mother, as they have gone on to their eternal reward. Some may only be able to honor their mother by long distance, as their mother does not live close enough for them to be able to visit. Some may not feel like honoring their mother, as there has been some problem(s) in their relationship! Please note here that God has written this command using the word honor, while we might expect the word love. Please do you best to forgive your mother for anything you feel she has done, which may cause you to not want to honor her this Mother’s Day!
Paul has written some interesting comments about getting along with everyone, mothers included, by emphasizing where the onus of responsibility lies with forgiveness and getting along with other people, “as far as it depends on you!” Forgive and forget, is what Jesus did for you, when He chose to die on that cross for you. Can you die to self, enough to forgive the other person, even if you think they were the offending party? Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
Do you seek peace or do you seek apology from people with whom you are in a relationship? Forgiveness is a wonderful freeing experience, and is a magical relationship builder. Anger causes people to push back, while apology brings them together. Do you seek your own way, or do you attempt to mirror the relationship modeled by Jesus, when He walked this earth? Jesus was concerned about His mother, as He was giving up His life on the cross. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
This Sunday is Mother’s Day, so be sure to think of your mother in a special way, and let her know of your love for her, if possible! If that cannot be accomplished please do something to honor her. God has commanded you to do so!
Not all women are mothers, but all are daughters! And those who chose to follow Jesus are His sisters! So besides your mother think of some woman you may honor is some way this Sunday. If you have chosen to follow Jesus, then all the women of your church are your sisters too!
For all of the mothers, and sisters too, I want to wish you a
Happy Mother’s Day!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
|
|
|