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Well, you can turn with me in 
your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter five. We're continuing our study 
in the 10 commandments tonight. The fifth commandment, Deuteronomy 
5.16, but I wanna read the section beginning in chapter five at 
verse six. I am the Lord your God who brought 
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make 
for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that 
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that 
is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. but showing 
mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. 
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for 
the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Observe 
the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded 
you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the 
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you 
shall do no work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your 
male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your 
donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within 
your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest 
as well as you. And remember that you were a 
slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you 
out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore, 
the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Honor 
your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded 
you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with 
you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. you shall 
not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, 
you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, you shall 
not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your 
neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female 
servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. 
These words, the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain 
from the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness 
with a loud voice. And he added no more. And he 
wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father in 
heaven, we thank you for the written word of the living and 
true God. We thank you for these 10 commandments. We thank you 
for the power of the Holy Spirit that you have given to us to 
see them and to enjoy them. And Lord God, hopefully to apply 
them in our own lives. As well, we see these commandments 
function in Your hand as a means to show sinners their sin and 
their need for the Savior. And God, we pray that such would 
take place even tonight, that Your Holy Spirit would be at 
work in hearts, old hearts and young hearts, showing us where 
we fall short and how desperately we need the Redeemer, even our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that Blessed One in whom there is forgiveness. 
Father, we just thank You for Him. We thank You that there 
is mercy to be had with You. And we pray that you would pour 
it out in abundance even tonight. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, we have concluded 
the first table of the law, and now we continue with the second 
table of the law, which is our duty toward men. And I don't 
think it's accidental that the fifth commandment is the first 
one, rather, with reference to that second commandment. If we 
have problems with authority vis-à-vis our parents, we're 
going to have problems with authority or with anybody in society. And 
as society continues on the particular trajectory that it does, we see 
the dissolution of family. Family is the basic building 
block of society. And when that dissolves, we ought 
not to be surprised when society around us crumbles. God has given 
a particular command to regulate the family, the fifth commandment. It's a blessed commandment. It's 
a wonderful commandment, and it's a commandment that children 
and adults need to take to heart. Now, with reference to this particular 
commandment, there are two sections that we find. In the first place, 
the command is stated, honor your father and your mother as 
the Lord your God has commanded you. And then secondly, there 
is a promise given or a promise attached. And that's in the latter 
half of the verse, that your days may be long and that it 
may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving 
you." So that's how we will proceed in the exposition tonight. In 
the first place, the statement of the command. Secondly, the 
promise given by God to those in Israel and those Gentiles 
as well who comply with God's commandment. We see that the 
apostle Paul takes this commandment in Ephesians chapter six, and 
he applies it to Gentile children. That is another indicator or 
another proof that the 10 commandments are binding today. They are perpetual, 
they are still in play, and the people of God must take them 
seriously. We cannot maintain that the commandments 
of God vis-a-vis the 10 commandments were simply for Israel and that 
Gentile church is somehow under a different law code. That is 
heretical. Well, I don't know if I'd say 
heretical. Yeah, let's go ahead and say heretical. I don't mean 
damning, but I think it's false, it's wrong, and it really does 
create a lot of mischief in the professing church. So let's look 
first of all at the command stated, and there's three things we want 
to consider here. First, the explanation of the command. Secondly, 
the scope of the command. And then thirdly, the sanction 
related to the command. But in the first place, note 
the specific duty. It says, honor your father and 
your mother. Now, the particular Hebrew word 
here means to be heavy, to be weighty, to be burdensome or 
honored. Now, the connection between heaviness 
and honor is clear. We're not to treat our parents 
lightly. We are to esteem them. We are 
to revere them. We are to honor them as the passage 
demands. Later on in the prophet Ezekiel, 
one of the reasons why Israel was ejected from the land under 
Babylon was for this very reason. They made light of parents. They did not take seriously this 
fifth commandment. When the fifth commandment breaks 
down or obedience to it breaks down, that then has repercussions 
for all of society. Most children today need more 
discipline. That's my observation as an outsider. It's not the case that they need 
less. It's not the case that they need 
less hands-on. Rather, they need to be helped 
and nurtured and cherished and loved and cared for. Discipline, 
all of that, is absolutely requisite on the part of parents to their 
children. But with reference to the children, they are to 
treat with respect, with dignity and honor, their parents. Now, 
in terms of the connotation in this particular passage, it means 
to make honorable, to honor and glorify. And interestingly, always 
father and mother are included. It's not just the father, but 
it's father and mother. It's not a sexist document. It's 
not a chauvinistic document. It's not the case that children 
don't have to submit to their mother because their father is 
the head of the house. That is absolutely positively 
contrary to the word and will of God. It is both father and 
mother that carry this authority, and as a result, children are 
to honor their parents. Now, if you look at Deuteronomy 
4, 40, you will see the covenantal focus with reference to this 
particular commandment. In Deuteronomy 440, it says, 
you shall therefore keep his statutes and his commandments, 
which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with 
your children after you, and that you may prolong your days 
in the land, which the Lord your God is giving you for all time. In other words, this is to regulate 
their conduct in the land. If they despise this, if they 
reject this, if they treat their parents with contempt or they 
treat them lightly, they are going to break that covenant 
that they are in. This was foundational with reference 
to Israel's life as the covenant people of God, to maintain faithfulness 
in the family. One commentator says, the close 
parallel between these words, the fifth commandment, and 440 
indicates that the basic issue involved in the commandment was 
the continuity of the covenant. Parents were responsible to teach 
their children concerning the covenant, and by so doing, both 
children and parents would prosper in the land and see the fulfillment 
of the covenant promise of God. But to teach effectively, there 
must be a receptive audience. If children did not honor their 
parents and were rebellious and self-centered, they would not 
be able to learn about the covenant relationship with God, which 
had been so central to the lives of their parents. And as a consequence 
of dishonoring their parents, they would not prosper in the 
promised land. For they would not know intimately 
the Lord of the covenant promise." In other words, this was in fact 
foundational to Israel's life. Not just their religious life, 
but political, ethical, everything. And as I said, the prophet Ezekiel, 
among various sins, highlights the reality that they held in 
contempt their own parents. This was one of the reasons why 
they had been cast out of the land. In fact, in the book of 
Deuteronomy in chapter 27, there's a series of curses for disobedience 
in the land. And one of the curses is upon 
those who despise their parental authority, those who reject their 
parents and do not honor them and do not obey them. Now, in 
terms of that particular duty, there are other places that we 
ought to reflect on that cover this particular command. Turn 
over to Exodus 21. just to see that this is not 
an isolated theme in Scripture, that the Scripture highlights 
this reality, not just in the Old, but in the New Testament 
as well. And as I said, the Apostle Paul universalizes this particular 
commandment in Ephesians chapter 6, that it may be well with you 
as you live in this world. In Exodus chapter 21, specifically 
at verse 15, and he who strikes his father or his mother shall 
surely be put to death. And then verse 17, and he who 
curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. 
So you see it's a capital offense in this particular era, this 
particular covenantal expression. I'm not advocating that necessarily, 
though for reasons that I don't want to get into. But with reference 
to this particular statement, you see how important it was 
for the children of Israel to maintain this relationship to 
their parents. Leviticus chapter 19. Leviticus 
19 verse 3. Every one of you shall revere 
his mother and his father and keep my command, my Sabbath rather. I am the Lord your God. And then 
again in Leviticus chapter 20 at verse 9. For everyone who 
curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. 
He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon 
him. And then you can turn to the 
book of Proverbs. This is some of the some of the material we 
covered when we went through several themes of the book of 
Proverbs. I just want to highlight a few passages. Proverbs chapter 
15. Proverbs chapter 15, verse 20, 
a wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his 
mother. Now kids, it might be the case 
where you have peers or friends that are unkind to their parents. That's not funny, that's not 
cool, that is transgression against the law of God most high. Do 
not ever begin to think for a moment that it's okay to treat your 
parents lightly, to hold them in contempt, to not honor them 
or to not obey them. That is never okay. In fact, 
God in his word condemns such a mindset consistently. Proverbs 
17 and verse 25. A foolish son is a grief to his 
father and bitterness to her who bore him. A foolish son is 
a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him. Children 
are a blessing from the Lord. The scripture testifies to that. 
But brethren, you have to put some work into it. If you don't 
discipline them, if you don't correct them, if you don't help 
shape them, and mold them, and nourish them, and love them, 
and shower them with affection, and do the sorts of things that 
God calls you to do, they're not gonna rise up to be a blessing. 
They're gonna rise up to be undisciplined, unkind, ungracious, and hold 
you or treat you with contempt. We need to take seriously not 
only the responsibility of inferiors, children to their parents, but 
the responsibility of superiors, their parents to their children. 
We'll deal with that as we move on. Notice in 1913, Proverbs 
19.13, a foolish son is the ruin of his father, and the contentions 
of a wife are a continual dripping. That latter part of the verse 
demands its own sermon, but we don't have time for that. Ladies, 
just don't be that kind of a wife. The contentions of a wife are 
a continual dripping. That is not meant in a positive 
way. I personally like to hear the 
sound of rain, but that one kind of a beat of a drop of water 
gets very irritating. And Solomon says, that's how 
a contentious wife is. Don't do that to your man. Come 
on. Don't make him live in a position where he'd rather dwell on the 
roof or out in the wilderness. Love your man. 1926. And of course, 
husbands love your wives. That's not the point of that 
passage. 1926. He who mistreats his father 
and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings 
reproach. Notice as well in Proverbs 30, 
Proverbs 30. And again, there are several 
others. I'm just looking at some of the key ones. Proverbs 30, 
verse 17, the eye that mocks his father and scorns obedience 
to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out and 
the young eagles will eat it. And then turn to the New Testament. 
So you can see that this is not confined to the old covenant, 
theocratic nation of Israel, but rather it is binding on the 
people of God in the new covenant as well. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1. Children, obey your 
parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and 
mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be 
well with you and you may live long. Notice, not in the land. 
It's not talking about the land of Canaan. He's talking about 
the earth. So if there is a difference or 
differentiation with reference to old and new covenant application 
relative to the fifth commandment in the old covenant, it was that 
you may live long and prosper in the land. When Paul comes 
to deal with a Gentile church, he says in the earth itself, 
which again highlights or indicates for us that the fifth commandment, 
the first one with a promise is contained among others. Those 
commandments of God are not only for the Old Covenant nation of 
Israel, but they are for the New Covenant people of God because 
they are moral law. Reflect who God is. It's always 
binding. It is trans-covenantal. Wherever 
we find ourselves in redemptive history, we are under obligation 
to obey these Ten Commandments. So children are addressed in 
verses one to three, but then fathers in verse four. You fathers 
do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in 
the training and admonition of the Lord. That statement itself 
reflects the fifth commandment. Again, in a moment, I'm gonna 
define for us that it's not only inferiors towards superiors that 
has to take heed to this commandment, but superiors must conduct themselves 
in a godly way toward their inferiors. That is demanded by the fifth 
commandment also. Notice as well in Colossians 
3, Colossians 3, verse 20, parallel to Ephesians 6, a little bit 
different. Colossians 3, 20, Children, obey your parents in 
all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Again, we need to 
give the qualification in all things that are lawful. If a 
parent tells the child that they need to smuggle drugs across 
the border, they must obey God rather than men. If a parent 
commands a child to do something that is a transgression of the 
law of God, it is in that arena that they can say no. But those 
times, hopefully in our church, aren't going to be a lot. I hope 
none of you are asking your kids to be drug mules or any sort 
of a thing like that. But we always need to qualify 
obedience to a lawful superior insofar as the lawful superior 
commands that which is consistent with the law of God. When the 
lawful superior commands that which is inconsistent with the 
law of God or is a transgression thereof, we must obey God rather 
than men. That's the mandate we see in 
Acts 4 and in Acts 5 when the Jews tried to stop the apostles 
from preaching the gospel. No, that would then be to disobey 
God. We need to obey God. We always 
have God as the higher authority. Now, if it is the case where 
you must disobey because of that, do it in a way that's consistent 
with the Word of God. Don't whine, don't cry, don't 
grumble, just say, hey, this is not what God would have me 
to do. Now, in terms of Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3, we notice 
specifically that children are to honor or reverence their parents. In other words, there's supposed 
to be a good attitude of heart toward the parents. And kids, 
we're on to you. We know when your hearts aren't 
right. We know that when you are complying, at least externally, 
there may be something outlandish internally. So it's not just 
the external compliance to the command, but it's also this attitude 
of heart. This is what Paul's point is 
in Ephesians chapter six. Children, obey your parents in 
the Lord. That's the external activity 
for this is right. Honor your father and mother, 
verse 2, which points to the internal disposition. So you 
honor from a right place. You honor because it's right. 
You honor because you love and esteem and revere them. As well, 
we might extend this commandment to children to provide for their 
parents in old age. This was an issue with reference 
to our Lord. He's challenged in Matthew chapter 15, and he 
highlights a particular practice that the Pharisees would engage 
in, where they would take monies that should have been given to 
their parents, but put it back into the temple. Now you say, 
well, that's pious and that's godly, but it's also self-serving. 
See, the Pharisees would get that money back. It was a means 
by which they no longer gave the reverence to their elderly 
parents that they should have. When you get to 1 Timothy chapter 
5, who's the first line of defense in the care for widows? It's 
the family. The family must look after her 
widows or their widows. It's the family that's tasked 
with loving and esteeming their older parents or grandparents. This is getting more appropriate 
for me as I get aged. I want my kids to hear this sermon. 
Just kidding. They're my retirement plan. Really, 
just kidding. But you see, this is what the 
text stipulates. We are to provide for them. We 
are to care for them. We are to look after them. As 
well, we need to obey them. That means to submit to their 
authority, engage in the right actions toward parents. We've 
got the internal heart disposition of honor. We've got the external 
compliance of obedience to the commands that they give us. And 
then to give thanks to them and for them. I mean, it is a blessing. As far as I know, every kid in 
this church has both parents. And I think I can say that with 
confidence, but you never know, right? There might be something 
that I forget. Some of us were not brought up in that way. Some 
of us did not have two parents in the home. Some of us came 
from broken families. That's not a good way to live. 
I would suggest if you kids have both parents in the home, and 
your parents are the parents that I know them to be, you ought 
to be very thankful to God Almighty. This is a great and rich and 
splendid blessing. I find it to be quite joyful 
that amongst my grandchildren, they have bunches of grandparents. They got grandparents everywhere. 
Again, when I was growing up, all of my grandparents were dead. 
I don't remember having any interaction, say, with my mother's mother 
on, you know, one or two occasions. I'm not saying that so you'll 
go home and cry for me. That's not the point. The point 
is that if you have parents, if you have that family unit, 
You are blessed immeasurably. This is a wonderful gift from 
God Almighty. And instead of being a whiner 
and a grumbler and a complainer, which Paul says don't be, praise 
God Almighty from whom all blessings flow, namely mom and dad. It is a great gift from Jehovah 
if you've got parents. You ought to esteem them, you 
ought to revere them, you ought to treat them as heavy, not because 
they are physically, but because they have dignity and worth and 
they are over you. Now notice, in terms of the scope 
of the command, it's not just children to their parents, it's 
also parents toward their children. It's the relationship between 
superiors and inferiors. Now, before you report me to 
the prime minister for saying mean things, this is language 
that didn't used to cause any problems in society. When you 
said superior and inferior, nobody attached a bunch of maliciousness 
to it and said, oh, he thinks he's on a power trip. No, it's 
just a category of function. There are those over others, 
there are those under others, and that's what the commandment 
highlights. There are superiors and there are inferiors. Now, 
note that the commandments delivered at Sinai and Moab were primarily 
addressed to parents. So, it's not the case that parents 
having children are somehow not obliged to the fifth commandment. We all find ourselves in a position 
where we need to submit to superiors. We see it in the family, we see 
it in the workplace, we see it in the church, we see it in the 
commonwealth. The Westminster Larger Catechism 
defines this well. Who are meant by father and mother 
in the fifth commandment? By father and mother in the fifth 
commandment are meant not only natural parents, but all superiors 
in age and gifts, and especially such as, by God's ordinance, 
are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church, or 
commonwealth. So it's not just you children 
that are inferiors to the superiors, which are your parents. Your 
parents are inferiors to superiors that are over them. And the fifth 
commandment regulates that conduct for each and every one of us. 
Now notice, the family, it's obvious. We see that here in 
the fifth word. But if you're in Ephesians or 
still near there, look back at Ephesians 6 to see the workplace. to see the workplace. This is 
another expression of the fifth commandment. If you're the whiner, 
the grumbler, the complainer at work, you are disobeying God 
Almighty. Let me just make that very clear. 
If you're the guy that's late, or you're the guy that's a whiner, 
or you're the guy that's never happy, and you're the guy that 
doesn't do his job, your problem is ultimately theological. You 
are transgressing God's holy law. God does not take this lightly. God does not say, oh, it's okay, 
just express yourself however you want at the workplace. No, 
God says, do exactly what you're paid to do. If you don't do exactly 
what you're paid to do, you're a thief, and you are a malingerer, 
and you are lazy, and you are derelict in your duty. Six days 
you shall labor and do all your work. There's no way you can 
come from reading the scriptures or having an understanding of 
the analogy of faith, and think that God does not approve hard 
work. God most certainly does approve 
hard work, and God tells us that over and over again in Scripture. 
But let's look specifically at this superior-inferior relation 
in Ephesians 6, 5. Notice, there's a specific responsibility 
for each. not with eye service as men pleasers, 
but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the 
heart, with goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men, 
knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same 
from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. That is the 
duty of an inferior at work. You're supposed to work. You're 
supposed to do what you're told. You're supposed to engage in 
an honest day's labor for an honest day's pay. And he says, 
as to Christ. But then notice there's duty 
for superiors, verse 9. And you masters do the same thing 
to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own master 
also is in heaven and there is no partiality with him. So if 
you happen to be management or the owner, you don't crack the 
whip on your slaves. You show them respect and dignity, 
and you be a superior that it's easy to be an inferior under. 
If persons worked on their particular roles, I think this life would 
be a whole lot better. If husbands loved their wives 
the way they're supposed to and wives submitted to their husbands 
the way they're supposed to, it would be a most blessed thing. 
If parents looked after their children the way they're supposed 
to and children submitted the way they're supposed to, it would 
be a blessed thing. But we live in a sin-cursed world. We live in a world where there 
are marred relationships. We live in a world where there 
is selfishness. We live in a world where there 
is laziness and apathy. We live in a world where we have 
to fight against these tendencies and be regulated by the Spirit 
of God according to the written will of God, which we find in 
His Word. So the workplace indicates this. 
You can turn to Colossians 3. This highlights this as well. 
Probably not a bad idea to spend a moment longer here. And parents, we need to teach 
our kids to work. It's a blessed thing about living 
in a Dutch community. You guys are good at that. Praise 
God. It's a good thing. A good, solid work ethic. That 
is absolutely, positively crucial. You will fail in life if you 
do not have a good work ethic. If you're a kid that's lazy, 
you need to change. Now, I don't mean you need to 
go out back and make big rocks into little rocks for all of 
your life, pounding rocks. No, that's not what I'm saying. 
But when your parents tell you to get up, go outside, get some 
fresh air, run around, do that, which is contrary to this day. 
I mean, it's devices. It's screens. Fresh air, sunshine. We need vitamin D. You've got 
to get outside. You've got to listen to your 
parents. You've got to be physically fit. You've got to do the things so 
that you're not a sluggard, so that you're not lazy, so that 
you don't fail ultimately in life. Now, I know that sounds 
harsh, but it's true. Notice in 322 in Colossians, 
bond servants obey in all things your masters according to the 
flesh, not with eye services, men pleasers, but in sincerity 
of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily 
as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord, you 
will receive the reward of your inheritance for you serve the 
Lord Christ, But he who does wrong will be repaid for what 
he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, give your 
bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have 
a Master in heaven." So that's the family, and then the workplace. 
Notice the church. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 3. 
Again, just showing there are superiors and inferiors in all 
stations of life. And we need to take seriously 
our responsibility in those stations of life. In terms of the eldership, 
the eldership is not authoritarian, but there is authority. And in 
Paul's language, the pastors, the elders of the church, they 
take care of, they steward the house of God. That's a very difficult 
proposition when the people of God don't want to be stewarded, 
when the people of God don't want to submit, when the people 
of God want to sort of do their And again, this is tough to preach 
because I don't want to sound like an authoritarian or an autocrat, 
but there is this structure in the church, and it's for the 
good, ultimately, of the church and the glory of God. Notice 
what Paul says, 1 Timothy 3.1, this is a faithful saying, if 
a man desires the position of a bishop, overseer slash elder 
slash pastor, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, 
the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, 
hospitable, able to teach, not given to wine, not violent, not 
greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, but covetous, 
or not covetous, one who rules his own house well, having his 
children in submission with all reverence. Now note, parenthetically, 
for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will 
he take care of the church of God? Now there's a shift in terms 
of the language. He rules his own household, but 
he does take care of the church of God. But there is analogy, 
there is a parallel, and there is this superior-inferior relationship. Again, that doesn't mean that 
the superior gets accolades. It simply means it maintains 
order and decency in the very house of God that is absolutely 
crucial. And then turn over the book of 
Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13, two passages there. superiors, inferiors, not only 
in the family, but in the workplace and in the church. Hebrews 13, 
7, Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word 
of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their 
conduct. And then in verse 17, obey those 
who rule over you and be submissive for they watch out for your souls. 
He's not talking about civil authority. He's talking about 
ecclesiastical authority. The civil government doesn't 
care about your soul. The civil government doesn't 
pray for you each day. The civil government couldn't 
care one bit about your communion with God Almighty. This is a 
passage speaking about pastors. They care about your soul. They 
pray for you. They are concerned about your 
communion with Christ. And so as a result, the apostle 
Paul gives this admonition, obey those who rule over you and be 
submissive for they watch out for your souls as those who must 
give an account. Let them do so with joy and not 
with grief for that would be unprofitable for you. If your 
pastor is miserable, it's ultimately going to be unprofitable for 
you. And then, of course, the commonwealth. 
We looked at this last week, so we won't duplicate our efforts. 
Romans 13, let every soul be subject to the governing authority, 
for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist 
are established by God. So does everybody follow this, 
superiors and inferiors, in family, workplace, church, and commonwealth? The fifth commandment is comprehensive. It doesn't just speak to children, 
it speaks to parents. It doesn't just speak to parents 
and children, it speaks to workers. Masters, or what's the word? 
Employers. It speaks to those in the commonwealth. 
It speaks to those in the church. Now, notice, finally, with reference 
to the statement of the command, the sanction related to the command. In other words, when God gives 
a command, there's penalties attached. God's not like some 
parents where they say, if you don't do this, I'm going to do 
this. And instead of actually doing 
it, then you start to count. If you're a counter, you should 
stop that because that's going to exasperate your kids. Kids 
need clear-cut, well-defined boundaries. They don't need to 
know that you can count to 10. And if you count to 10, you have 
gone way too far in your demand for obedience. If you've counted 
to three, you have gone way too far in your demand for obedience. Don't be a counter, be a discipliner, 
be a lover, be one who showers affection, do what Solomon says 
in the book of Proverbs. You can turn back there just 
to see the first stage of the penal sanction attached or owing 
to this fifth commandment. Proverbs 13. Proverbs 13, verse 
24. He who spares his rod hates his 
son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. That's the reality. If you don't discipline your 
kids, the scripture tells us you hate them. Remember that 
study in bad parenting. This guy got the worst father 
of the year cup. He didn't get the best father 
of the year cup. He got the worst father of the year cup. That 
was the man Eli in the book of 1 Samuel. His sons were terrible. His sons were priests. They served 
in the tabernacle and they would 
steal sacrifice and they would lay with temple prostitutes. 
They didn't know the Lord. Now, Eli couldn't make them know 
the Lord. We are Calvinists, brethren. 
We are Reformed. We believe in the doctrines of 
grace. With men it is impossible to save a soul, but with God 
all things are possible. So we cannot fault Eli for not 
being able to save his children. He couldn't do that. But in 3.13, 
the demand is, by God concerning him, that he will be held to 
account. Why? Because he did not restrain 
them. He couldn't save them. He couldn't 
impart grace. He couldn't make them believers. 
He couldn't make them knowers of the Lord. But he could have 
restrained them from stealing sacrifice and laying with prostitutes. And he didn't do this. Perhaps 
he was one of those lazy ones. Perhaps he was one of those ones 
that said, well, they're so lovely. I don't ever want to spank them. 
I don't ever want to discipline them. You have to do this. This 
is what's commanded in scripture. Now be cautious. We live in a 
situation and a context where judiciousness and wisdom are 
absolutely crucial and necessary, when your neighbor can dine you 
out and have social services all over your life just because 
you're trying to faithfully execute your role as a parent. So be 
wise, be cautious, but be obedient to the word and will of the living 
God. He who spares his rod hates his 
son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Notice as well 
Proverbs 19. Proverbs 19, specifically verse 
18. Chasten your son while there 
is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction. I remember reading Bridges on 
Proverbs. I'm sure I commended that book as we went through 
the Proverbs. And he had a footnote at some place, I don't know if 
it was this particular text, but he said the fathers, the 
church fathers thought that if you didn't have your children's 
will conquered by the age of two, you had failed. Now, I'm 
not convinced that that's absolutely altogether right, but I am absolutely 
convinced that that's altogether the way we should think. It's 
easier to deal with rebellion at that stage than rebellion 
at 16. It's easier to deal with the snake when it's still in 
the egg than when it's this great big python that has the ability 
to wrap itself around you and squeeze you to death. You need 
to understand that when the children are little, you need to obey 
God. You need, as a superior, to follow 
God's Word in this regard. Notice in Proverbs 22 at verse 
15. Proverbs 22 at verse 15. Foolishness 
is bound up in the heart of a child. The rod of correction will drive 
it far from him. That's God's Word. Proverbs 23, 
13 and 14. Do not withhold correction from 
a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 
You shall beat him with a rod and deliver his soul from hell. So the first stage or the first 
aspect of penal sanction attaching to the fifth commandment is the 
rod and reproof. There are times when you don't 
necessarily need to use physical corrective discipline. You ought 
to be able to say things to your kids and they, by God's grace, 
should obey and comply. Hopefully, it doesn't need to 
be stepped up in terms of corporal discipline. But turn back to 
Deuteronomy for just a moment. Deuteronomy chapter 21. Now, 
I don't cite this, again, to say this is the way it ought 
to be in our generation, but I cite this to highlight the 
actual transgression involved in this particular commandment. 
God does not take it lightly. And I also want to treat this 
passage because I think as believers, we need to know how to deal with 
Old Testament passages that are an offense to people around us. And Deuteronomy chapter 21 is 
offensive, probably not just to people around us, but it could 
be offensive to people within us. Inside the church, persons 
roll their eyes at passages like we find in Deuteronomy 21, 18 
to 21. Let's read the passage and I'll 
make a few observations. If a man has a stubborn and rebellious 
son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of 
his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not 
heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of 
him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate 
of his city. And they shall say to the elders 
of his city, this son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He 
will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard. 
Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with 
stones, so you shall put away the evil from among you, and 
all Israel shall hear and fear." Now perhaps you've heard persons 
say, well, I can't believe the Bible. I would never submit to 
the Bible, because after all, God says that little kids ought 
to be stoned to death if they don't eat their peas. That's 
not what this is. That is absolutely positively 
not what's in view. This does not apply to a naughty 
two-year-old. You do not deliver up a two-year-old 
to the city elders and then ultimately watch the city people stone that 
two-year-old to death. He's a glutton and a drunkard. 
This is an adult rebel son. This is an incorrigible son. 
Notice as well, the family has inflicted on him rightly paternal 
pressure. They had disciplined him. They 
did try to squelch this in their son. They did try to keep him 
from gluttony and drunkenness. Again, those are symptomatic. 
The problem with this rebel is that he's a rebel. He is a transgressor 
against the fifth commandment. He does not esteem his parents. 
He does not revere his parents. He does not treat them with heaviness 
and respect. He rather treats them lightly. 
He holds them in contempt. He is a rebel adult, and it's 
in that instance that he is delivered up for the execution applied 
in the law. The parents bring their sons 
to the elders, but neither the family nor the church have the 
right to inflict capital punishment. I think this underscores the 
seriousness of the Fifth Commandment. It underscores how essential 
this was to maintaining the theocracy in the land. It shows as well 
by extension how important it is to maintain society in the 
earth today. When the family breaks down, 
brethren, it looks akin to what we're seeing. If we do not take 
seriously our responsibility, we're ultimately contributing 
to the decay and to the decline of society as a whole. Let me just read one modern author 
on this passage. Again, I think that this kind 
of passage, maybe not this one, I've heard it. I've heard people 
say, well, that seems horrible that God would command the execution 
of a rebel son or of an incorrigible son. It is intriguing that Jesus 
cites this in that Matthew 15 passage, and he doesn't hyper-qualify, 
and he never says, oh no, we shouldn't even think that way. 
No, he understands what the law demands. But Verne Poythress, 
in a helpful book called The Shadow of Christ in the Law of 
Moses, he says the death penalty for wholesale violation of parental 
authority may seem harsh to modern sentiments. But I would argue 
that it is not only just, but realistic. Parental authority, 
even if very imperfectly exercised, takes place in the context of 
personal relationships and natural pressures in the direction of 
love. Parents have many advantages over the state. If a person does 
not receive instruction from parents, the chance of receiving 
instruction from the state's more impersonal discipline are 
nil. If the kid doesn't respond to 
father and mother, why is he going to respond to Justin Trudeau? 
If he doesn't respond to father and mother, why does he care 
about the RCMP? If you have taught him or her 
how not to obey authority in the home, they're never going 
to obey it outside the home. Oftentimes, brethren, we are 
complicit in creating rebels because we do not do what God 
commands. He goes on to say, the person 
who rebels in wholesale fashion against parents will also rebel 
against the state and create general destruction and disorder 
until eliminated. It is mere sentimentality to 
refuse to come to grips with this reality. Again, I'm not 
sanctioning or advocating necessarily for this. I think it is, however, 
and it underscores the seriousness and the gravity of the offense 
of violating the fifth commandment. Now, in terms of the promise 
stated, we'll just quickly look at that in Deuteronomy chapter 
5. He says, that your days may be long and that it may be well 
with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 
Now, this is not formulaic. I want a good life, therefore 
I obey my parents. That's not the way you're supposed 
to do this. You're supposed to obey your 
parents because it's right. You're supposed to obey your 
parents because God commands you to. You're supposed to obey 
your parents because they're worthy to be obeyed. Now, as 
a corollary or as a benefit or as a sideline result, it may 
go well with you in the land, not necessarily positively. If 
your life is miserable, you shouldn't say, but you know, I obeyed my 
parents. Why is my life miserable? Again, 
it's not formulaic. God or Yahweh is not Baal. We don't put in the requisite 
amount of obedience and get out the requisite amount of blessing. 
But it's a general principle. It's a general maxim. I think 
sometimes people falter with the Proverbs at this point. They 
think that each of the Proverbs means universally, positively, 
always, if I do this, then good will happen. No, they're general 
maxims. It's for the most part this way. 
In a moral universe governed by a glorious God, for the most 
part, if you do what you're supposed to, life goes well. Again, it's 
a general statement. You do what you're not supposed 
to, typically life does not go well. Solomon says the way of 
the transgressor is hard. What can we infer by way of implication? The way of the righteous isn't 
hard. The way of the righteous, yes, 
there's affliction. Yes, there's disappointment. 
Yes, there's sorrow. Yes, there's hardship. But the 
overarching thing with reference to those who comply with God 
is blessing. He is a good father. He is a 
kind father. He is a gracious father. So we 
see this extended from land, Old Covenant, to earth, New Covenant. Ephesians 6.3, that it may be 
well with you, and you may live long on the earth. Charles Hodge 
says this is the usual course of his providence. The usual 
course of his providence. Again, that's the way you should 
interpret the book of Proverbs, and that's the way you should 
interpret these sorts of statements. Yes, for the most part. Are there 
exceptions? Yeah. Are there persons that 
were obedient and compliant and they grow up and their lives 
are miserable? Yeah, that happens. I'm sorry to say that. But for 
the most part, the usual course of God's providence is if you 
obey, God blesses. John Eady echoes that. He says 
it is a principle of the divine administration and the usual 
course of providence. Everybody understand that? Usual 
course of providence. If you treat things like a formula, 
you're treating Yahweh as if He's Baal, and you're not supposed 
to do that. Now, in conclusion, in terms 
of the positive aspects of the command, the inferiors are to 
render honor, obedience, and gratitude toward their superiors. That's it. That's what the fifth 
commandment demands. That is requisite. That is required. Inferiors are to render honor, 
obedience, and gratitude toward their superiors. And then with 
reference to the superiors, superiors are to govern in a righteous 
manner. If you are stationed as a superior, 
do your job well, effectively carry out your particular task. Again, let's look at the husband-wife 
analogy. Wouldn't life be easier for a 
wife to submit to her own husband as unto the Lord if he was exercising 
Christ-like loving leadership and headship to his wife? So 
I got this zany idea, brothers and sisters, that as believers 
in Christ, we try to help each other. I know that seems odd, 
but we should try to help each other. I should try to help my 
wife by being the kind of husband that she wants to submit to. 
I should get the help from her that she's the kind of wife that 
I'm able to love. If we have children, we ought 
to raise them the way that God says to help them be all that 
they can be. And you kids ought to be subordinate 
to your parents, not whiners, not grumblers, not complainers 
and snivelers, but those who do what they're told. That's 
how we ought to function and operate in a civil society, especially 
when we come into the life of God's church. Westminster Larger 
Catechism, 129, what is required of superiors toward their inferiors? It is required of superiors, 
according to that power they receive from God and that relation 
wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors, 
to instruct, counsel, and admonish them. countenancing, commending, 
and rewarding such as do well, and discountenancing, reproving, 
and chastising such as do ill, protecting and providing for 
them all things necessary for soul and body, and by grave, 
wise, holy, and exemplary courage to procure glory to God, honor 
to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God has 
put upon them. So again, fifth commandment, 
two heads, superiors and inferiors. Now in terms of the sins prohibited 
by the command, the failure of inferiors to honor, obey, and 
express gratitude toward their superiors. And with reference 
to superiors not carrying out their duties the way that God 
calls them to do. Now, finally, we come to the 
threefold use of the law. Remember that? Everybody nod, 
because I know I've said that ad nauseum in this series, and 
we're only at the fifth commandment. There's three ways we use the 
law of God. The first use is what's called the civil use. 
God has given a law to restrain creatures from being as bad as 
they can be. The law cannot change the heart, but it restrains the 
heart less, in the language of a man who lived in the 60s. It 
cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heart less, 
and that is the civil use, or also called the political use 
of the law. The third use of the law is the normative. The 
normative use simply means how do we use God's law normally 
as blood-bought children of God? Those justified freely by grace, 
those who have been cleansed in the precious blood of Jesus, 
those who have been forgiven, those who have received the righteousness 
of God or the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received 
by faith alone, we now have the Spirit. The law of God is the 
marching order in a life that is pleasing to God. So normatively, 
as superiors and as inferiors, we are to comply. We are to obey. We are to do what God calls us 
to do. Now, the second use of the law is called the pedagogical. 
Pedagogical simply means child tutor. In other words, the law 
tells us how bad we are. The law tells us how sinful we 
are. When I read this statement, kids, 
I want you to internalize it. Do you render honor? obedience 
and gratitude towards your superiors? Is this the disposition of your 
heart? Is this how you function? Is 
this how you carry yourself each and every day? I'm going to take 
a stab at this and say, probably not. You've got sin in your heart, 
and this law should expose that sin. This law should amplify 
this sin, and this law should show you your need for the law 
keeper, which is Jesus Christ. See, Jesus continued in subjection 
to Mary and Joseph. Imagine that. Have you ever thought 
about that? Well, I don't want to submit 
to this government because it's wicked. I don't want to submit 
to this man because he's wicked. I don't want to submit in this 
arena because they're wicked. Couldn't Jesus say that? Joseph 
and Mary were sinners. Joseph and Mary were imperfect. And yet our Lord, according to 
his humanity, continued in subjection to them. The law of God shows 
you your need for that one who continued in subjection to his 
parents. You need Christ. You need forgiveness. You need blood. You need atonement. You need cleansing. You need 
what Christ brings in the Christian gospel, and the preaching of 
the law is necessary to show that sin, to show the need for 
the Redeemer, or the remedy, and that being in the Redeemer 
himself. Let this law do its work in your 
heart. Let it show you your need for 
Jesus Christ. John Calvin said those who abusively 
or stubbornly violate parental authority are monsters, not men. This is how the old boys typically 
responded to the sorts of disobedience that has been commonplace or 
is commonplace rather today. a lack of respect for parental 
authority, it ought to break our hearts. Certainly, if it's 
happening in our homes, it ought to break our hearts to the point 
where we seek, by God's grace, to recover and to remedy that 
situation and get it in order. But look around us, look at society 
all around us. Isn't there signs of this decay 
where parental authority is not esteemed, where it's not revered, 
where persons are not honored? If you're found out here this 
evening and you're a child or a young person, flee to Christ, 
flee to the law keeper, flee to the one in whom there is forgiveness 
and there is a righteousness given that avails with God. Well, 
let us close in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for this fifth 
commandment. Thank you for not only creating, 
but giving us law, giving us those things that help in a civil 
society. And God, I pray that you'd help 
us in the church to take these things seriously. Our particular 
response as superiors or inferiors, whatever the case may be, certainly 
we all find ourselves in one position or another or both at 
many times and places in our lives. So help us to seek the 
Holy Spirit's aid, to help guide us and direct us relative to 
these things, and grant us grace to bring glory to You. And again, 
I pray for children, I pray for young people, I pray, God, that 
You would indeed show them their sin and show them their need 
for the Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray in His most blessed 
name. Amen.