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The Fifth Commandment

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 30, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 16.

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The Fifth Commandment

By Milton C. Wilcox

The Law of God — No. 10

The Fifth Commandment

MILTON C. WILCOX

To the Parents

THE first commandment on the second table of stone reads: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.” Ex. 20: 12.
The first four commandments pertain all to our duty to God, the last six to duty with our fellow men, and the first of these six to the highest and holiest relationship of earth. From duty to God, our heavenly Father, we are brought to our duty to our earthly parents.
It has been aptly said that to do the fifth commandment is the religion of children. This presupposes godly parents who appreciate their responsibility in bringing children into the world, and standing in the place of God to those children till the young minds can grasp their duty to God.
The parents’ duty to the child begins before the child is begotten. Oftentimes the parents are one or both unfitted to bear or rear children, and the child comes into the world fearfully handicapped. He often inherits from one or both parents very unamiable, unholy tendencies of disposition or desires. This often is gathered from a generation or two or three back, the result of sins of former generations. Traits in both parents are often intensified in the child. Are the parents nervous, irritable, and impatient; these traits may be manifest in the child in almost insane bursts of passion.
All these things, and more, should be taken into account by the Christian father and mother; and if they have not planned before the child is born to give him a good inheritance, they should plan afterward to correct the evil and conserve and strengthen the good.
First, then, let them look after the physical child. Let the formation of regular habits begin with a regular, generous, nourishing, body-building diet. Eliminate from that diet the stimulants, the sweets, the things that build unsatisfied appetites but do not furnish proper food. Let the feeding be regular, its frequency determined by the age of the child. There is a moral education in the formation of right habits, and it is the moral side of the child with, which this article deals. But the strong moral side must regard the physical basis. It is impossible to train the child right and neglect the body. The clean, strong body means a more easily obtained clean, strong mind.
Teach the child to love the truly good things to eat and drink; to love the pure air, and the washing with water without and within. Help him to know that all these things are necessary to physical strength and health. This is not a paper on child care and diet; it merely notes the importance of these things, and every Christian parent should become intelligent regarding them. Books containing good instruction and advice abound. God’s Word and the Testimonies have abundance of instruction. Let the parents saturate themselves with the instruction that makes for better humanity.
Begin early with the moral instruction of the child. He has a conscience; educate early and rightly according to the Word of God. For thus saith Jehovah, the covenant God, to thee, O parent: “Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words . . . shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” See Deut. 6: 5-9. Let the loving, living principle of God’s Word be a joy in your life that shall beget a joy in the lives of your children.
Fill the child with this living truth, and it will suppress and eliminate the inherited evil traits and develop the physical and moral powers for good. The child Jesus was trained in the truths of the Scriptures, and it is a noteworthy fact that it was from the armory of Deuteronomy that he drew his effective defense against Satan’s assaults in the desert of temptation. See Matt. 4: 1-10.
Above all things, live what you teach. Be a companion to your children. Play with them; talk with them; go with them; live the religion of Christ before them; be true to them. If you have lied before, never do it again. If you have sinned against them, be strong and brave and true to confess your sins. Make no rash promises; keep those you do make, if possible. Teach your children to trust you and confide in you. Provoke them not to wrath. Chastise if necessary, but in love and after prayer to God, considering your own infirmities and the inheritance you have given them. But do not neglect their training and discipline. See Eph. 6: 4; Col. 3: 21.
“But,” you say, “this article is not on the fifth commandment; it does not tell the children their duty.” Yet, it is needed; for it is easier for the child to “honor” the father and the mother who are worthy of honor. If the parents live the right life, they will not need in severity to exact honor.

To the Children

God has honored the children by giving one commandment especially for them. Of course it is the duty of children to obey every commandment of the law. But when our promise-keeping heavenly Father preached that holy sermon from Mt. Sinai, he did not forget the children. He gave one commandment especially to them, and gave with it what he did not give with the others,—a promise. Children—little boys and girls, big boys and girls, young and old boys and girls—ought to listen when God speaks, and ought to obey what he commands.
“Honor” your parents. You ought to respect them, but honor is more than respect. To be respectful is to listen attentively to what they say. When reproved, you should not “answer back.” When told of your faults by your parents, instead of rebelling, confess your faults. Your parents are your friends; your faults are your greatest enemies. Whether you call them father and mother, papa and mamma, or the old-fashioned “pa” and “ma,” let every one know that you honor your parents above all earthly friends.
Honor them by being obedient. When either tells you to do something, do it promptly. Do not wait and wait and wait. Sending a sluggard, the wise man says, is like smoke to the eyes or strong acid to the teeth—it hurts; so does the slow, careless child hurt the one who depends upon him. Obey promptly, cheerfully, willingly. Listen to what the Bible says of those who broke this commandment in ancient times:—
“He that revileth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” Ex. 21: 17.
“Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.” Deut. 27: 16.
Honor your parents by being kind to them. Father comes in weary from his work. Get him his easy-chair and slippers. Wait on him. Help mother to do the many little things. Do not wait to be told. Think of the things to be done before mother tells you. Surprise her by being thoughtful, loving, helpful. So also relieve father of little things. Let him see you can be trusted. Sometime the weary step of a tired father or mother will be heard no more. The heart which has been faithful to you all the years will cease to beat, and the hands will be clasped over the once-troubled heart, now still. The loved one cannot hear you speak, cannot help you any more in this life, can no longer be comforted by the kind, loving words you speak. Oh, say the kind words now! Say the loving words now. Do the kindly deed now. “Honor thy father and thy mother” now. Do not try to escape it by saying, “I must look after my own.” Your parents are your own; look after them. The Jews would give all their property to God in name, yet use it for themselves freely. But when asked to do for father or mother, they would say, “Corban” (given to God). It was not an excuse; it was a subterfuge.
Be kind today, especially to father and mother, that the promise may be fulfilled to you: “That thy days may be long upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.”
Mountain View, Cal.