ADDING HONOR

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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The fifth commandment gives us a glimpse into the heart of the Creator. With each commandment the Lord gives to his people, we are given another example of what Almighty God truly holds to be valuable. In this case, the Lord makes it clear that the relationship between parents and children matters. 

In this commandment, the Lord calls his people to give honor to our parents. In a perfect world, this would not be controversial or even need to be commanded. But we are definitely not a part of anything close to a perfect world and we definitely need to hear the Lord’s instruction.  

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

(Exodus 20:12 NIV11)

Kaved

The word used here to describe the action being commanded (honor in English), is a great word that is worth further study. The Hebrew term is that of, “kaved” (כָּבֵד). This term is used routinely to describe the process of adding weight to something that is already in a heavy state. 

Essentially, to give honor to one’s parents is the equivalent of adding substance, adding weight. Imagine this idea being expressed by the addition of a blanket of honor over the shoulders of your parents. This mantel of honor is very close to what is being said in this command. 

Example

Let me show you a great example of what this looks like:

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

(Genesis 9:20-23 NIV11)

See the scene. 

Noah planted a vineyard so he could make wine. This is a process that can take years before anything of value can be produced. After a long time passed, Noah decided to enjoy the fruit of his labor and in so doing, got carried away. There is no way to soften this, he got drunk, took off his clothing, and passed out in his tent. 

The younger son comes in, sees the scene, and leaves his dad exposed and compromised. The older sons of Noah do something different. They carry a blanket in and lay it over their father’s nakedness, thus showing their father honor. 

Unworthy

In this situation, Noah was not what I would call, worthy of honor. He did something embarrassing all on his own. He is fully responsible for his condition. 

While Noah was not in a state of worthiness, his sons chose to add honor to their father by adding weight, adding the blanket that added honor to a man who needed some honor. 

In Our Hearts

This is a great illustration of what it looks like to give honor to your parents, especially if they are people who lack honor in your eyes. The call to show honor is not about the worthiness or goodness of the other. It is about our willingness to show love, grace, and mercy to those in our lives who need some love, grace, and mercy. 

As I stated above, the commandment not only gives us a call to action, but it shows us something powerful concerning the very heart of the Lord. The Lord is a God of compassion and grace. As we encounter his many gifts, we are then challenged to embrace his example and seek to mirror what we see the Lord doing. 

What About You?

•   Is there someone in your life right now who would benefit from some added honor?
•   It might be one of your parents, or it might be someone that the Lord has placed into your life so that he can use you to show them his love and mercy as you seek to mirror what you see in the works of the Lord. 
•   Maybe you could pray that the Lord would help you respond with honor the next time you have the opportunity to meet that need in their lives. 
•   Ask the Lord to use you to be a blessing to a person in need of grace today. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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