How does Proverbs 15:20 connect with the Fifth Commandment in Exodus 20:12? Setting the Scriptural Foundation • Exodus 20:12 — “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” • Proverbs 15:20 — “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.” Shared Vocabulary of Honor • “Honor” in Exodus is an action that arises from a heart attitude; Proverbs supplies the concrete picture of what that attitude looks like. • In Proverbs the opposite of honor is “despising” one’s mother, revealing that honoring includes esteem, affection, and practical care. The Moral Principle and Its Everyday Expression • The Fifth Commandment establishes a timeless, non-negotiable principle. • Proverbs 15:20 shows how that principle plays out in the daily choices of children: – Choosing wisdom → brings tangible delight to parents. – Choosing folly → betrays and wounds parental honor. • Therefore, Proverbs functions as a commentary on the commandment, translating covenant law into relational wisdom. Consequences Echo the Command’s Promise • Exodus promises “long days” and covenant blessing. • Proverbs elsewhere ties wise honoring of parents to life and security (cf. Proverbs 3:1-2; 4:10). • Disregard leads to loss and darkness (cf. Proverbs 30:17). Unity of Old and New Testaments • Deuteronomy 5:16 repeats the command, stressing its permanence. • Ephesians 6:1-3 quotes the commandment and adds, “which is the first commandment with a promise,” confirming its New-Covenant relevance. • Proverbs 15:20 harmonizes with this, showing that wisdom’s joy and folly’s grief are already hints of the larger blessings or losses God guarantees. Practical Takeaways • Honor is active: speak respectfully, listen attentively, and serve cheerfully. • Wise choices—moral purity, diligence, faithfulness—become gifts that gladden godly parents. • Guard against the heart of despising: sarcasm, ingratitude, or withdrawal. • Honoring parents ultimately honors the Lord who gave them (cf. Proverbs 1:8-9). Summary Connection Exodus 20:12 lays down God’s command to honor parents, promising life and blessing. Proverbs 15:20 captures the day-to-day reality of that command: wisdom delights and honors; folly despises and dishonors. Together they reveal that a child’s treatment of father and mother is a decisive measure of wisdom, obedience, and covenant faithfulness. |
    |