What is the meaning of Ephesians 6:2? Honor • To honor means to treat as weighty, valuable, and worthy of respect. The Lord calls us to place real, tangible worth on our parents. • Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Paul is echoing this word-for-word, showing its continuing relevance. • Honor is shown through words, attitudes, and practical deeds: – Speaking with courtesy (Proverbs 31:28) – Listening to counsel (Proverbs 1:8-9) – Providing care in their later years (1 Timothy 5:4) • Romans 12:10 urges believers to “outdo one another in showing honor,” and 1 Peter 2:17 simply commands, “Honor everyone.” If that applies to all people, how much more to the ones God used to give us life and nurture us in the faith. your father and mother • Both parents are singled out; neither is to be neglected. Colossians 3:20 ties obedience to parental authority directly to pleasing God: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” • Honoring parents means recognizing the authority structure God established in the home (Proverbs 6:20-22). By embracing that order, children learn to submit to God Himself. • The call extends beyond childhood: – Proverbs 23:22 urges adults, “Do not despise your mother when she is old.” – Jesus rebuked religious leaders for neglecting parents under the guise of spiritual devotion (Mark 7:9-13). • Even when parents are imperfect, the command to honor remains. David honored Saul’s position as “father-in-law” and king (1 Samuel 24:10-11), trusting God to deal with Saul’s sin. which is the first commandment with a promise • God attached a specific blessing to this command: “so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:3, quoting Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16). • “First” highlights that no earlier command in the Decalogue explicitly carried a promise. The Lord wanted Israel—and now the church—to see the vital link between honoring parents and enjoying His favor. • The promise is twofold: – Quality of life: “that it may go well with you.” Reverence for parental authority fosters stability, wisdom, and godly character (Proverbs 3:1-2). – Quantity of life: “that you may have a long life.” While not a mechanical guarantee, Scripture shows a general principle that obedience leads to preservation (Proverbs 10:27). • The Rechabites of Jeremiah 35 illustrate the blessing. Their steadfast obedience to ancestral instruction led God to declare, “Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before Me” (Jeremiah 35:18-19). summary Ephesians 6:2 calls believers to place genuine honor on both parents, reflecting God’s own authority structure in the family. By valuing, obeying, and caring for father and mother, we participate in a command that uniquely carries God’s promise of well-being and longevity. Honoring parents is not optional or outdated; it is a timeless pathway to blessing, obedience, and testimony before a watching world. |
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