What other scriptures emphasize the significance of honoring family commitments? Setting the Scene in 1 Kings 2:20 “Then she said, ‘I have one small request of you. Do not refuse me.’ ‘Ask it, my mother,’ the king replied, ‘for I will not refuse you.’” Solomon’s immediate, respectful response to Bathsheba models how Scripture calls us to honor family ties and keep our word to those closest to us. The Fifth Commandment: Foundational to Family Honor • Exodus 20:12 — “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” • Deuteronomy 5:16 repeats the command verbatim. • These verses root every later instruction in the unchanging moral law. Honoring parents is not optional; it carries a promised blessing. Wisdom Literature: Training Hearts for Loyalty • Proverbs 1:8-9 — “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” • Proverbs 6:20 — “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” • Proverbs 23:22 — “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” The father-to-son tone of Proverbs matches Solomon’s deference in 1 Kings 2:20. Wisdom is learned in the family first. Faithfulness in Family Covenants: Historical Narratives • Genesis 47:30 — Joseph swears to bury Jacob in Canaan, then fulfills that oath. • Ruth 1:16-17 — Ruth binds herself to Naomi, honoring marital and familial loyalty beyond cultural expectation. • 1 Samuel 20:14-17 — Jonathan secures a covenant promise from David to care for his household. • 2 Samuel 9:1 — David seeks out Mephibosheth to keep that promise. • These stories underline that honoring family commitments often means sacrificial follow-through long after the words are spoken. New Testament Echoes: Jesus and the Apostles Affirm the Charge • Matthew 15:4 / Mark 7:10-13 — Jesus rebukes those who use “Corban” vows to dodge caring for parents: “You nullify the word of God by your tradition.” • John 19:26-27 — Even on the cross, Jesus entrusts Mary to John: a living example of honoring family responsibility. • Ephesians 6:1-3 — “Children, obey your parents in the Lord… ‘Honor your father and mother’… ‘that it may go well with you.’” • Colossians 3:20 — “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” • 1 Timothy 5:8 — “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith.” From Christ’s words to apostolic teaching, the standard never drops: family obligations are gospel imperatives. Living It Out Today • Keep your word to parents and relatives promptly, as Solomon did. • Provide practical care—time, resources, emotional support—recognizing that love is proven by action. • Teach the next generation these same truths; Scripture links the longevity of blessing to honoring family commitments. |
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