Topical Bible: Wicked Children with Regard to Parents: Despise Them

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In the biblical context, the relationship between children and their parents is of paramount importance, and the Scriptures provide clear guidance on the expected conduct of children towards their parents. The Bible emphasizes the significance of honoring and respecting one's parents, and it sternly warns against the behavior of children who despise or show contempt towards them.

Biblical References:

1. Proverbs 30:17 : "As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it." This verse vividly illustrates the severe consequences for children who mock or scorn their parents. The imagery of ravens and vultures serves as a stark warning against such disrespectful behavior.

2. Exodus 21:17 : "Whoever curses his father or mother must surely be put to death." This law from the Mosaic covenant underscores the gravity of cursing or showing contempt towards one's parents. It reflects the seriousness with which God views the parent-child relationship and the expectation of reverence and respect.

3. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 : This passage describes the procedure for dealing with a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his parents. The prescribed punishment is severe, indicating the importance of obedience and respect within the family unit. The community's involvement in the punishment highlights the collective responsibility to uphold family honor and societal order.

4. Proverbs 20:20 : "Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness." This proverb warns that those who curse their parents will face dire consequences, symbolized by the extinguishing of their lamp, representing life and prosperity.

5. Ephesians 6:1-3 : "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (which is the first commandment with a promise), 'that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.'" The Apostle Paul reiterates the commandment to honor one's parents, linking it to a promise of well-being and longevity. This New Testament teaching reinforces the enduring principle of respect for parents.

Theological Implications:

The biblical mandate for children to honor and respect their parents is rooted in the divine order established by God. Parents are seen as God's representatives in the family, and their authority is to be respected as part of God's design for societal stability and moral upbringing. The act of despising or showing contempt towards parents is not merely a personal failing but a violation of God's commandment, with spiritual and communal repercussions.

The Scriptures consistently portray the family as a foundational institution ordained by God, with the parent-child relationship being central to its structure. Disrespect towards parents is viewed as an affront to God's ordained order and is often associated with broader moral decay and societal disruption.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israelite society, the family was the primary unit of social organization, and the authority of parents was integral to maintaining order and transmitting religious and cultural values. The severe penalties for disrespecting parents reflect the critical role of the family in preserving the covenant community's identity and faithfulness to God.

Throughout biblical history, the theme of honoring parents is consistently upheld, and the consequences for failing to do so serve as a deterrent against rebellion and moral decline. The biblical narrative often contrasts the blessings of obedience with the curses of disobedience, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the family unit.

In summary, the Bible provides clear and stern warnings against children who despise their parents, highlighting the spiritual, moral, and societal implications of such behavior. The expectation of honoring one's parents is deeply embedded in the biblical worldview, reflecting the divine order and the importance of family as a cornerstone of faith and community.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 15:5,20
A fool despises his father's instruction: but he that regards reproof is prudent.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 22:7
In you have they set light by father and mother: in the middle of you have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in you have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.
... For he who knows how to regard them in his heart will ... families who fare well and
have many children, they owe ... other hand, it is written of the wicked, Ps.109,13 ...
/.../luther/the large catechism/thou shalt honor thy father.htm

On Matrimony
... of Cain, and then they also became wicked; for, remember ... Then the children can scarcely
be brought up in the true ... one who is not a Catholic loses regard for his ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 26 on matrimony.htm

On the Education of Children
... more ignorant, more foolish, and more wicked, than they ... But with regard to the
management of your children ... and increase the natural falsehood of their children. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 95 on the education.htm

The Blessing of God on Filial Piety.
... He continued "to warn the wicked from his way ... paid to their dying words, and scrupulous
regard of their ... Children are usually safe in following the last counsels ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxiii the blessing of.htm

That I May Refute More Thoroughly These Charges, I Will Show that ...
... own children, he was not likely to spare the children of others ... because it is from
the veins of a wicked man ... But in regard to child murder, as it does not matter ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/apology/chapter ix that i may.htm

"Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother. "
... This work appears easy, but few regard it aright ... the parents are truly pious and
love their children not according ... all this, there are some so wicked that they ...
/.../luther/a treatise on good works/thou shalt honor thy father.htm

Beginning at Jerusalem
... that many take their religion from their parents, or from ... are not called to it, we
may regard it as ... so neglected that they were the most wicked children in the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 29 1883/beginning at jerusalem.htm

The Eternity of Heaven's Happiness.
... therefore unable to change in our regard, but all ... royal Prophet: "I have seen the
wicked highly exalted ... come a day upon which affectionate children must print ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter xxi the eternity of.htm

Ephesians vi. 3-Jan
... When he would lead us away from wicked practices, and is ... of the soul, when we train
our children to be ... to be humane; when we train them to regard the present ...
/.../homily xxi ephesians vi 3-jan.htm

The Duty of the People of God to Excite Others to Seek this Rest.
... to go to every ignorant and wicked neighbor, what ... him unnatural who would suffer
his children or neighbors ... and therefore they will the more regard his advice. ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter ix the duty of.htm