"These [in Berea] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." - Acts 17:11

(2) "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. (3) "Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

New King James Version copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Notice how powerfully God backs up the fifth commandment with the civil laws contained in Leviticus 19. In this context God names the fifth and fourth commandments in the same breath while implying the first.

The first thing required in this context is reverence (not honor) toward parents and Sabbath observance. These two are major pillars of good government and social well-being. Reverence is a profound, adoring, and awed respect—more than mere honor. It actually indicates "to tremble before," arising from our awareness of our weaknesses in the presence of the one we revere.

The Sabbath commandment influences social well-being in two ways. It first commands us to work six days. It takes work to make a community safe, clean, orderly, strong, peaceful, and prosperous. The other part of the commandment implies spiritual, moral, and ethical instruction, fellowshipping with others of like spiritual and moral mindset, and service to the community. That part of the commandment adds edifying qualities available nowhere else.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

To learn more, see:
The Fifth Commandment (1997)



 

Topics:

Reverence

Reverence Toward Parents

Sabbath

The Fifth Commandment

The First Commandment

The Fourth Commandment




Back to top