‘Parents Are the First Authority Children Meet in Life’

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‘Strong Stand for Parental Reverence Is Lost Today’

‘The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. Proverbs 30:17’

How bad is a teenager rolling his eyes at parents? God sent His answer by the pen of Agur the prophet. Birds of prey will rip out the eyeballs of such terrible children and eat them! God will make them a public spectacle with horrific judgment for this wicked crime against father or mother. How much more the disrespect commonly allowed today!

Is this proverb out of place in the 21st century, as most of this effeminate and rebellious generation would say? You must choose – God’s inspired Bible is wrong, or His decreed statutes are right. Solomon’s father David wrote of God’s laws, “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Ps 119:128).

If you are one of the very rare thinking people still on earth, you know something is wrong somewhere, because the disrespect of authority at all levels and in all spheres is confusing and troubling. The change in a few decades has been great. What is the cause? What is the cure? What is the future of society without a return to honoring authority?

Parents are the first authority children meet in life. If they do not learn to obey and honor parents, they will disregard other authority figures. Even facial dishonor of parents should be punished. God hates irreverent looks, gestures, and attitudes toward parents, so this proverb is added to God’s censure of verbal offences against parents (Pr 20:20; 30:11).

Such a strong stand for parental reverence is lost today, though your grandparents knew it well. The result of rebellious, dysfunctional, selfish, and lazy young people should not surprise you. A prime theme of entertainment today, and a daily event in most homes, is flagrant disrespect of parents. This proverb sounds Neanderthal in the modern world.

But it is the infallible word of Jehovah God, and the man who treats it lightly will eat the fruit thereof – trouble and pain from his children and the LORD (Pr 13:15; Is 1:19-20). Success or failure in life depends on you humbling yourself before God’s word and learning wisdom, no matter what the world thinks or says (Pr 1:20-33; 13:13; 15:32).

Great men of prior generations – highly principled, noble, and of impeccable character – were never allowed the snotty and rebellious words and actions toward parents that are nearly universal today. So you should not be surprised that there is nearly a universal dearth of men and women comparable to those wonderful leaders of yesteryear.

You live in perilous times of a generation given to self-love, child rebellion, and pleasure obsession (II Tim 3:1-5). And this indictment describes Christians, not the pagan world at large, where it is also true (Rom 1:29-31). God’s few ministers must use the hammer and fire of God’s word against such permissive thinking (Jer 23:28-29; II Tim 4:1-4).

Dear parent, starting young, you must train children God’s way. From the earliest days of conscious understanding, children must be taught to reverence parents. Even slight indications of a rebellious spirit – shown by looks, gestures, or attitudes – must be dealt with immediately and severely. There is no room for compromise on this point.

Since this proverb has reminded you of the honor you owe your father, then make sure you honor your Father in heaven, for He is offended if you do the former and neglect the latter (Mal 1:6). He is infinitely superior to any earthly father, and He deserves infinitely greater respect and reverence. May all honor be ultimately directed up to God Himself.

(Source: LGBT/PIB/GR/TYP/BIN/USPA/WN/IAIJ)/Proddatur