Command 26: Honor Your Parents
Study Question
Q: When Asa became the King of Judah, he removed his grandmother from being the queen and tore down her idol and burned it. Why was this dishonoring act pleasing to God? (See I Kings 15:9–13.)
A: This case illustrates the distinction between honoring and obeying. The command is to honor father and mother, but that does not mean that we are to obey them when they tell us to do something that is contrary to the higher Law of God.
Asa removed his grandmother, Maachah, from being queen because her leadership was in opposition to the Word of God and was a carryover from the reign of his evil father, Abijam, who ruled Judah for three years and did evil in the Lord’s sight. (See I Kings 15:1–3.)
In fact, King Asa was following this command in a larger sphere—he was honoring his forefather David and walking in his ways. God emphasizes this fact in the account of Asa. “And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father” (I Kings 15:11).
Solomon faced a similar situation when his mother became involved in his older brother’s scheme to seize the kingdom from him. His older brother claimed that the kingdom was his and that all Israel wanted him to reign. He asked Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, to make a request of Solomon that would have further established his claim to be king.
Solomon rejected his mother’s request and brought judgment to his older brother for plotting against him. This action honored his father David, who had sworn by the Lord to make his son Solomon king after him. (See I Kings 1–2.)
There is a strong, natural tendency to excuse family members for doing things that displease the Lord and thereby to honor them above the Lord. This is what Eli did with his wicked sons, and God judged both him and his sons with death. God asked Eli, “[Why] honorest [thou] thy sons above me … ? … For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Samuel 2:29–30).
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This study question and answer is adapted from the Commands of Christ, Series 4, book. For further study, this book may be purchased from our Online Store.