Exodus 20:12,- "HONOR your father and your mother, that you days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."

Matthew 15:3-4,- "Why do you yourselves (Pharisees and Scribes) transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, and, HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL (Curses) OF FATHER OR MOTHER, let him be PUT TO DEATH!"

Notice that Jesus told the Pharisees and Scribes which were GROWN MEN that they were still under obligation to "HONOR" their parents. And whoever would dare "SPEAK EVIL" of their parents were worthy of death. To "HONOR" means to weigh heavily or greatly esteem. "SPEAK EVIL" here in the NAS is translated "CURSES" in the KJV from the Hebrew Qalal meaning to make small or lightly esteem. (Jesus was quoting Exodus 21:17) So what Jesus was saying to these grown men is that if they made small or lightly esteemed the desires and needs of their parents they were breaking the fifth commandment and were worthy of death. You will never reach the age where you are no longer obligated to HONOR your parents.

Ephesians 6:1-4,- "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 be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Colossians 3:18-21,- "WIVES be SUBJECT to your HUSBANDS as is fitting in the Lord. HUSBANDS love your WIVES, and do not be embittered against them." "CHILDREN, be OBEDIENT to your PARENTS in ALL THINGS, for this is WELL-PLEASING to the LORD."

Ephesians 5:22-31,- "WIVES, BE SUBJECT to YOUR HUSBANDS, as to the Lord. For the HUSBAND is the HEAD of the WIFE, as Christ is the Head of the Church, He Himself being the Savior of the Body. But as the Church is SUBJECT TO CHRIST, so also the WIVES ought to be to their HUSBANDS IN EVERYTHING."

"HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, just as CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless."

"So HUSBANDS ought also to LOVE THEIR OWN WIVES as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but NOURISHES and CHERISHES it, just as Christ also does the Church, because we are members of His Body."

"For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh."

Commentary: Wives are commanded to SUBJECT themselves to their Husbands in "everything", in the Lord, of course. Husbands are commanded to LOVE THEIR WIVES, "nourishing and cherishing" them, realizing that they are "one flesh." Wives are not to examine their Husbands so as to find fault, saying "you don't love me as Christ commanded you", for God has placed him as the head of the one flesh joined. Christ answers to the Father, a Husband answers to his Head, which is Christ and a Wife answers to her Husband.

Breaking God's line of authority is never accepted by God.

A wife may suffer unjustly as a slave may as we read earlier, but must bear it patiently, for it pleases the Lord.

King Saul offered sacrifice because Samuel was not there at the time scheduled, but God still considered it an act of rebellion and rejected Saul, because he was usurping Samuel's authority.

At judgment, Husbands will answer for how they cared, provided and guided their wives,

and Wives will answer for how submissive or unsubmissive they were to their Husbands.

And Husbands, you cannot give what is not yours to give, thus don't deceive yourselves into believing that you can give your Wife the authority to act as the head of your home, as if by YOUR permission.

Those who do this live in a home where both Husband and Wife are out of their proper abode.

GODLY SUBMISSION is a BEAUTIFUL THING to witness.

It is UNITY, PEACE and HARMONY in action.

It produces COOPERATION.

IT IS HONORABLE TO BE UNDER SUBMISSION TO HIM WHO PLACED HIMSELF UNDER THE SUBMISSION OF THE CROSS FOR US.

1 Peter 3:1-9,- "In the same way, you WIVES, be SUBMISSIVE to your own HUSBANDS so that even if any of them ARE DISOBEDIENT TO THE WORD, they may be WON WITHOUT A WORD by the BEHAVIOR of their Wives, as they observe your chaste and RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR."

"And let not your adornment be merely external -braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, and putting on dresses; but LET IT BE the HIDDEN PERSON of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a GENTLE and QUIET SPIRIT, which is PRECIOUS in the SIGHT OF GOD. For in this way in former times the HOLY WOMEN also , who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, BEING SUBMISSIVE to their own HUSBANDS. Thus Sarah OBEYED ABRAHAM, calling HIM LORD, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear."

"You Husbands likewise, live with your Wives in AN UNDERSTANDING WAY, as with a WEAKER VESSEL, since she is a woman; and GRANT HER HONOR as a fellow-heir of the grace of life, so that YOUR PRAYERS MAY NOT BE HINDERED."

"To sum up. Let all be HARMONIOUS, SYMPATHETIC, BROTHERLY, KIND-HEARTED, and HUMBLE IN SPIRIT; not returning evil for evil, or INSULT for INSULT, but giving a BLESSING INSTEAD; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing."

Commentary: The Apostle Peter instructs Wives to be SUBMISSIVE even if their Husbands are not obeying the Word. And to win them WITHOUT A WORD. God has not authorized a Wife to argue with her Husband, but to remain RESPECTFUL toward him in hope of winning him with her CHASTE BEHAVIOR.

Wives are to pay much more attention to the adornment of the hidden person of the heart, clothing themselves with a GENTLE, QUIET SPIRIT.

A Husband is to strive to UNDERSTAND his Wife, to be sensitive to her feelings. He is to esteem her highly and hold her in honor as an equal-heir of the kingdom of God.

Personally, I respect my wife, Treon more than any person I have ever met. It is because she has adorned herself with these imperishable qualities and has the purest heart I know. I truly hold her in honor, and feel honored myself for God allowing me to share the last 27 years of my life with such a woman. Though I realize that she may very well receive a greater reward in the Kingdom, we both know she will not if she rebelled against the order God has placed in the family today.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21,- "If any man has a STUBBORN and REBELLIOUS SON who will NOT OBEY HIS FATHER or HIS MOTHER, and when they CHASTISE HIM, he WILL NOT even LISTEN to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his home town. And they shall say to the elders of his city, "This son of ours is STUBBORN and REBELLIOUS, he WILL NOT OBEY us, he is a glutton and a drunkard" Then all the men of his city SHALL STONE HIM TO DEATH; so you shall REMOVE THE EVIL from your midst, and all Israel shall hear of it and fear."

Commentary: If you are a parent, you are probably very thankful that you did not live during that time. But this illustrates how God views STUBBORNNESS and REBELLION in children towards parents.

And God says, "For I , the Lord, do not change." (Malachi 3:6) and - "Jesus Christ is the same YESTERDAY and TODAY, yes and FOREVER."(Hebrews 13:8)

Notice that this man spoken of is not likely just a child, because he is "a glutton and a drunkard", yet he is still under his parents authority.

Notice also, as Jesus said, "He was worthy of death." Death by stoning was necessary to "remove the evil from their midst." The leaven (sin) of REBELLION, STUBBORNNESS and DISOBEDIENCE would spread to others if it were not removed. We will either remove it from ourselves, or be removed with it, out from the congregation of God.

Proverbs 6:20-23,- "My son, observe the commandment of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will GUIDE YOU; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a LAMP, and the teaching IS LIGHT; And REPROOFS for discipline are the way of life."

Proverbs 13:24,- "He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."

Proverbs 23:13-14,- "Do not hold back discipline from the child. Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from Sheol (hell).

Proverbs 29:15,- "The rod and reproof give wisdom. But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."

Commentary: God clearly commands parents to discipline their children. Children learn submission to God, Government, Work Place and the Church, first in the family.

Proverbs 22:6,- "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Commentary: Parents responsibilities transcend that of merely providing financially for their children,- but are instructed to TRAIN their children in the WAY THEY SHOULD GO. Which means, Parents don't let their children GO IN A DIRECTION THEY SHOULD NOT GO. Christians are not to be conformed to the world but to Christ, teaching their children the right way which is almost always contrary to the ways of the world.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

Grown people are commanded to HONOR their parents.

Children are commanded to HONOR and OBEY their parents.

One who "speaks evil" (curses)of his parents is worthy of death.

To speak evil can simply mean to esteem lightly.

Wives are to submit to their Husbands. A Husband is the HEAD of his Wife.

Husbands love your Wives dearly. Husbands, honor your Wives. Husband and Wife are one flesh joined by God, -let no one get between them.

Wives, adorn yourselves with the precious quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.

Wives, don't correct your Husbands.

Children, don't correct your parents.

God hates rebellion, stubbornness and disobedience toward Parents.

SUBMISSION BRINGS WONDERFUL BLESSINGS FROM GOD

This Article is taken from "Submission, From Your Will to God's Will"

Jesus is Lord. Blessed be His Name!