When the fifth commandment was first given, God was telling them that for them to be able to live in peace for generations in the Promised Land, the Israelites would need to respect authority and build strong families. But this part of the commandment doesn’t just have relevance for the Israelites of the Old Testament. In Deut. 5:16 Moses, in a parallel passage that repeats the commandments, says God gives the reason that “it may go well with you.” Paul, in Ephesians 6:1 says you should honor them because “this is right” and in Colossians 3:20 he says children obeying their parents “pleases the Lord.” So, why honor your parents:
- It enables you to live long in the land.
- It will be well with you.
- It is the right thing to do.
- It pleases the Lord.
