Honor, according to Webster's dictionary, is "a good name or public esteem. A showing of unusual merited respect." When God commands us to "Honor your father and your mother," however, He provides some additional meaning. In the original Hebrew language, the word for "honor" meant "heavy or weight." To honor someone meant "I weigh you down with respect and prestige. I place upon you great worth and value."
It is fascinating to observe, as God originally formed Israel into a nation, that the concept of honoring parents was one of its foundational elements. Think of the setting: God had brought this nation of people, held captive for so long in Egypt, into the wilderness of Sinai. He had promised them the land of Israel, but up to this point He had never given them any written directions. They needed instructions to govern their behavior and preserve their identity as a nation.
God gave them the Ten Commandments. So you can best appreciate the significance of the command to honor parents, note that the first four commandments dealt with how man relates to God. With these mandates, God established that He is the One who should be exalted above anyone or anything else. A nation's life, and an individual's life, is defined by its relationship with God.
Then comes the fifth commandment, and I don't think that's by coincidence. Honoring parents should be a direct result of our faith in God.
Look carefully at the commandment again. Whom did God command us to honor? Only perfect parents? Only Christian parents? Parents who are spiritually mature and insightful? Only parents who never made major mistakes in rearing us?
No, God commands us to honor our parents regardless of their performances, behaviors and dysfunctions. Why? Because honoring parents demands that we walk by faith.
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