THE FOURTH AND FIFTH

COMMANDMENTS

LESSON 12

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT:

Love for God’s Representatives

WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF US:

Ephesians 6:1-2

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--

Hebrews 13:7, 17

7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Romans 13:1-2

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Timothy 5:4

4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we honor (respect, obey, love) our parents and others in authority as long as they live.

Ephesians 6:1-5

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Colossians 3:20-24

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we honor (respect, obey, love) our parents and others in authority as long as they live.

2. That we do this out of love for Jesus since they serve as God’s representatives through whom God blesses us.

2 Samuel 15:1-12

1

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." 3 Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." 4 And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice." 5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

2 Samuel 15:1-12

7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD . 8 While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron. ' " 9 The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.' " 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing.

2 Samuel 18:14-17

14 Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him. 16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

Acts 5:29

29Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!

Matthew 10:37

37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

What God Expects of Us

1. That we honor (respect, obey, love) our parents and others in authority as long as they live.

2. That we do this out of love for Jesus since they serve as God’s representatives through whom God blesses us.

3. That we respectfully disobey them only when they tell us to disobey God’s Word.

BLESSINGS FOR THIS LIFE

PROMISED TO THOSE WHO HONOR THEIR

PARENTS

Ephesians 6:3

3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

Blessings For This Life Promised to Those Who Honor Their Parents

1. We will have a good life.

2. We will enjoy a long life on the earth (Absalom).

Application

Evaluate: Some parents or teachers lose their tempers very easily. When we know this, it’s fun to see if we can do something to get them to “blow their stacks.”

It’s wrong for those whom God places over us to “blow their stacks.” God wants them to deal with us patiently and with careful instruction. But their sin doesn’t give us the right to think we can have some fun by getting them to lose their tempers. Remember, God says it is a serious sin to make his representative angry.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT:

Love for Human Life

WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF US:

Psalm 31:15

15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

Isaiah 38, esp. v 5

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD , 3 "Remember, O LORD , how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD , the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 " 'This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.' " So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.

Genesis 9:6

6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

Romans 13:4

4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we recognize that God gives life and only He or His chosen representatives (government) can

rightfully take a life (just war, capital punishment)

Isaiah 55:6

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we recognize that God gives life and only He or His chosen representatives (government) can

rightfully take a life (just war, capital punishment)

2. That we value all human life as a time to come to faith in Jesus and then serve Him.

Genesis 9:6

6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we recognize that God gives life and only He or His chosen representatives (government) can

rightfully take a life (just war, capital punishment)

2. That we value all human life as a time to come to faith in Jesus and then serve Him.

3. That we do not wrongly take a life, including our own (murder, suicide, abortion, mercy killing).

4. That we do not wrongly harm a life, including our own (overeating, poor diet, drinking, drugs, smoking, worry, etc.)

1 John 3:15

15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Romans 12:19

19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,“ says the Lord.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we recognize that God gives life and only He or His chosen representatives (government) can

rightfully take a life (just war, capital punishment)2. That we value all human life as a time to come to faith

in Jesus and then serve Him3. That we do not wrongly take a life, including our own

(murder, suicide, abortion, mercy killing).4. That we do not wrongly harm a life, including our own (overeating, poor diet, drinking, drugs, smoking, worry, etc.)5. That we do not hate or even think evil of someone

(jealousy, revenge)

1 Samuel 26:1-12

1 The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?" 2 So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David. 3 Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, 4 he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived. 5 Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him. 6 David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?" "I'll go with you," said Abishai. 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. 8 Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice." 9 But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless? 10 As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let's go." 12 So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

Ephesians 4:32

32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

1 John 3:16

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

What God Expects of Us

1. That we recognize that God gives life and only He or His chosen representatives (government) can

rightfully take a life (just war, capital punishment)2. That we value all human life as a time to come to faith

in Jesus and then serve Him3. That we do not wrongly take a life, including our own

(murder, suicide, abortion, mercy killing).4. That we do not wrongly harm a life, including our own (overeating, poor diet, drinking, drugs, smoking, worry, etc.)5. That we do not hate or even think evil of someone (jealousy, revenge)6. That we love, forgive, and be kind to others, just as God loved and forgave us first.

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK

1. Study carefully the notes you have taken in class; be sure you understand them.

2. Study carefully questions 63-86 in the Catechism. Be able to answer these questions in your own words.

3. Complete the “Working with God’s Word” section. Have your parent correct this section.

4. Memorize these Bible verses:

VIP Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

5. Memorize the 6th and 7th Commandments and What Does This Mean?

6. Complete Worksheet #12 at home and have your parents correct it Be ready for review of Lesson 12 on Wednesday, December 8h.

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK

Complete Key Truth: The fourth commandment is about love for God’s ____________, such as _________ and others in authority. This we do out of ______ for Jesus. We respectfully disobey them when they tell us to ________ God’s Word. The fifth commandment is about love for human ____. Human life is most important because it is the only time to come to ______ in Jesus and then serve him. God wants us to ____ and _______ others just as he _____ and _______ us first.

Closing Prayer

Use me to show your love to someone else. Help me to continue to learn your Word throughout my whole life. Use it to bless me and keep me yours. Thank you for children, parents, grandparents, and all those you’ve given to bless me here. In Jesus’ name. Amen.