Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
1 Kings 2:19
2:19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
Solomon’s Honor to His Mother—
We take the position that the fifth commandment is binding upon the son and daughter, although they may be old and gray-headed. However high or humble their station in life they will never rise above or fall below their obligation to obey the fifth precept of the decalogue, that commands them to honor their father and mother. Solomon, the wisest and most exalted monarch that ever sat upon an earthly throne, has given us an example of filial love and reverence. He was surrounded by his courtly train, consisting of the wisest sages and counselors, yet, when visited by his mother, he laid aside all the customary ceremonies attending the approach of a subject to an oriental monarch. The mighty king, in the presence of his mother, was only her son. His royalty was laid aside, as he rose from his throne and bowed before her. He then seated her on his throne, at his right hand (The Signs of the Times, February 28, 1878). {2BC 1025.2}
Just picture the scene whereby Solomon, the wisest and richest of all kings, being surrounded by his counselors who bow down to him, having his mother enter the room and he then himself bows down to his mother and sets her seat at his right hand. This is the epitome of the fifth commandment, honor thy father and mother. What a stark contrast in the world today. No sooner than the parents become elderly are they committed by the children to a nursing home, where they are to spend the last days of their life. These places, known to be negligent in the care and wellbeing of the residents, exacerbates their condition and ultimately hastens their death. The day of the three-generation household, no longer held sacred by the youth of today. Grandparent, child, and grandchild was the typical household of generations gone by. There were no nursing homes or assisted living facilities, there were homes of generations that took care of each other. Today, the youth are “taught” and conditioned to think but of themselves, to look out for number one. This is what the gurus and life coaches “teach” them today. This is part of the demise of civilization. Yes, all people can aspire to marry and have children, to have a family of their own. However, not to forget that it is still possible to be under one roof, and all together being a part of the Royal Family. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come to the foot of Your throne, as Your children, to give You thanks and praise. We thank You for always being available to us, that we may come to You just the way we are. We strive always to do what is well pleasing in Your sight, to be the Christian children You want us to be. We thank You for being our Father and for teaching us Your ways. For being a loving and caring Father, who always has the best interest of His children in mind. A Father who gives His children unconditional love for honoring Him, that You may honor us. We thank You for our earthly parents, who have or are doing their best if they are following in Your ways. We pray for our parents and our children, to seek Your face always to be saved as heirs of the Royal Family. If possible, and by Your grace, may the families of generations maintain their bond together as a Christian family under the same roof or household. We pray that people today will learn of Your ways and the fifth commandment to honor their father and mother, that their days may be long. We thank You for one of Your great pillars, the sanctity of marriage, between one man and one woman, which hold up civilization. We pray that the parents teach the children in the way they should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it. We pray that they pay attention to the example that Solomon set before us all, and not those of today’s life coaches that do not even know who You are. We pray that You remove from Your people all selfish tendencies in their hearts and the worst cliché of all to look out for number one. We thank and praise You, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
