I know we're all upholding Betty as she is facing surgery today, and Robert is having surgery tomorrow. Please keep them in your prayers.
So have you heard, Why the chocolate chip cookie went to the doctor? Well of course it was because he was feeling crummy. Sorry about that crummy joke. I guess you could say, "that's the way the cookie crumbles." Oh, sorry.
Thursday 3/9
Prov. 28:24 "Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, "What's wrong with that?" Is no better than a murderer."
This warning is facing off; toward a child who would use his obedience of the law as an excuse for bringing harm to his parents, as the worst offense. This was the ultimate offense to Solomon. He knew that God is offended by a child committing the ultimate offense, robbing from his parents, being excused due to his witnessing to others of His honor to God.
He was pointing out that both laws can be honored. Solomon knew that offending one command because of obeying another command, was a slippery slope. When someone acts as though the laws of God are unreasonable, or unbalanced that person is excusing disobedience as acceptable because of his obedience to another law.
This proverb is striving to place an understanding of priorities in life. That the principle that honor is due to all was possible. That we can honor our parents, and at the same time also honor God, and also honor the law. To pit one prioity against another is a life out of balance.
Our Heavenly Father desires for us to bring honor to all of the people in our lives, but especially to our parents. Our parents deserve high honors in our lives, it isn't acceptable to pit one promise over another.
God is aware of those who selfishly ignore their vital responsibility for honoring & caring for their parents for what may appear as a holy action, due to the requirement of another less important law. (Example: Tithing on their spice garden & at the same time ignoring their parents, or another inanimate ritual, in other words an excuse)
In the Jewish community honor to parents were closely comparable to honor to God. This is consistent to a number of places in the Bible. Deut. 21:18-20 speaks of the parents making public the child's refusal to obey them before the temple congregation, and this offense of failure to honor his parents being worthy of stoning by the church.
In other words, there is an higher priority given to honor ones parent, (private over public). If we fail to honor those in our lives who are our foundation in life, we surely need not make the appearance of being righteous in our public life.
So Go With God he will assist us to be consistent in our walk with Him, and our lives with those who deserve honor from us. Our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil strive to strike this division in our life for then we are weakened by offending God's Spirit in our lives. Rest in Him and He will give us balance, in all we do.