I was impressed by the honor that Moses showed to his father-in-law, even though we aren't exactly sure that Jethro ever joined with the Israelites.
For this reason, our verse for this week is,
"Honor thy father and thy mother, as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which YHWH thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 15:17-18, KJV).
Sometimes when we begin to be obedient to the Torah, our parents and in-laws just don't understand our choices. How are we to handle the break in relationship that sometimes occurs?
It can be very difficult to honor our parents if
our beliefs are not the same, and it can be even harder if they actively antagonize us or seek to teach our children something different that we teach in our home.
As author Gary Ezzo wisely says, at these times the commandment to honor our father and mother becomes a difficult blessing rather than a verse of
blessing. Yet YHWH still calls for a minimum amount of respect and honor. We are not to speak evil of our parents, slander them, let them go hungry, or ignore them in time of need. At the very worst, they are our neighbors, whom we should love as ourselves.
>> Link to https://growingfamilies.life/gfi-core-curriculum/growing-kids-gods-way/
In your own home, you also have the responsibility to teach your children
to honor you. Obedience can sometimes be an outward action, with no inner heart motivation.
However, young children should simply obey "because you said so." As Galatians 3:24 says, obedience to your "laws" is a schoolmaster to help your children understand how to obey their heavenly Father. Later, your
children learn to voluntarily submit to your authority, from the heart, out of devotion and love for both you and YHWH.
Simply do not allow your children to ever mock your authority.
"The eye that
mocks a father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it" (Proverbs 30:17, NKJV).
"He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death" (Exodus
21:15, 17, NKJV).
God takes honor to parents seriously, and it is your job to enforce this commandment in your home. YHWH said of Eli's wicked sons,
"I told him that I would judge his family forever
because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them" (1 Samuel 3:13, NIV).
YHWH is seeking godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). If there is ever anything we can do to help you in your parenting, be sure to let us know.