For our scripture reading this morning, we turn to the book of Proverbs and we'll read from chapter 23. Proverbs 23, we'll read the second half beginning at verse 19 and reading to the end of the chapter. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way. Be not among wine-bibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh, for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and instruction and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him, Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways, for a whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. who hath woe, who hath sorrow, who hath contentions, who hath babbling, who hath wounds without cause, who hath redness of eyes. They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine, look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright, at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, Shalt thou say, And I was not sick? They have beaten me, and I felt it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. Thus far we read the divinely inspired scripture this morning. It's on the basis of that portion of Proverbs 23 and all of the Holy Bible. that we have the Heidelberg Catechism's explanation of the Fifth Commandment in Lourdes Day 39. We read the Fifth Commandment back in Lourdes Day 34. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. And now Lord's Day 39 asks, what doth God require in the fifth commandment? Answer, that I show all honor, love, and fidelity to my father and mother, and all in authority over me, and submit myself to their good instruction and correction with due obedience, and also patiently bear with their weaknesses and infirmities, since it pleases God to govern us by their hand. Let's bow before the Lord in prayer. Father in heaven, grace and truth shall mark the way where Thy own Thou dost lead. So lead us this morning in that way for Jesus' sake, Amen. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, this morning we make a transition from the first table of the law, Commandments 1-4, and the duties we owe to God to the second table of the law, Commandments 5-10, and the duties we owe to our neighbor. And as we make this transition, we are not now entering into a table that is lesser in importance or inferior to the first table. Jesus said, love God. That's the first and great commandment. And the second commandment, love your neighbor as yourself, is like unto the first. And so as we make this transition to the second table of the law and now the fifth commandment this morning regarding authority, this commandment is as weighty as 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. It is very important that we abhor idols and have God alone as our God, first commandment. But it's also very important that boys and girls listen to their father and mother. Fifth commandment. It's very, very important that we not make graven images in the worship of our God, but that we worship Him only as He has commanded in His Word. First commandment. Rather, second commandment. But it's also very important that we show honor to our office bearers in the church for their work's sake. 5th Commandment. It is very important that we never take God's name in vain. 3rd Commandment. But it is also very important that when we go to work, we respect our employer. 5th Commandment. It is very important that we keep the Sabbath day holy and diligently frequent in the church of God. Fourth commandment. But it is also very important that we honor the President of the United States, the Supreme Court Justices, the Governor of Michigan, and the police officer on the road. Fifth commandment. We ought never to think that breaking the first table of the law is very, very serious. But it's not so serious if we talk back to dad and mom. Or if we show contempt for anyone who's in authority over us. The whole law of God is important. Jesus, our Lord, did not regard the fifth commandment as any lesser than the four that precede it. He perfectly honored all authority. He honored His Father in heaven who had authority over Him. And for his father's sake, he would submit to Joseph and Mary in the home in Nazareth, and he would even say about Caesar, render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And now God be praised this morning that Jesus Christ is not simply a pattern for us to follow, though he is that, but he is the real saving power that we all need to live according to the fifth commandment. So let's consider the fifth commandment this morning. Harkening to Father and Mother. And we're using the language of Proverbs 23, verse 22, which begins, Harken. Harkening to Father and Mother, we'll look at three things. Principles, practice, and power. Before we consider the practice of the fifth commandment and hearkening unto father and mother, let's establish two foundational principles. One, all authority is of God. Authority. That's the main concept in Lords Day 39. We read in the answer that I show all honor, love, and fidelity to my Father and Mother and all in authority over me. Authority is the right to be in a position over others. Governing, leading, teaching, so that those who are under that authority are called to honor and obey. Authority. God has all authority. Every creature in the universe, including all the angels of heaven, are under God, called to honor and obey God, because God is over every single creature. He has absolute authority in Himself. When we come down to this earth, therefore, there is no one who has an inherent right to be over another person in authority. but the God of all authority is pleased to confer authority upon earthly figures. For example, he confers authority upon a father and a mother in the home, so that children are under father and mother and called to hearken to father and mother. And when the God of all authority confers authority upon others, he's not relinquishing or giving up his own absolute authority, but he's pleased to exercise His authority through earthly figures like parents. This principle is captured in the Catechism not only when we have the identification of authority as the main concept, but the Catechism continues all the way to its final line which states, since it pleases God to govern us by their hand. Us. Here we are on the earth. Us. Over us, earthly authorities that God has ordained. And over them and us, God, who's pleased to rule us by their hand. The God of all authority. Scripture teaches this principle. Ephesians 6 verse 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. 1 Peter 2 verse 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Romans 13 verse 1, not every soul be subject under the higher powers or authorities, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. This first principle is very important to remember and to recognize when we are under authority. Every child and young person must look up and see Father and Mother in the home, but above Father and Mother, see God so that we honor our parents for God's sake. And if we dishonor our parents, we dishonor the Lord. Every member of the church must look at the office bearers of the church and then see up above them God who's pleased to govern us through their hand. And we make a promise at Confession of Faith, we will submit, and if necessary, even to church discipline, we will submit. We will submit to authority in the church because God rules us through that authority. Every day when we go to work, we look up and we see the higher authority, our boss, our manager, whether they're rude, whether they're cruel, whether they're kind and compassionate, regardless, up above them, is God who rules us through them. Every citizen of the United States of America must see the president, the members of the Supreme Court, the local governors and mayors and the police officers, and then look above them and see God. We will honor them for God's sake. To dishonor them is to dishonor God. Luke 2 verse 51 says that the 12-year-old Jesus was subject unto Joseph and Mary, because he knew that up above Joseph and Mary was his Father, who was pleased to govern him through their hand. All authority is of God. That's principle number one. It's very important for those who are under authority. It is also very important to remember for those who are in. Authority. Exercising authority. Fathers in the home who abuse their authority and do whatever they want, even to the hurt of their family, behave wickedly. And office bearers in the church who become lords over God's heritage and do whatever they want with their authority, damaging the sheep, hurting the sheep, or ignoring and dismissing the sheep, behave. wickedly. Employers who use their authority to take advantage of their employees behave wickedly. And governors in the civil state who abuse their authority and make laws that go beyond their proper jurisdiction as civil officers, who make laws that promote immorality and are against those who do good, are authorities who behave wickedly. Let every human being who is in authority look up and see God. You must give an account to God. You must be faithful to God. And you must represent God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign of heaven and earth. What does James say? My brethren, be not many masters. Don't go through your life saying, I would love to be in authority, to have authority, to be over someone, to be able to lead and teach them as I want. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. Principle number one, all authority is of God. And now foundational principle number two, respect for authority must be taught and learned in the home. It is evident from the fifth commandment that when it comes to the matter of authority, God will have us prioritize the home where there is a father, and mother, and children. For you see, there are many different God-ordained authorities, but the fifth commandment does not say, honor thy prophet. And now you think of the realm of the church. And the fifth commandment does not say, honor thy master. And now think of the realm of the workforce. And the fifth commandment does not say, honor thy king. And now think of civil government. But the fifth commandment says, honor thy father. and thy mother. Now we need to thank home. And therefore, the Heidelberg Catechism says that I show all honor, love, and fidelity to my father and mother and all in authority over me. There are some good reasons why God explicitly addresses the home. in the command regarding authority. First of all, according to God's appointment, all earthly authority arises organically out of the home. Go back in history, go all the way back into the Garden of Eden, and think about the fact that in the Garden, God did not create an instituted church with office bearers and members of a congregation. And in the Garden of Eden, God did not create a business with management and a workforce. And in the Garden of Eden, God did not create a nation state with governing bodies and people who are being ruled by those civil magistrates. But in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God created a man, and then He created a woman, and He brought them together in marriage, and He gave them sons. That is God made. A home. First, a home. And now as you watch history unfold, you see that all these earthly authority figures will arise organically out of the home. As the human race unfolds, this father who has authority in his home will become a chieftain who has authority over a clan. He'll become an elder, a master who has authority now over this broader tribe. But first, a father in the home. Well then, it stands to reason that in the fifth commandment, God will address the home. Secondly, it's not surprising that God addresses the home here because in no other relationship of authority is it true that the one who is in authority is so obviously the greater. And the one who is under authority is so obviously the lesser. In the church, you might have an elder who comes into your living room to conduct family visitation, and he is 30 years younger than you are. He's over you in authority, and yet, he's obviously lesser with respect to age. In the workplace, let's say we go into the Amazon warehouse, and we might have this petite, little, 30-year-old female manager managing. And way back in one of those aisles, we have this big, hulking, 60-year-old man who's working part-time filling orders, and she is over him in authority, He is obviously greater with respect to stature and strength. Or think, for example, of the nation. You might have a king who has a rightful position of authority, and he's only a boy, like little Joash of Judah. Most of the people in Judah who are under Joash are bigger, stronger, smarter, older, obviously greater than the one who is in authority. You have that. But what happens when you go into the home? There, the parents are obviously greater and the children lesser for most of the time that the children are in the home. And that reality is brought out in Proverbs 23, verse 22, when we read, Harken unto thy father, and now how is the father identified? Harken unto thy father that begat thee. And the implication is, and to thy mother who bore thee, And that actually comes out later in verse 25. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bear thee shall rejoice. In no other relationship of authority is it true that the ones who are under authority are begotten by the one who is in authority. Or who are born by and brought forth by the one who is in authority. The consistory doesn't beget you. Your employer in the workforce doesn't beget you. Now, even if you work for your father, in the workforce, he's your boss. He doesn't beget you as your boss. The governor of Michigan did not bear you. and bring you forth. But Father begat us, and Mother brought us forth, and we were helpless little infants. We couldn't discern our right hand from our left hand. We were vulnerable, helpless, and defenseless. That's how we came into the world and into this home. A little infant. And we grow up as little children in the home under Father and Mother. the one who begat us and the one who bore us. Now I want to add right here, even in the case of adopted children, where a child in the home can say that this father didn't begat me and this mother didn't bear me, an adopted child may not say I don't have to hearken unto you." Those parents bear responsibility for you as a child, and it is your responsibility before God, according to the fifth commandment, to hearken unto your father and your mother. It is for good reason that when God addresses authority in the fifth commandment, He addresses the home. Now, the principle is, it's in the home that we learn and we are taught to respect authority. The breakdown and demise of our society is due in large part to the ignoring of this principle. There is so much disrespect in this world today. It is appalling. Not only disrespect for people and possessions, even disrespect for the creation, as people have no hesitation taking bags of trash and hurling them out into God's beautiful creation, but disrespect everywhere. For teachers, as boys and girls in school and young people, they curse teachers. talk over teachers, mock teachers, try to fight teachers. Sometimes you hear about in the news, take a gun to school and shoot teachers. There is so much disrespect for the ordinances that God has built right into the creation, the ordinance of marriage. So much disrespect for employees, rather, of employees for their employer, by members of labor unions who go on strike and who march up and down the streets refusing to work, demanding better pay from the boss, so much disrespect of mothers by little children, little children who command that mother hearkens unto them, and if not, a temper tantrum, and disrespect for civil leaders by citizens of the nation state who riot in the streets, who burn police cars, who loot businesses, and who stomp on the American flag, appalling behavior in our society, and fundamentally it is all disrespect for authority. And how much of all of this disrespect has its origin back in the home, where there were not parents who were respectable and honorable, and there were not parents who taught respect and commanded respect from their children, in the home, and that for God's sake. The demise of the church can often have its origin in the home for the same reasons. If we don't teach our children regularly and consistently what respect is and what it looks like, and if we're not respectable, and a good example to our children, then it would be no surprise if under the judgment of God, the children go to school and they will not listen to their teachers. They will grow up and publicly militate against decisions of the consistory. They'll show up a half hour late to work and then berate their boss when he's upset. and they'll become disorderly in society and refuse to pay taxes to Caesar, and at worst, God's name is dishonored. But don't you see the opposite also? Under the gracious blessing of God for Jesus' sake, is it not a beautiful thing when parents do teach respect to their children and God blesses that? So that you have boys and girls in the church who grow up, and they go get a job, and their employer praises them for their work ethic. And local colleges say, we want students from Covenant Christian High School. They're committed. and they're respectful. Doesn't that make the church a wonderful place to be? When God blesses and our children are respectful, and then they grow up and they become adults, and even if the day comes when they have a grievance with the church, a grievance with the consistory, or they have a grievance with the school board, and they present their grievance and they earnestly contend for their case, that even then, they do it respectfully. in honor for those to whom God gave authority. Principles. Two of them. All authority is of God and respect for authority will be taught and learned in the home. And now that leads us to a consideration of the practice of hearkening unto father and mother. Let's follow the direction of the Heidelberg Catechism here with five things. What does this practice look like? Number one, honor. The Catechism says that I show all honor. Honor is internal, it's an inner attitude of the heart, whereby children respect father and mother. Well then the question becomes, if it's internal, how do you show that you are honoring your father and mother? And one of the ways is by hearkening unto them. So that Proverbs 23 verse 22 says, Harken unto Thy Father that begat Thee. Harken is simply an old word for hear. For listen. And for obey. Harken unto. So that means when you're living in the home as a child, and your father or mother is speaking to you, and especially when they're giving to you instructions, you bend in your ear. To hearken means you lean in with the ear. That you honor them in the heart is demonstrated by hearkening unto them. You hearing, you hear them, you listen to them. Let's say you're a little boy living in the home. There's a lot of noises going on in the home right now because off in the distance, your older sister is vacuuming and you hear that hum. And over here at the kitchen table, older brother is helping younger sister with her math. And you have these different sounds and noises and you're playing on the floor. And all of a sudden, you hear, let's say David, your name is David. You hear, David, Or you hear, David, pick up the puzzle pieces on the floor. Honor in the heart shows itself by hearkening. And hearkening means as soon as you hear your name, David, you lean in with your ear and you listen and say, Yes, Mother. And then immediately, you start picking up the puzzle pieces on the floor. Not to hearken means, mother says, David, David, pick up the pieces of the puzzle. David, I said pick up those pieces right now. And then finally, you obey. you're not hearkening, and therefore you are not honoring from the heart. Honor them by hearkening unto them. And you will keep doing that even when you're 18 years old and working full-time, so that when dad or mom says your name, you immediately lean in with the ear. Second, love. The Catechism says that I show all honor, love to my father and mother. Well, there are many ways to love. Love also is in the heart. Many ways to love. One of them is to hearken. Another way to show that you love your parents is to do what makes them glad. What? what makes them glad. Verse 24, the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Being righteous and wise will make your parents glad. Well, what does that look like? How do you show that you're righteous and wise? Well, look at what's sandwiched between verses 22 and 24. 22 says, hearken unto. And 24 says, your parents will rejoice. And what's in between? Verse 23, buy the truth and sell it not. also wisdom and instruction and understanding. What causes father and mother to rejoice greatly above anything else is when you are taught the truth of God's Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and you know it, and believe it, and love it, and by faith you buy it, and you make confession of faith in the church, and commit to living out of that truth. You buy the truth, and then you never sell it. You never sell it for a boyfriend. You never trade it for a girlfriend. You never exchange it for a wicked life of sinful pleasure, or give it up for a career. But having bought the truth, you never sell it. That's what causes parents to rejoice above anything else. How will the Apostle John put it later toward the end of the New Testament? I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. So then let no one ever say, Having renounced the gospel of Jesus and abandoned God's church, Dad and Mom, I love you. You're not being honest. If you love Dad and Mom, you are God-fearing parents, then for God's sake, you will want to do what causes them to rejoice greatly. And that is, to buy the truth and sell it not. That is love. Third, the catechism says, fidelity, that I show all honor, love, and fidelity to my father and mother. Fidelity is loyalty or faithfulness. Verse 22, Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. When mother becomes old and old and older, mother will become frail, and mother will need more and more care. Do not hold her in contempt because she is older and needy. Because sometimes, being old, she might be silly in her speech. So that you think, mother, why would you say that? Or she becomes unpredictable in her behavior because she's old. So that you think, mother, why would you do that? Or because she's not so refined in some of her mannerisms now that she's old. Do not despise her because she is old. Fidelity. Faithfulness, loyalty to mother and to father means care for them. All the way till the day that you take the body and lower it into the grave as a seed that is planted in hope of the resurrection. That is fidelity. Always remembering, she bore you. before you could ever discern between your right hand and your left. She was gently carrying you in her arms. You have no idea how many nights she did not sleep because she was taking good care of you. The child she bore, a gift from God. Remember that. She bore you. And now when she becomes old, don't despise her. Show her fidelity. Fourth, the catechism continues, "...and submit myself to their good instruction and correction with due obedience." Instruction. That's the calling of fathers and mothers in the home. Give instruction and correction. Now sometimes a father can scarcely find it in his heart to administer corporal discipline to his little child when naughty. But the father will find it in his heart because he loves his child. There will be correction. Instruction and correction. And now the catechism says when you're under that authority, you submit to that. The instruction and the correction would do obedience when you're 3 or 4 years old, when you're 17 or 18 years old, and now Father's correcting you. He's scolding you. Don't turn away. Stiff-necked. I'm not listening. I'm going to convey that in my posture. I'm not listening to you. I'm 18. Don't do that. Bend in the ear. Hearken. Submit to their good instruction and correction with due obedience. For God's sake. And then fifth and finally, the Catechism says, "...and also patiently bear with their weaknesses and infirmities." Children who have God-fearing parents who are holy in the Lord. Your parents are not perfect. Joseph and Mary were not perfect in raising Jesus. Your God-fearing parents might be inconsistent or irregular in discipline sometimes, so that the correction and discipline they give to you, it seems harsher than the discipline they just gave to your sister for the same infraction. Well, that's not fair, you say. And you might have it where on a Sunday afternoon, your mother says to you, now, get off the computer. We do not do that on the computer on Sunday. Look it. Here's the beacon lights. Let's go over your catechism again. And one week later, mother is doing the exact same thing on the computer. or father may say to you, now we do not talk that way in this home." And next week, he's talking to mom that very way. Well, I don't have to hearken to father or mother then. Don't say that. Patiently bear, says the catechism, with their weaknesses and infirmities. Don't hold grudges against your parents for their weaknesses and infirmities. Don't keep a catalog. of all their weaknesses and infirmities. In fact, I dare say that because God is not mocked, and a man will reap that which he has sown. If you keep a catalog of your parents' weaknesses and infirmities, you may very well have a child who does the same thing to you. Don't do that. Patiently bear their weaknesses and infirmities. What your God-fearing parents lack cannot compare to everything they've given to you through all the years of your life. Patiently bear, recognizing God is pleased to rule you through their hand. God doesn't give us angels to raise us. He gives us sinner saints saved by grace so that we all come to understand all of us are weak And there's only one who is perfect, our Father in heaven and our Savior. Principles, practice, and now let's conclude this morning with power. The only power to obey the fifth commandment is the power that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The power to respect authority. It's simply not in us. Not by nature. All that is in us is rebellion and disrespect. And if we have this sinful nature, and we all do, is there anything that so goes against the grain of our sinful nature as the whole concept of authority? We don't want authority. Don't tell me someone's over me and has the say-so. I'm a little god. I'm a superior. I want to say my will be done with no one over me. We hate authority by nature. But did you know that there was one man for whom respect and honor and obedience for authority came naturally out of his heart? As pure water comes naturally from a pure spring, his heart was so pure, and His name is Jesus Christ, the beautiful Savior. No one ever saw Him disobey or disrespect any, not even the Father in heaven when He looked down upon the human race and He saw there was none good, no, not one, and He saw Jesus right into Jesus' heart, what did He say of Jesus? This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him. Perfectly obeyed. Perfectly fulfilled the whole law of God, including the fifth commandment. Perfectly hearkening to those who are in authority over Him for God's sake. And even when He went into Jerusalem to offer a very stern rebuke of the ecclesiastical authorities and their corruption, He did not disrespect them in their position. He was honoring His Father and his father's law in that stern rebuke. And when his father gave him a cup of wrath for our sins, Jesus said, if it's not possible to set this cup aside, then I take it and I drink it for all the sins of my people. and He died, therefore, for us as the perfectly obedient Son. And now, His perfect sacrifice is abundantly sufficient to expiate all your sin against the fifth commandment. To all of you gathered here this morning, who are weary and heavy-laden and troubled before the fifth commandment. Lean in now. With your ear, lean in and hear the gospel of Jesus. His perfect sacrifice is abundantly sufficient to cover in God's sight all your sins against the fifth commandment. And His perfect righteousness is imputed to us, so that we are beautifully clothed, we who trust in Him by faith. And now His Holy Spirit is the power that worketh in us, so that in Jesus Christ, in possessing His Spirit already as little boys and girls, we are sincerely willing and ready to live according to the fifth commandment, hearkening unto father and mother. And not only power, but in Jesus Christ, we are also sweetly stimulated by that beautiful promise that it will go well for you in the land, and you will have long life in the land. The land is ultimately the reward of Canaan in heaven. Honor thy father and thy mother May God give us power this morning through the gospel to walk in obedience to that command. Amen. Let us pray. Father in heaven, blessed be thy name. Not only art thou the God of all authority, thou art the God who doeth all things well. Infinitely wise and righteous and good, so that it should not be difficult for anyone to submit to Thee. When it is, it's our fault. We're sorry. Forgive us and renew us, for Jesus' sake. Amen.