THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT (God’s Representatives) Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we do not dishonor or anger our parents and others in authority, but honor, serve, and obey them, and give them love and respect. Lesson 13

Aim: Why does God want those in authority to discipline us when we disobey them?

1. When are we guilty of sinning against those in authority over us? 1 Samuel 2: Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the L ORD ’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the L ORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the L ORD ’s will to put them to death.

DISOBEY THEM

1. When are we guilty of sinning against those in authority over us? 2 Kings 2:23,24 23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the L ORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

DISOBEY THEM DISHONOR THEM

1. When are we guilty of sinning against those in authority over us? Numbers 16: Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come! 13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! 14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, we will not come!” 15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the L ORD, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

DISOBEY THEM DISHONOR THEM ANGER THEM

2. What does God want his representatives to do when we sin? 1 Samuel 3:13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. GUIDE US

2. What does God want his representatives to do when we sin? Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. DISCIPLINE US

2. What does God want his representatives to do when we sin? 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. INSTRUCT US PATIENTLY

3. How can loving discipline serve as a blessing for us? Proverbs 23:13,14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. 14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death. Hebrews 10: If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

3. How can loving discipline serve as a blessing for us? TO SAVE OUR SOULS FROM ETERNAL DEATH (HELL)

4. When only does God want us not to obey those whom he places over us? Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! ONLY WHEN THEY TELL US TO GO AGAINST WHAT GOD COMMANDS