We are in chapter twenty of Exodus with our word for today. כָּבֵד weigh heavily upon, be heavy, burdensome, honored, respect, show esteem. It is used 114 times in the Old Testament. The basic idea to show value. God’s criticism of Eli was that he valued his sons more than God by not correcting their disrespectful behavior toward God. 1 Samuel 2:29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you וַתְּכַבֵּ֤ד honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ We also see God point out how the priests have not honored him by giving offerings not according to his direction and will. Malachi 1:6-7 A son יְכַבֵּ֥ד honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the כְבוֹדִ֡י honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar. Our word is used in showing value by thanking God. Psalm 50:23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings יְֽכַ֫בְּדָ֥נְנִי honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation. It is also used in showing value by giving back resources to God and his work. Proverbs 3:9 כַּבֵּ֣ד Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. This idea of showing value is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 20:12 כַּבֵּ֥ד Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. We honor our parents by showing them that they are important to us. We treat them in a way that shows their direction and will are important enough for us to follow. In the New Testament we see Jesus emphasizes the importance of this commandment when calling out the religious leaders for finding a way around it so they could personally profit off the wealth from parents. Matthew 15:3-6 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Notice how honoring one’s parents includes obeying them which is what we have seen in our word. We value them enough to listen to their instruction and their will and follow it. And did you catch that the Holy Spirit interprets this command as having the promise of enjoying a long life. For God’s people who were living when Exodus was written it was specific to the land that God was going to soon give them. The promised land. For us New Testament people notice the word has been changed to earth instead of land. This is because now there is no geographical center for God’s people today. We are spiritually connected to God through Christ anywhere we live on this earth. We enjoy our life by being connected to God through Christ and having his Spirit living inside of us. I’ll close with this passage where God uses our word to describe his value for his people. Isaiah 43:4-5 Since you are precious and נִכְבַּ֖דְתָּ honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
