1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
-
Upload
chalcedon-presbyterian-church -
Category
Documents
-
view
226 -
download
0
Transcript of 1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
-
8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/4
aw
&
iberation
by Owen ourie
God, Family, and Property
God, .family, and pr?perty are inseparably linked.
M ~ s r n sees the link and works
to
destroy it.
U l t i ~ a t e l y Marxism will fail in its quest for
it
foolishly opposes the order of the Ahnighty triune
Creator-Redeemer.
God
.
The
importance
of
the link
between family and property can be measured
by the
fact . that four of the ten commandments protect
family and property. These are the fifth, the seventh
against ~ u l t e r y the eighth against theft, and the
tenth agamst covetousness. Interestingly, none of
the c o m m ~ ~ e n t s protects the State. Apart from
the prescnphon for pure worship
of
the true
God
the Church does not enjoy any protection from
Decalogue either.
One
would have to look
elsewhere in Scripture for the establishment and
maintenance
of
the State and the Church as God
give;n institutions in. society.
The
emphasis
on
the
family and property m the
Law
of
God
makes
it
clear
that the family is the basic unit of society. This is
God's order and any teaching
or
philosophy
or
ideology that kicks against it will meet with ruin.
The fifth commandment requires that parents be
honored. Such honor is given in the obedience of
children, and is further given by those same children
who in.adulthood render due respect toward and care
for therr aged parents. In Leviticus 20 :7-9 we read:
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and
be
ye holy: for I
am the LORD which sanctify you. For every one
that curseth his father
or
his
~ o t h e r
shall.be surely
put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother
his blood shall be upon him. The honoring of
p a r ~ n t s
is closely tied to the requirement
to
reflect
the
holiness of God and the penalty for cursing parents
is stated to be nothing less than death.
Here
we see
that to curse
~ a r e n t s
is t n t m o ~ n t to blaspheming
God. In Leviticus 19:2,3 hononng parents is given
equal status to sabbath-keeping: .. Ye shall be
holy: for the LORD your God am holy.
Ye
shall
fear every ~
his m o t h ~ r and
his father, and keep
my sabbaths. The social order ordained by God
must be characterized
by
due reverence
for
God's
name, works,
and
ways; sabbath-keeping; and due
honour to parents. Above all, the fifth
commandment, in laying the foundations of social
order, asserts
the
supreme authority
of
God.
n
this
yvay God's authority is taught
to
the youngest infant
m an .order that must be maintained by parental
authonty.
This commandment carries a promise. Honor thy
father and thy mother: TIIAT
THY
DAYS MAY
BE
LONG UPON
THE
LAND
WIDCH
TilE
LORD
THY GOD GIVETH THEE. The reference to
property in the family context of commandments
five, seven, eight, and ten within a broader covenant
nation context is unmistakable. Here is the link
between
fru;nily
and property; a link ordained
by
God
.
Whde
the
promise
of
material life and
abundance is given for obedience
to
the whole law
as in Deuteronomy 7:12-16,
the fact
that
such
a
promise is attached particularly to the fifth
commandment gives
it
a primacy that emphasizes the
~ o l e of the a m i l y in the matter of property. Property
IS a blessmg from God upon faithful covenant
families that live and work in obedience to God's
word.
n
such a godly order, we have the backbone
and foundation to which all good material progress
may be traced.
The Counsel of Chalcedon November 1990 Page
19
-
8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/4
AUTHORITY AND
LffiERTY
There
can
be no doubt that the owner
of
property
also possesses a certain authority and liberty. To
surrender the covenant s t ~ w a r d s h i p o w n e r s h i p of
property would also mean a loss of liberty and
authority. Karl Marx summarized Communist
theory in a brief statement: abolition
of
private
property .
We
do
not
have
to
look further than that
to comprehend what lies behind the puppet ANC's
lately confused muttering about the nationalizationof
mines, banks and the means of production .
t
is clear that God has ordained the family as the
basic unit of society. Without the family and its
primary authority in God's law order, the control
of
a society will fall to whichever power-thirsty and
ungodly ideology would rise to assert its rule.
n
terms of the Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:26-28
gi':en
to c;mr
first parents, family to
be
a godly
umt
ownmg property and
1t
1s to be mvolved in the
. economic realities
of
life, always subject
to
God's
law. The authority
of
the family is denved from
God and it is immediately vested in the
husband/father, hence I Corinthians
11:3: ..
the
head of every man is Christ; and the head
of
the
woman is the man .. The authority of the family is
given material substance in the possession of private
property. The fifth commandment serves as the
b a ~ i s for God's ~ a w s which e s t a b ~ s h the family in
pnva e ownership
of
property w1th the right
of
i n h e n ~ n c ~ . Such authority and economic power in
a family
1s
very sure ground for the exercise of
godly discipline under which children thrive and
gtow to maturity with respect for parents and elders,
Consider Genesis 28:1, "And Isaac called Jacob
and blessed him, and charged him, and said u t ~
hUn,
Thou shalt not take a wife
of
the daughters
of
Canaan, and Proverbs 13:22, "A good man leaveth
an inheritance
to
his children's children. Isaac had
the power to insist on a godly marriage, Covenant
stewardship involved an inheritance which was. to
remain in godly hands, so Isaac exercised his
authority to the glory
of
God. That is true
' fatherhood with authority that requires
due
honor
from the child. Clearly, where man's calling to
subdue the earth r righteousness is believed, the
gqdly family, as the basic social unit
of a free
people, wi ll seek to fulfil its God-ordained authority
and responsibility. There will be an eye to the
future, a Christian future, and therefore there will be
a focusing on the service of the Kingdom of God
today
_and
tomorrow. Such perspective is quite the
oppos1te
of
the type of family system found in some
pagan cultures where the family looks back to the
past in. its crippling and immoral c.aptivity to ancestor
worship. Such enslavement depnves the family
of
a
future and that society can make no progress. Its
The
Counsel of Chalcedon November 1990 Page 20
only hope is the liberating trinitarian gospel
of
the
Lord Jesus Christ which can regenerate any fallen
c ~ l t u r e and make it a truly free society under God
Wlth
strong, godly, property-owning families.
Family
Life
Contrary to popular thinking, that much mentioned
and much misunderstood thing called love is not
the most basic ingredient for family life. Correctly
understood, love is the fulfilling
of
the law as Paul
tells us in Romans 13:10 and that is precisely what is
necessary for the restoration of
sound family life.
'Ybere God's word is the rule
of
the home, there
will be a godly law order, discipline, and the
security which so many lack today. Indeed, where
such conditions are found, love is greatly
in
evidence. But without God's word as the
foundation, whatever love there might be rests on
the shifting sand
of
elativism and changeable human
feelings. To survive and fulfil its God-given role for
the glory of God and the health
of
society, a family
must be God-centered and ordered by God's law
word . which requires the righteous and careful
behav1or of parents and the obedience of children.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is
right.
Honor
thy father and mother; which
is the
flrst commandment with promise; that it may be well
with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:
but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. (Ephesians
6:1-4).
To the small child, the parent represents God and the
a u t h o r i ~ of qod. With awesome responsibility the
parent
1s
requrred to fulfil the role
of
being not only a
provider and a protector but also a teacher and a
lawgiver who loves the child. In such a context the
child is
introd1 1ced
to his first church where he is
taught to worship the triune God. That
daily
act of
family worship where the Bible is read and prayer is
~ a d e is a most vital act of godliness and
nghteousness that needs to be restored
in
every
home which.claims
to be
Christian.
It
is also in the
family context that the child has his first and basic
school on the lap
of
that most wonderful and capable
of all human
t e a c h e r s ~ t h e
mother--who
accomplishes the most gigantic task that no other
teacher can do so well--teaching her child the mothe
tongue. And with such a qualiflcation behind her
she is surely capable of teaching other subjects too.
The state of education in the land would be greatly
e n h ~ ~ e d under the control of godly , caring
Christian parents who can .appoint teachers who
s h a r ~ their faith and worldview. In fact, that is
p ~ c 1 s e l y where God has placed the responsibility
for d u c a t i o ~ : in the hands
of
parents. Deuteronomy
6 and Ephes1ans 6:4 are only some
of
the scriptures
-
8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
3/4
which make this clear. It is also in the functioning
of the family unit that the child is properly motivated
and guided by the parents who have a direct and
God-given interest in his/her development and well
being.
In
the same vein, the family has a major
economic function which it can perform far more
efficiently than any other institution and, given
proper opportunity and godliness, it will put social
welfarism out
of
business. In the family, the child
finds his first government
as
the parents make the
laws, shape his attitude to be obedient to authority,
police him and protect him, always, of course,
respecting their own limitations in obedience to
God's law. Incorrigible rebellion, rare in truly
godly families, requires the action of a godly
eldership outside
of
the affected horne
(Deuteronomy 21:18-21).
Some might object and say, yes, that is all very well,
but surely you are spelling out the ideal situation
where there is a majority
of
godly families?
What
about those families where there is rank
ungodliness? What about the many broken families?
Surely they are far from fulfilling these functions?
Precisely
God
requires godly families who,
making
up
the church of God, will move as a mighty
army to evangelize whole families to procure their
repentance and their proper functioning.
Up, then, husbands/fathers, rise to your calling
You have authority given you by the sovereign
LORD
of
the universe. e "the head
of
the wife,
even as Christ is the head
of
the church" (Ephesi ffis
5:23). "Love your wives, even as Christ is the head
of
the church .." Ephesians 5:25) Without
provocation, bring your children
up in
the nurture
and admonition
of
the Lord." Ephesians
6:4).
As
the king, the prophet, and the priest that you are,
rule your family
by
God's word, teach them the
word of God, apply it to everything in life, and
sanctify them in prayer. Fulfil your calling to
work
to subdue the earth for God
1
s glory, provide for
your family without debt, protect them, and set a
godly example for them to follow. This is your
calling under the authority of God. Any denial or
abdication of this must lead to anarchy: "As for my
people, children are their oppressors, and women
rule over them. 0 my people, they which lead thee
cause thee to err, and destroy the way
of
thy paths"
(Isaiah 3: 12).
Up, then, wives/mothers, rise to your calling God
has ordained
your
role. Submit to "your own
husbands, as unto the Lord" (Ephesians 5:22). You
are governed by the requirements of your bus band
and your children.
It
is a high and a holy calling Let
Proverbs 31:10-31
be
your model. The person
described there is far from inferior Without the
fulfilment
of
your role in the smooth running of the
home and much else besides, a godly society is
unattainable. Be the noble prime minister to your
kin
I
g.
Up, then,
you
children, rise to your calling God
has commanded your obedience. "obey your
parents." Honor thy father and mother" (Ephesians
6:1-2). A basic respect is due from you to the older
generation regardless
of
their shortcomings.
It
is in
your home that you must learn to respect auth9rity
and then carry this respect with you and show
it
to
all your elders and also to all
that
is
good
in your
cultural inheritance. The reward is great. Long life
in the land
of
your inheritance, godly peace and
prosperity. Reject the way
of
disobedience being
forced upon you by the ungodly
who
would have
you rebel and overthrow all authority
and
sell
yourselves to Satan, Ruin and desolation is the
earthly end of that way
and
the literal
Lake of
Fire its
eternity. Only in obedience and honor to parents and
elders will you have a blessed future.
Social Order Versus Chaos
Clearly, if parents are not obeyed, no other authority
will be. Of course, all obedience is subject to the
primary requirement
of
obedience to God and ffis
word (Acts 5 :29) just as all authority must be
subordinate to God and His word. Such obedience
nurtured in family units leads to godly order whereas
the breakdown
of
family life will lead to social
anarchy. Where the authority
of
the horne is denied,
there is revolution against the foundations of society
and
life itself. Destruction and death ensue.
For
godly social order, family life must be built upon
God's word, and parental authority
must
remain
strong and intact. Parental power cannot be
relinquished to any other body, neither the State, nor
the Church, nor the school, all
of
which have their
own lawful and limited spheres ofauthority ordained
by
od
Wherever the family is regarded as being of
declining importance, the creeping totali tarianism
of
humanism is evident. Family life is weakened and
eroded by taxation of property and persons and
inheritance, and children are made to hear voices that
contradict the faith and the standards
of
t}le godly
home.
In
this way, socialism, preceded
all
too often
by radical anarchy, eventually makes its mark as the
substitute for the family. According to the
commandment, the promise of life and landed
inheritance depends on the survival
of the
family
in
godliness and righteousness. Truly, a revolutionary
age destroys its inheritance
and
has
no
blessed
futl J.re. As R.J. Rushdoony states: The essence of
the revolutionary mind is the demand for instant
The Counsel of Chalcedon November 1990 Page 21
-
8/12/2019 1990 Issue 9 - Law and Liberation: The Fifth Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon
4/4
utopia, for instantaneous gratification, and a
destructive, infantile rage against any order which
fails to provide iC (Institutes of Biblical aw p
194). Today
our
children are being cultivated for
destruction
by
a tidal wave of corruption to which
their minds are perpetually subjected. There is a
libertarian free-market
of
perversions
in
sex, music,
and literature, and distortions of God-given values
right
down to New
Age toys.
The
revolutionaries
have actually
gone
as
far
as
to
physically train
many
children
for
violence, even thrusting them into
the
frontline.
Conclusion
Awake Awake, Christian parents and children
Your heritage is being destroyed.
The
restoration of
The Counsel of Chalcedon November 1990 Page 22
godly family life and its fruit, a godly social order on
God's earth, is long overdue. Rise to the occasion
for "blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that
walketh
in
his ways.
For
thou shalt
eat
the labour of
thine hands: happy shalt thou be,
and
it shall
be
well
with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine
by
the
sides
of
thine house: t y children like olive plants
round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the
man be
blessed that feareth
the
Lord" (Psalm
128:
1-
4).
So
far,
ye
enemies
of
the Almighty, and no
further The word of
God
shall slay thee He_that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall
have thee in derision (Psalm 2:4). Godly family life
over
all the earth shall
yet
be
a reality. Thy
Kingdom come, 0 God, Thy will
be
done on earth,
as it is
in
heaven Q
Want to share the Gospel . .
with your friends - -
... But need a little help?
We can help you
We have available a NEW VIDEO which is
a Clear
and
Compelling presentation of the
Gospel to the unconverted. t is an
informal and easy-to-understand video,
35 minutes in length.
Vficdl ID
The Gospel of Christ"
presented
by
Joe Morecraft
with
music
y
ecky Morecraft
Get one for yourself and invite your
unconverted friends and relatives
to your home to watch this
dynamic video on your V
Available for
$25.00
+
2.00
postage
and handling
Chalcedon Video Ministry
P.O.
Box
888022
Dunwoody, Georgia 30356
404-396-0965
"/
earnestly pray that God will
use
this
video to bring many
people
to
saving faith in Jesus Christ. Joe Morecraft