Q: Which is the fifth commandment?
A: The fifth commandment is, honor your father and mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God has given you.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Star Meade reminds us that the 10 commandments is a summary of the law. This is an important reminder. Each of the 10 commandments includes far more than what is stated in it's summary. We've seen this already with many of the commandments. For example, the second commandment is not merely a command to not use images in our worship of God, but rather, a much more comprehensive statement involving not only a prohibition, but also instruction on just how we are to worship the LORD God. This commandment then is not simply a command to obey and honor our parents, but rather, it is a command to obey and honor all figures of authority in our lives.
Authority is important. Our culture may argue with that statement, but authority is a God-given means of governing his creation. Authority starts with God, who is in authority over all things. But we have also been given other systems and structures of authority. From the structure of the family, the structure of the local church, to the civil government, all authority has been ordained and given by God for the governing and overseeing of his creaiton, and we are to honor all authority precisely because it is given by God.