Dt 16:18-17:13 Fifth Commandment (Part One): Honor Your Parents and Judges



The Fifth Commandment says:

"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you,

that your days may be long,

and that it may be well with you

in the land which the Lord your God is giving you."



But the fifth commandment speaks to more than just the family:

the fifth commandment teaches us how to think about authority.



Moses applies the fifth commandment here in chapters 16-18

by speaking of judges, kings, priests, and prophets.

As you prayerfully consider who to nominate for elder,

we will spend the next four weeks looking at these four aspects of leadership.



Well, let's remember where we've been:



We saw back in chapter 1 that Moses had appointed elders or judges over the Israelites,

and we saw what happens when God's people listened to the spies,

rather than to Moses, the covenant mediator.

We saw in chapters 2 and 3 how God fights for his people

and gives them victory over their enemies.

We saw in chapter 4 the great curse that God proclaims against those who fall into idolatry.

And since chapter 5, we have been working our way through the 10 Commandments.



We have looked so far at the first four commandments:

these are the commandments which relate primarily to God.

they tell us about worship and the importance of remembering what God has done.



Last week we looked at the Sabbath commandment,

and saw how God expects us to think about time.

Now we will turn to how God desires us to think about authority.



How should we think about authority

all authority is Christ's (Mt 28:18--all authority given to Christ)

Authority in the home--parents

Authority in the church--elders

Authority in the state--rulers (but since we don't live in a Christian country,

we don't expect rulers to follow the Bible explicitly

--because OT rulers were expected to kill idolaters)



1) What is the chief characteristic of the judge? (father, elder)

He is just--does not show partiality (16:19-20)

--but judges according to God's Word (17:11)

The one who does this most perfectly is Jesus Christ (John 5:18-30)

--Jesus himself is the Great Judge.

All previous judges have had to judge simply by the written Word;

Jesus judges by his perfect knowledge of the Father.

Jesus is the one who does not show partiality,

but does exactly what he sees the Father doing.

5:38-47--but Jesus says that the rulers of Israel

have nothing of God's word OR God's love

ONLY Jesus is the Great Judge who fulfills all that Moses said.

So what should you look for in an elder?

Look for a just man.

Look for one who does not show partiality,

but one who decides things based on the Word of God.

One good way of finding that out is by looking at his family.

I Timothy 3:1-5 says: (read)

We'll look more at these qualifications next week,

but for now, note this:

authority in the home and authority in the church fit together.

If a man cannot rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?

So how does a man treat his wife?

How does he treat his kids?

He will treat you in the same way!

If he is inconsistent with his kids, he'll be inconsistent with you.

If he is rough with his wife, then he'll be rough with you.

If he lets his kids get away with murder, he'll let you get away with murder too

And you don't want that!

Because your elders may let you get away with murder, but God sure won't!

If you want the curse of God upon this church,

the best way to do it is to go out

and get some lousy elders who will lead you astray!

Remember what happened to Israel back in Dt. 1.

After Moses appointed elders, the twelve spies (who were also elders)

came back and convinced the Israelites not to enter the land.

And this is why they spent 40 years wandering in the desert.

Because they listened to bad elders, rather than listen to Moses.

As you nominate elders,

nominate men who reflect the justice and wisdom of Christ.



2) What are the duties of the judges? (father, elder)

First we see in 16:21ff, that they are to judge idolatry:

no false worship or defective sacrifices

Sacrificing blemished animals meant that you were keeping

the best for yourself and giving the leftovers to God

--but obedience is costly; it means giving the best to God.

And idolatry was to be punished with death.

And this is the same in the NT (I Cor. 5:9-13)

Excommunication is spiritual death--it is being handed over to Satan.

But the hope is that the sinner will be restored to life!

But there is a day coming when Jesus Christ will return as the great Judge:

Rev. 19 refers to the 2d Coming of Christ when it says,

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse.

And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True,

and in righteousness He judges and makes war...

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword,

that with it He should strike the nations.

And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron."

Do not think for a moment that you will escape that judgment,

unless you are found clothed with Christ.

And this is why you need faithful elders who will judge idolatry--

because our tendency is wander astray.

We need shepherds who keep us from harm.



3) Where do they administer justice?

v18 says that judges are to be appointed in all your gates--namely, in all your towns;

but 17:8 says that when there is a controversy "within your gates"

--namely, when the local judges can't agree,

or when someone wishes to appeal the case,

they must go to the place that God chooses--namely the place of worship,

the place where the priests were; where the tabernacle was.

It travelled for a while before settling in Jerusalem in the days of David.

You must lay out your case before the priests, the Levites, and the judge there.



As we saw a couple weeks ago,

there is still a place which God has chosen for us to worship,

and that place is in Christ.

that place is in his temple--namely his church.

Eph 2:19-22 says,

"Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,

but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone,

in whom the whole building, being fitted together,

grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."



This is why Paul insists that the church is the proper place

where disputes should be settled.

I Cor 6:1-11

If two Christians have a dispute,

it should be settled in the church.

And Paul says that if you wind up in court with a fellow believer,

you have utterly failed.

You should rather be cheated than hold up the gospel to ridicule and scorn.

Don't worry about being cheated!

You know that if someone claims to be a believer

but continues in fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy,

stealing, coveting, drunkenness, reviling, or extortion,

they will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So if someone like that cheats you, take it to the church.

That is the proper court of appeal!

But what if something arises in the church,

and the church fails to handle it properly,

for instance, what about the Corinthians?

I Cor 5:3--The Corinthians have failed to deal with this man

who is living with his father's wife.

So Paul, as an elder--indeed, as an apostle

--demands that they deliver this man over to Satan

--that they cast this man out of the church as Jesus commands in Mt 18.

But in Acts 15, the church in Antioch wasn't convinced by Paul.

What did they do?

They did what Deuteronomy 17 says:

they took their case to a higher authority

--the elders and apostles in Jerusalem.

Like the Israelites in Dt 17,

and like the early church in Acts 15,

we need accountability.

Our local "judges"--our elders--need to have somewhere to turn

if we have a matter which is too hard for us.

Both the OT and NT teach us that the local congregation needs accountability.





4) What is the authority of the judges?

Remember in ch 1 Moses said to the elders

"You shall not show partiality in judgment;

you shall hear the small as well as the great;

you shall not be afraid in any man's presence,

for the judgment is God's"

It is God's authority which they have been given.

Recall I Cor. 6:3--you will judge angels!

We are in Christ, his wisdom and his Spirit have been placed upon us.

So all Christians have the ability to judge disputes,

but as Hebrews 13:7 makes clear,

Christians are to "obey those who rule over you,

and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls,

as those who must give an account."

Elders must one day give an account for your souls.

Just as you will one day give an account for how you raised your children,

so also, elders will one day give an account for how they cared for your souls.

Christ has given them his authority to make disciples,

as he says to the apostles (Mt 28:18-20):

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you;

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."



In Acts 6 the apostles appoint the seven to continue their ministry in Jerusalem.

In Acts 14 Paul appoints elders in every church, and tells Titus to do the same in Tit 1

Christ has given his authority to the church.

That is why Paul can say in I Cor. 5:3

that the Holy Spirit is present in casting the rebellious sinner out of the church;

That's why the Jerusalem Council, when they come to their decision,

can say (Acts 15:28) that it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us

to not require circumcision of the Gentiles.

Christ exercises his authority in the church, through living

--and yes, through fallible men.

Elders will make mistakes.

You will need to be forgiving toward them.

But the best way to prevent your elders from making mistakes is to pray for them,

to encourage them, to go to them quickly when you have concerns.

Elders are not perfect.

I know that there is a game that a lot of churches play:

they put pastors on a pedestal, and then try to knock him down!

Well, it's easy to do the same with elders.

Yes, Christ has given them his authority

--and along with that the responsibility to shepherd the flock

and guide you in the way that you should go

--but they are not perfect.

When Hebrews 13 tells us to submit to those who rule over us,

it tells us not to grieve them, "Let them rule with joy and not with grief,

for that would be unprofitable for you."



I know that it's not easy to submit to others.

Some of you may be thinking "oh, this is easy for you to say--you're an elder!!"

But I have to submit to my presbytery,

and there are times when I almost wish that I didn't have to.

I say "almost" because I know that Christ requires me to submit.

I know that it's good for me to submit.

Because the danger of being independent,

is that there is no one to submit to.

But even as Christ submitted to his Father's will,

saying, "not my will, but yours be done!"

So also, I need to submit to my presbytery.

I suppose a good analogy would be for the wives:

it's not easy sometimes to submit to your husbands, is it?

There are times when you believe he is wrong.

And I'll bet anything that there are times when he IS wrong.

But Christ has called you to submit, so out of your love for Christ you do.

Even so,

for you men in the church:

it's not going to be easy to submit to the elders.

There are going to be times when you believe that they are wrong.

And you know, there are going to be times when they ARE wrong!!

But Christ calls you to submit.

But don't worry, it doesn't stop there:

It's not easy for me to submit to my presbytery.

There are times when I believe that they are wrong.

And yes, there are times when they ARE wrong.

But Christ calls me to submit.



Now, if your husband tells you to go kill your aunt Betty,

or an elder tries to get you to compromise the gospel!

or if my presbytery told me that I had to blaspheme Christ!

then you must refuse.

But that should only happen in radical circumstances!

In most cases, this won't happen



If you have godly elders,

then they will strive to lead you in the good paths;

as I Peter 5 says to elders,

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you,

serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,

not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

nor as being lords over those entrusted to you,

but being examples to the flock;

and when the Chief Shepherd appears,

you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."

Christ makes it clear:

those who wield his authority must use it to bless and serve others.

Just as Jesus himself came not to be served, but to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many,

so also those who would rule in the church,

must follow in the footsteps of the Master,

and lay down their lives for the flock.

Because you see,

the church is very much like the home: (and this is why Moses makes the comparison)

Eph. 5:25 says "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church

and gave Himself for her,

that he might present her to Himself a glorious church,

not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,

but that she should be holy and without blemish.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies"

just as a husband must love his wife and give himself for her,

so also an elder must love the church and give himself for HER.

And even as the wife must submit to her husband,

so also the congregation must submit to the elders.



Just as the husband must not lord it over his wife,

so also elders must not lord it over the church.

The husband must seek to present his wife to Christ "holy and without blemish"

the husband must desire to stand before God on that final day,

and say,

"Lord, here is my wife and children.

By the grace of your Son, Jesus Christ,

I have led them by your Word and by your Spirit."

And even so,

one day I will stand before Christ,

and I desire to be able to say,

"Lord, here is your church--here are the Demis'--here are the Flora's,

By your grace I have led them by your Word and by your Spirit."

Because God will hold me accountable,

even as God will hold every elder accountable for what he has done.



So as you consider who to nominate for elder,

consider these things:

1) are they just men--filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit?

2) will they keep you from idolatry and judge wickedness?

3) are they accountable to other elders? (right now, I'm afraid that just means me--and that's not good)

4) will they use Christ's authority to build you up?



And for that matter,

for you young ladies who will someday look for a husband--think about these things:

Look for a man

1) who is just and wise

2) who will keep you from idolatry and will point you to Christ

3) who is accountable to his elders (to his parents and to the church)

4) who will use Christ's authority to build you up.



And parents--seek to practice these things in your homes:

Are you consistent in your discipline?

If not, your children will conclude that you are not just.

Do you use discipline to point your children to Christ,

showing them the grace and mercy of Christ?

or do you simply get frustrated and blow up?

When your child sins

--and that's what it is!--don't you dare trivialize their rebellion!

But when your child sins,

do you gently show them their sin,

rebuke them/discipline them,

and then forgive them?

You see, just as the judges and elders are not permitted to treat sin lightly,

neither are parents!

You are to show forth the love and the justice of Christ.

They need to see that sin is inexcusable.

But they also need to see that forgiveness is freely available.

And if they don't see it in you,

where will they see it?

And--for that matter--

if you don't see it in me,

where will you see it?

if you don't see it in your elders,

they shouldn't be elders.