The Problem of Insolence

 

Isa 3:5 “The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable

 

It’s hard for me to imagine a more disrespectful generation than the one we live in now. The lack of respect for those in authority is appalling! The base (those not in authority) are insolent toward the honorable (those in authority) The child, (even those of kindergarten age) often insolent toward those older and wiser than he.

Oh the venom that spews out of the mouths of the insolent…..young and old.

 

We shake our heads and fists and say, “What is this world coming to,” without thinking the situation all the way through. We curse the darkness instead of seeking light, not even entertaining the thought that this insolence is likely a judgment put upon us by God.

He did it in biblical days and He can do it today as well. Insolence toward authority is a sign of the judgment of God placed upon a nation. In it, God is simply saying. “So, you won’t respect Me? You won’t honor Me? Let me show you what a lack of respect for those in authority looks like, so you can see how it feels.”

 

The Bible is rife with warnings about insolence. Rebellious children could be put to death in the Old Testament! Incidentally, there is no record of this ever happening, nonetheless it shows us how serious God views this lack of respect.

 

The honoring of those in God-granted authority over you is a COMMAND of God. It is the first commandment, that if obeyed, has a great promise attached to it. Eph 6:2,and 3 reminds us "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:  3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

 

Luther’s explanation of this command is well worth repeating here: “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God so that we do not despise our parents and superiors, nor provoke them to anger, but honor, serve, obey, love, and respect them.

 

In the days of Isaiah this judgment was carried out by God. The insolence of children toward their elders and the societal lack of respect for authority was one of the reasons the Israelites were removed from their land and carted off to Babylon.  

 

Teach your children this command! It starts with them observing your own attitude toward those in authority, and your attitude toward authority starts with your attitude toward God’s authority.