Ephesians 6:2-3 – Carrot and Stick

“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.”

Summary: At God’s command, Moses used the carrot and stick approach on the Israelites when they entered the land of Canaan. God uses something similar in this command to honor our parents.

It makes sense that if God created us, he probably understands human psychology pretty well. Of course, God doesn’t think of it as “psychology.” Instead, to him, it is just common sense.

One of the best examples of God’s use of psychology is the reading of the blessings and the curses (Deuteronomy 11:29). After the Israelites had crossed over into the Promised Land (finally!), they obeyed Moses’ instruction to gather on two hilltops opposite each other. The hills, or “mounts” as they are refered to in Scripture, are Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.

Towards the end of his life, Moses dictated a long litany of blessings that would follow the Israelites if they were faithful to the Lord. He also dictated a list of curses that would fall on Israel if they turned their back on God. You might say God was showing the Israelites a giant carrot and a massive stick.

In this passage in Ephesians, we see a reference to the same approach. If a son or daughter honors their father and mother, it will go well with them.* If the parents are not honored, life might not go well for you.

Is God being fair to pronounce judgment on things that haven’t happened yet?

Yes.

God is uniquely positioned to know what happens before it happens. Because God is spirit (John 4:24), he exists in a place that is not bound by physical laws or even time itself (Psalm 90:4). When God pronounces blessings and curses, he is not making a promise or a threat in the sense that we would. As humans, we are bound by the “now.” If we are promising something or making a threat, we do so standing in the present moment declaring we intend to make something happen in the future.**

God, on the other hand, can see how things turn out in the future. He knows every combination of every possible outcome for every decision and action you or I might make. He knows these things because he can see the future as well as the past.

When God says, “Honor your father and mother … so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth,” he isn’t just blowing smoke! He knows.

Application: Trust the word of the Lord.

Food for Thought: If God is our Heavenly Father, how does this passage relate to him?

*Keep in mind the caveat mentioned in yesterday’s post, “Ephesians 6:1 – Caveat.”
**It’s also the case that we make predictions as if we were God, knowing that we do not actually have any control over the future.

6 Replies to “Ephesians 6:2-3 – Carrot and Stick”

  1. If we are to honor our imperfect earthly fathers, how much more important to honor our heavenly and perfect Father. He gives us every good thing and deserves our honor, respect and worship. Hebrews 12: 5 – 11; James 1: 17.

  2. 09-26-2023, If God is our Heavenly Father, how does this passage relate to him?

    As I read Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:32 with Ephesians 6:2-3, I see our Father is not simply speaking to little children, but He is also speaking to the adult children of aged parents who cannot care for themselves any longer, and yet we continue to honor them as the head of our household.

    “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

    “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:32

    “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.” Ephesians 6:2-3

    “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:9

    Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

    God is our Heavenly Father, as we grow we learn He is truly HOLY, we also learn He is the power by which we do good works and we increasingly live in humble obedience to His will over our own and glorify His name over ours.

  3. It amazes me how the Lord works. Today’s devotion goes hand in hand with what I was studying this morning for class: the omniscience of God.

    It is humbling to understand that all the destruction in my life has come about from my decisions. If only someone had been there to say to me “if you choose door #1, you will find life and peace, if you choose door #2, you will find death and sorrow.” There may be those that try and tell us just that, but they don’t really know. The only One that knows is God. If we seek His will, do His will, trust His understanding, and know that He loves us, then we are forever with Him, here on Earth and in eternity.

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