Cursed of God by Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr

(The following is a devotion by Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.)

“Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.” (Deut. 27:16) “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.” (Prov. 15:20) The fifth Commandment is “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Ex. 20:12)

The words “setteth light” are translated from a Hebrew word which means “to disgrace, to dishonor, to despise, to lightly esteem, to treat with contempt, and/or to treat shamefully.” We learn from this that when one despises or treats shamefully his mother and/or father, he brings upon himself a curse from God. It is not an option, nor is it up for debate or self-reasoning; the offender will have God’s curse come upon him. God leaves no room for excuses; neither does He set any age limitations. If one’s mother is 84 and he is 60 he is still under the command of God to “honor thy father and thy mother.” Age or adulthood does not erase the command of God.

The Apostle Paul writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” (Eph. 6:1) The word “Children” simply refers to one being an offspring; age is not a factor in the word. There is also a qualifier given by Paul and that is “in the Lord.” As long as the parent’s instruction is compatible with the Word of God the offspring is obligated to obey the parent. Now, if the parent instructs the offspring to go contrary to the Word of God, the offspring is obligated to obey God and not the parent. For example, if the parent tells the child to steal an object, the child is not required to obey the parent but is to obey God Who commands “Thou shalt not steal.”

One of the identifying marks of the last days given by the Apostle Paul is that offspring will be “disobedient to parents.” This is a spirit of anti-God, that is to say, one sign of the last days is that children will treat their parents shamefully, bring dishonor upon them, despise them, and not obey them in the Lord, which reveals their hatred of God and His Word. They in essence fight against the laws of God. They will become lawless, doing what is right in their own eyes, fulfilling their wicked imaginations and the desires of their own hearts in rebellion against God. This revolt against the commands of God brings upon them a horrid curse from God.