Leviticus 20:9, Curses his father. The primary meaning of the Hebrew word for curse (qalal) is “to be light or slight.” The result of qalal is the lowering of another’s esteem or prestige causing disgrace or dishonor.
The same word is used in Proverbs 30:11–13 where it is considered filthiness to curse one’s parents and then, in pride, to maintain one’s innocence.
Qalal is used in Ezekiel 22:7 where this word is translated as “to make light of father and mother.” The prophet equates this sin with that of oppressing the stranger, mistreating the fatherless and widow, despising YHVH’s holy things, profaning his Sabbaths, slandering that leads to bloodshed, acts of lewdness, the committing of various sexual abominations, taking bribes, and practicing usury and extortion.
To curse one’s parents is to curse or to attack Elohim who gives one life through one’s parents. To disrespectfully treat one’s parents is to rebel against God-ordained authority — a sin which leads to a host of other acts of rebellion. As the saying goes, charity begins at home.
Likewise, criminality begins at home when a child refuses to respect his parents and the laws they have established in the home for the safety and benefit of all therein. Respect for one’s parents leads to stable and law-abiding citizenry; disrespect leads to lawlessness and criminality. This is why the Torah deems the sin of cursing one’s parents as a capital offense.
WOW———so can you write on how this ‘disrespecting of ones parents’ affects our experience as parents with our own children—and what we as adults can do to make it right? Also how we can impress this on our children so they can live a more blessed life? I really enjoyed your insights here. Thank you so much
Another thing I am wondering is about the blood sacrifice YHVH required–it was to atone for our soul–could you expound on that? And for sins toward HIM and sins toward man we were supposed to take care with them, correct? I just listened to a Jews for Judism rabbi who said blood sacrifice was not necessary for the cleansing of sin….why would he say such a thing?
With three teen agers still at home, and one in her early twenties, I’m still in the learning process. At this point, I can only speak to this issue theoretically. I am concerned about this present generation though. My wife and I grew up in the 60s and 70s. I dare say that we would never have dreamed of acting in the disrespectful manner to our parents, elders and the older generation the way the present generation (generally speaking) does. You just didn’t do that! Now,sadly, many if not most of the younger generation respects no one. They don’t even respect themselves. Look at the self mutilation, the tattooing of their bodies, not to mention the vulgar mouths, hair dying and other acts of heathen barbarism they commit against their own bodies. It seems that nothing is sacred any longer, and many are in a race to see who can reach the bottom the quickest. We need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to revive us spiritually lest we all perish in our state of sinful degradation!!
I have written a lot about the need for blood as an atonement for sin. Go to http://hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/atone.pdf. I also briefly address the lies from the Jews for Judaism crowd in my recent video that I just posted on this blog entitled “Boldness and Power Through the Blood of Yeshua.”
Suffice it say, the Jews for Judaism crowd care less about the truth of the Bible then they do about discrediting the biblical truth preached by Christianity about the need for blood atonement. One can’t get around the biblical truth of the need for blood atonement. It literally screams loudly from pages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. To deny this is to deny a fundamental truth of Scripture and it leaves you unsaved and eternally damned. Period. How can they get around Isaiah 53, for example, or Leviticus 17:11? They try to do so, but their arguments are shallow and specious.