Strength and Honor

Part IV, Final Applications

Contribution of PBR and John K

Honor exists within an order.

A man cannot be honorable in the abstract.

He is honorable because he stands in the station where God has placed him and fulfills it’s proper demands.

These include, though are not fully encompassed by the key three following, deference for rank, readiness to holy action, and the faithfulness of one’s word.

Let us start with the first, for in our egalitarian age ever striving to tear all things down to the bottom where they shall all be equal, we must ask, what is the honor of rank

The Honor of Rank

Honor presumes a God-ordained structure, such as that of father over son, husband over wife, elder over youth, and magistrate over citizen. Without that structure, honor becomes a sentimental token at best and a mask for manipulation at worst. But when rightly ordered, honor becomes a beautiful, stabilizing force, like the buttress of a great cathedral, silent but essential, bearing up the entire weight of society under the hand of God.

Children are commanded to honor their father and mother. This is not a suggestion, nor is it cultural. The fifth commandment links honor to longevity and blessing in the land. In other words, societal health is directly tied to whether rank is upheld. A child who dishonors his parents dishonors God, for God placed those parents in authority. A citizen who dishonors the lawful ruler, provided he does not command sin, dishonors God who instituted earthly authority. A wife who mocks her husband, or a husband who berates his wife, overturns the rank and destroys the harmony God intended for the home, which then tears at the seams of very nations themselves.

Because honor fits within a structure. God is King, and His people reflect His rule. The closer we stand to the authority, even to have authority derived to us from God, the heavier the weight. To bear rule is to bear responsibility. To honor rank is to honor God, from whom all rightful dominion flows.

The Honor of Action

Honor is not inherited by sentiment, nor manufactured by performance. It is built in secret and proven in public. Greek philosophers called it philotimía, a love of honor, not for applause, but as the telos of virtue. The Christian lays hold to more, he pursues not self-glory, but the pleasure of God and the faithful discharge of duty. His honor is covenantal, flowing outward from himself, to contrast with the magnetic impulses of the glory seeker who only seeks to draw to himself the things of life.

Think of David’s mighty men. These were not mere brutish warriors of the bronze age. They were Hayil Giboreem, men of valor and virtue. Benaiah struck down a lion in a pit on a snowy day and defeated a giant with his own spear. Others fought until their hands froze to their swords. These men acted with courage, not because they sought honor for themselves, but because they loved their king, and through him, they served God. Scripture names them not for sentiment, but because they earned honor and a good name by what they did.

Ecclesiastes wisdom directs us on the importance of the maintenance of both

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” (Ecl. 10:1)

One foolish act can ruin decades of righteousness. Shame comes quickly, and the mark it leaves is hard to wash away. And yet, many today feel no shame. Jeremiah says of Israel:

“Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush.” (Jer. 6:15)

That is our age: a people without blush. Men lie without blinking. Pastors cheat and excuse it. Women mock their husbands and call it empowerment. Elders compromise. Youth rebel. Shame is no longer the wound that teaches, but the badge of authenticity. “Be yourself,” they say. But the self is dishonorable, until it is crucified and made new.

And then there is the hollow man, the talker, the image-builder, the self-promoter. He desires the reputation of virtue without its cost. This is hubris, a false honor that speaks loudly but does not act. He quotes Scripture, posts online, but has no scars. He is not trusted. For honor is not in the fantasy of how we appear, but in the reality of what we have done.

The Honor of Faithfulness

Finally, honor is bound up with faithfulness.

With covenant.

With oath and vow.

The modern man flees these things. He sees them as binding, restrictive, even outdated. But God sees them as sacred. He is a God who binds Himself with oath and promise. Jesus Himself made a vow that He would not drink the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom came. On the Cross, having accomplished redemption, He said, “It is finished,” and then said, “I thirst.” He fulfilled His vow to the letter.

To be honorable is to pay your vows. To keep your word. To bind yourself and not wriggle free when it is inconvenient. Thornwell reminds us that a pledge is sacred because it reflects the very character of God. To break an oath is to drag His name through the dirt. And yet, there is wisdom in breaking fellowship with wickedness. Thornwell writes:

“If you have betrothed yourself to a harlot under the impression that she was a virgin, flee her poisoned embraces as soon as you find out her pollution... Never, never...think of excusing or extenuating a wrong because you have been implicated in it.”

So many remain in dishonorable commitments, churches that hate the Word, marriages defiled by betrayal, governments that mock the law of God, because they fear the shame of leaving more than the shame of staying. But false peace is not honor. Obedience is.

Marriage is an honorable estate. So is the pulpit. So is the magistrate’s seat. But only when they are attended by men who honor their vows with action. A husband is not called to be passive, but to lay down his life. A wife is not to be flippant, but reverent. A pastor is not to tickle ears, but to guard the flock, even unto death. A magistrate is not to curry favor, but to wield the sword as a minister of God.

In all this, honor is faithfulness. In public and in secret. To God and to man. Even to our own hurt.

Strength and Honor.