Some might read the fifth commandment, which the apostle Paul reminds us was the first with a promise (Ephesians 6:3), as a form of prosperity theology, the belief that mustering enough faith and/or obedience to God will bring wealth, health, and power. But such a belief would be taking God’s Word out of context. This command paired with the other nine show us a picture of a right relationship with authority and the natural overflow of goodness that comes when wisdom is chosen over folly and surrender over self rule. In Psalm 19, the psalmist David reminds us of the beauty of the law of the Lord and how its very presence in our lives brings great reward.
