4. God said, “Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God shall give you.” But why does he promise earthly life as a reward and not heavenly  life? The explanation is in these words, “that God shall give you,” which, omitted from the modern form of the Decalogue, denatures its meaning. In order to understand these words, one must recall the situation and ideas of the Hebrews at the time in which they were spoken. They did not yet understand the future life; their sight did not extend beyond the corporeal one. Thus, they had to be more strongly impressed by what they could see than by what they could not; that is why God spoke to them in a language appropriate for them, and as if speaking to children, did it in a manner that could satisfy them. At the time, they were in the desert, and the land that God shall give them was the Promised Land, the goal of their aspirations. They wanted nothing more than that, and God told them that they would live a long time in it, meaning that they would possess it for a long time if they observed the divine commandments. However, when Jesus came, their ideas had become more developed. The time having arrived to give them a less material nourishment, Jesus initiates them into the spirit life by telling them, “My kingdom is not of this world; it is there, and not on the earth, that you will receive recompense for your good deeds.” With these words, the physical Promised Land became a heavenly homeland. Furthermore, when he calls them to observe the commandment, “Honor your father and your mother,” it is no longer the earth that he promises them, but heaven.