October 23, 2013
THE PENALTY FOR THE STUBBORN, REBELLIOUS SON . . . WAIT! ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?
Deuteronomy 21:10-23
Teri Vedrenne
Central Truth
Sin made trivial by a culture saturated by wickedness does not dilute truth. Being a slave to righteousness means hating evil (Romans 6:16-18).
Key Verse | Deuteronomy 21:20–21
"They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear of it and fear." (Deuteronomy 21:20-21)
Deuteronomy 21:10-23
Marrying Female Captives
10 When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.
Inheritance Rights of the Firstborn
15 If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, 1 21:15 Or hated; also verses 16, 17 16 then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
A Rebellious Son
18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed
22 And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Dive Deeper | Deuteronomy 21:10-23
At first glance, this passage seems harsh. Death for disobedience. Stoning for stubbornness. Upon further reflection, however, this was not a flippant response to an error, but the penalty for an ongoing problem.
This "stubborn and rebellious son" exhibits willful obstinacy and "will not obey . . . when they chastise him" (verse 18). The parents did everything they could to teach, correct, and rebuke their son, but to no avail. As a mother, these verses touch deeply the core of why it is important to "Train up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6).
At what point did the parents determine that enough was enough? When did they admit their son would not even listen to them? What a painful path to recognize that no longer can the sinful attitudes of your child remain within the city, but that he must be stoned in order to remove the evil and make an example for the sake of all.
It is easy to dismiss the harshness here because of cultural or era differences. I am convicted, however, that we do not take our roles as parents, leaders, and mentors seriously enough. We should not overlook the chaos that is caused by uncorrected sin. It affects not only the individual, but also the family, community, and nation.
I identify here not only with the parent and the heavy responsibility of training my children by making tough decisions, but also with the son. I must take a good look at myself and identify habits and sin patterns that are going unchecked because of my refusal to listen to correction. Remembering that Christ has made provision for me and taken the blows of every stone that I deserved makes me pause. The law is harsh, and God's remedy is definitive; and the two realities bring beauty.
Any effort I make on my own to remove sin from my life is futile. But by "being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24), there is true joy in God's forgiveness and the only path to life.
Discussion Questions
1. As parents, does our pride prevent us from getting help when we are overwhelmed by unruly kids?
2. As rebels against God, are we preventing His people from lovingly correcting and sharpening us?
3. As children saved by His grace, are we resting in His provision, or are we drowning in guilt and shame?
4. How can you let the joy of His grace consume you today?