‘If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders of the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders: This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard. Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear and be afraid’ (Deut 21:18-21)
This is one of the most frightening scripture for any child to read. It describes a serious crisis in the family. The parents are believers and they have tried their best to train their son ‘in the way of the Lord’. But their grown son is totally rebellious. The parents have the authority to discipline him, so that he becomes obedient and good. But their authority as parents is limited. The highest method of discipline they can use is ‘the rod’. Let’s say that they have used the rod, several times, but the son is still stubborn and rebellious. That is the point of crisis. The parents have to recognize their limit in exercising authority. They cannot do more than that! They cannot kill their son at home. They have to take him to the higher authority, which are the community elders. In our days, we can say that they have to call the police and hand over their son to them. Father and mother have to make a clear complaint to the council of the elders. Once both parents agree that that their son is an unrepentant, worldly, wasteful, dangerous trouble- maker, disobedient and rebellious young man then the sentence is passed. In the presence of his parents, that young man shall be stoned to death by his community. There is no appeal for him. This is the Word of God.
It is true that there is no record of any such event in Israel, but the Word stands there forever as a warning to all children. The reason why death penalty is given upon such a son, it is because sin, evil, can spread in the community like cancer. Here we see God’s concern for the spiritual health of our families, churches and communities.
To be an unrepentant rebellious and stubborn person, totally defiant against the authority over you, that is witchcraft. And God’s Word says that ‘no witch should be allowed to live’ for she is able to pollute the hearts of all people around (1Sam 15:23; Ex 22:18). That is the reason why the children are commanded to respect and even fear their parents. Their lives are literarily in the hands of their parents for as long as they depend on them living in the home. Children, be careful! Be wise!