Maybe you could help me. I’ve looked at sites in the Old Testament but haven’t found any help. Deut 21; 18-21 doesn’t seem right….stubborn & rebellious sons may be put to death by stoning??

Gramps,

I was about to write my thoughts to a newspaper in response to another article which shared this scripture which I’ve never read before & it does seem off base. Maybe you could help me.I’ve looked at sites on Old Testament but haven’t found any help. Deut 21; 18-21 doesn’t seem right….stubborn & rebellious sons may be put to death by stoning??

This chapter is an enigma to me & I’ve never read this stuff before. What’s with slaying heifer, Deut21:4, if there is a murder. Is this part of Law of Moses or something? What’s with defeating enemy in war, Deut. 21;10, and seeing a beautiful woman etc, etc?

Shelley

Dear Shelly,

Yes, the scriptures you mentioned were part of the law of Moses. They seem rather strange and exceptionally severe to us, but our societies are vastly different, and different norms are required to ensure acceptable behavior. You must remember that the Israelites had lived as slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years. As slaves they had no rights and were completely and harshly governed by their owners. There was no possibility of exercising individual responsibility for four centuries. Thus disobedience to moral law had to be shown as intolerable, and so God gave to Moses this harsh law in order to teach the people responsibility and morality. Now, of a sudden, they are freed from their oppressors and are on their own, isolated in a desert land. Extremely severe measured had to be installed in order for them to assume moral and civil responsibility.

If you look in Leviticus 20, you will find the death penalty imposed for the following infractions-

-giving one’s children to the god, Molech, to be burned- v 2

-cursing parents- v 9

-adultery- v 10

-incest- v 11, 12

-sodomy- v 13

-fornication with animals- v 15, 16

-witchcraft- v 27

Gramps