Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (ESV Strong's)
“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,
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,
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.’
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.
Truth: Parents are to be the initiators for purity.
In this section of Deuteronomy we have various laws and rules given to insure the purity of the nation. In this specific instruction, above, we see that a rebellious youth is to be corrected and condemned, if they fail to repent. The key in this section is related to the "who" is supposed to do the correcting? It is plain from the text that it is the parents job to initiate the drive for purity in the family and in the nation. Rather than make excuses for the child the parent is to correct the child. Instead of ignoring the child the parent is to confront the child. Instead of the parent expecting others to raise the child the parent is the initiator of correction and instruction. This is not true in our society today. Our children are pampered in our families today. When a child is caught in sin and rebellion they child is excused and the "system" is put under scrutiny. God wanted the nation to be kept pure. But, He put the responsibility of that purity onto the shoulders of the parents. Imagine this type of commitment to purity. Imagine this type of faith in God to push toward holiness. God wanted a holy people and was so desirous of holiness that He demands that the parents of a rebellious son bring the son out to the people and have the son stoned. If this does not show us God's character and desire to holiness and holy living nothing will. God is holy and wants us to be holy. He demands that His chosen people are holy and doesn't allow any relationship to come between Him and that holiness.
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