Covenant Reformed News – August 2013 • Volume XIV, Issue 16
This article examines the difficult Old Testament law in Deuteronomy 21:18-21 regarding the punishment of rebellious children, addressing whether such events actually occurred in Israel or served a typological purpose. The author establishes foundational assumptions about Israel's unique status as a theocracy under God's covenant, which is essential for properly interpreting Old Testament civil and ceremonial laws in light of Reformed theology.
The Punishment of Rebellious Children (1) Deuteronomy 21:18-21 states, “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey...