What was Israel instructed to do with a no-good, rebellious, drunkard son?
Israel was instructed to hand a no-good, rebellious, drunkard son over to the authorities, who were to stone that young man to death. Stoning was an awful, public penalty, and the purpose was to deal with the offender and put fear of the Law into all Israel.
Les teaches that Israel was instructed to turn a no-good, rebellious, drunkard son over to the authorities, and the authorities were to literally stone that young man to death. He notes stoning was an obscenity—awful and not a pretty picture. After a man committed a sin worthy of death and was put to death, he was hanged on a tree, but the hanging did not kill him; the stoning did. The hanging was a public spectacle to let the public know how Israel dealt with this kind of individual. Les contrasts this with sociologists removing that fear from the judicial system and with postwar Japan, where police dealt with crime on the sidewalk and there was practically no crime. He acknowledges people call it barbaric, but says they did not have our crime problem.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
More Questions
Why did God command that the rebellious son be stoned in Deuteronomy 21?
The stated purpose of stoning the rebellious son was to put away evil from among you.