July 10 Daily Devotional

Rebellious Sons

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 21:18-21

¹⁸If 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:
¹⁹Then 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;
²⁰And they shall say unto 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.
²¹And 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.

Devotional

There are some things in the Bible we might wish were not there. This account is one such. This is an example of what the liberal theologian points to when he refers to the wrathful God of the Old Testament. But the conscientious, honest Christian has to be willing to face all parts of Scripture and to strive to see what God wants him to learn, even from a portion like this.

First of all, we are not to suppose that in our days we are at fault for not stoning rebellious children! This regulation was for Israel, the theocracy. This was one of the laws that was limited in its application to the time when Israel was a political unit under God and was governed according to special laws that God gave the nation.

However, we can learn from this law three things for our own day. First, the father is responsible for training his child in respect and obedience, in facing up to acts of defiance and disobedience and dealing with them. Second, the sin of stubbornness and rebellion against God-given parental authority is VERY serious. And third, the Christian community should be concerned with the life-style of all its children.

Rebellion against a parent is rebellion against the God who says, 'Children, obey your parents in the Lord' (Ephesians 6:1). Rebellion is not to be considered a stage through which the normal youth will pass as he enters into his own independent life-style. It is true that a young person needs to mature into an adult who is controlled by self under God, instead of, as in his younger years, by parents under God. But this maturing and developing, and firm but respectful taking of the reins into his own hands from the hands of his parents, need not be rebellion!

God certainly has a lesson for us here. Let us heed it.

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.