Here are the two verses:
And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. (Exodus 21:15, 17)
Remember that this was part of a covenant between God and his people. If they did indeed want God to live in their camp and lead and bless them, then in addition to the blessings he promised, they had to accept a stricter code of conduct with its severe punishments. After all, this was a holy God in their midst protecting them and promising peace, prosperity, and protection-which he by his own power could actually give them.
In God’s plan, the parents would receive the highest honor in the society, and thus are worthy of the highest respect of the children. In many societies, parenting has been greatly devalued, with absent fathers, kids born out-of-wedlock, and child abuse abounds. Here, the children themselves are highly valued and are being held to a high moral standard.
This commandment obviously does not apply to very young children who don’t know any better. It applies to those who refuse to control themselves. Please note that God is not telling the parents to kill or abuse their children. They are to take the disobedient person to the elders for judgment. The elders then render final judgment.
We cannot use these laws in our land because our laws do not reflect a covenant between God and man. Now we have the freedom to curse our nation’s leaders and belittle the soldiers who have spilled blood to protect this liberty. We may insult and disobey our parents. If we do these things, God may not punish us; nevertheless, we’ll still suffer the consequences of strained relationships.
In God’s camp, the people were held to a higher standard because the reward God was going to give them for their faith was greater than any earthly ruler could bestow-life in the kingdom of God with lasting riches and joys unbounded.
Ever since extremists who have sworn to destroy America had attacked the Twin Towers in New York City, we Americans have accepted more laws and inconvenience than we have ever accepted before. Searches at airports are prolonged and flight delays are commonplace. Surveillance cameras are going up at a rapid pace. Civil liberties are eroding. We allow these happenings in the interest of greater safety. How much more would we accept the death penalty for cursing our parents if we knew that the God who opened the Red Sea to save us, the God who destroyed entire Egyptian army single-handedly, has expressed his intentions to love us and protect our nation against all enemies forever?
What Do You Think?
a. Suppose there were a guarantee that your country would experience everlasting peace and freedom from war and disease, and every citizen would prosper in health into old age. However, the law of the land specified capital punishment for chewing gum, smoking, spitting in the street, and children cursing their parents. Would you accept these inconvenient conditions to gain unlimited protection and prosperity?
b. If God had first destroyed all our enemies, would you find the above agreement more acceptable?
