Deuteronomy 19 - 21 and Psalm 64
In summary:
Deuteronomy 19 – 21 explains in detail how the Israelites will keep the sixth commandment: You shall not murder.
Deuteronomy 19 – 21 explains in detail how the Israelites will keep the sixth commandment: You shall not murder.
In more detail:
Among the laws in today’s reading we find: “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Who would have imagined that this is not only a law but messianic verses as well?
Because the apostle Paul tells us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).
And how glorious is this news! Paul tells us in the next verse, “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). When Jesus Christ suffered the curse of the law on the cross for us, He redeemed us, united us Gentiles to the blessing of Abraham and gave us the Spirit by faith. Who would have imagined that a curse could be transformed into so much blessing?
Secondly, this is great news for many Christians who are worried about the curses of the law. They are alarmed when they read verses like,“I the LORD your God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). If our fathers or grandfathers were idolaters, that means we are under a curse. And that is exactly right… unless we have trusted in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins; in this case, Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the generational curse of the law as well.
That’s great news! We don’t have to pray special prayers, do a thorough personal inventory of all the possible curses over us due to the sins of previous generations, nor
engage in strange spiritual therapies to break them: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law when He died on the cross for our sins. We are saved from the curse of the law by faith alone in Him.
Who would have thought that the laws on the burial of an executed criminal could contain such great news?
Among the laws in today’s reading we find: “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Who would have imagined that this is not only a law but messianic verses as well?
Because the apostle Paul tells us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13).
And how glorious is this news! Paul tells us in the next verse, “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). When Jesus Christ suffered the curse of the law on the cross for us, He redeemed us, united us Gentiles to the blessing of Abraham and gave us the Spirit by faith. Who would have imagined that a curse could be transformed into so much blessing?
Secondly, this is great news for many Christians who are worried about the curses of the law. They are alarmed when they read verses like,“I the LORD your God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5). If our fathers or grandfathers were idolaters, that means we are under a curse. And that is exactly right… unless we have trusted in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins; in this case, Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the generational curse of the law as well.
That’s great news! We don’t have to pray special prayers, do a thorough personal inventory of all the possible curses over us due to the sins of previous generations, nor
engage in strange spiritual therapies to break them: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law when He died on the cross for our sins. We are saved from the curse of the law by faith alone in Him.
Who would have thought that the laws on the burial of an executed criminal could contain such great news?
