Paul indeed speaks of "the curse of the law" (Galatians 3:13 Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree: American King James Version ×), meaning a curse decreed by the law. [23] Instead of leading earthly armies in victorious conquest over the pagan Roman occupiers and driving them from the Promised Land, Jesus leads a greater conquest through his own execution. Moyer, J. C. “Accursed,” Vol. [5] Peter Craigie believes the defilement is caused both by decomposition and in an undefined “symbolic” sense. (R) 24 The Lord will turn the rain(S) of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. Jim is Founder, Editor, and Author at 4Elect. Atonement for the land is normally made via the execution of the murderer. Instead, the law revealed the sinfulness of humanity and the need for a redeemer from the curses brought through the law. Biddle, Mark E. Deuteronomy. Under the Mosaic covenant, the shedding of innocent blood is one event that “pollutes” or “defiles” the land. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc., 2003. Bonneau, Normand. 63 Just as it pleased(CJ) the Lord to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please(CK) him to ruin and destroy you. The solution is to understand the laws of tribulation in Deuteronomy 28. At this point in redemption history, Yahweh has delivered Israel from its Egyptian oppression, ratified the covenant with them at Sinai, established worship and sacrifice, and led them to the edges of the Promised Land. [24] Even though there is no undisputed Biblical witness to this historical event, [25] given the seriousness of land defilement under the old covenant and the importance of Jesus as the divine God-man, it is not hard to see the destruction of national Israel as judgment for such an act. Word Biblical Commentary. The Jerome Biblical Commentary 1. Since no righteous government existed to bring about such justice, could it be that Yahweh Himself judged Israel through their destruction as a nation by the hands of the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70? Without faith in Christ, the Gentiles stand condemned not under the Mosaic law of Israel, but under the everlasting and universal law of God written on their conscience. Not only is the curse of the law for covenant breakers, it is also for those who seek redemption through the works of the law as a substitute for faith. However, neither of these methods properly shows how the Mosaic law finds its ultimate fulfillment in the work of Jesus Christ, illuminates the glory of his death, and helps Christians gain a deeper understanding of the cost of their salvation. [18] As recompense, David allows the Gibeonites to hang seven of Saul’s sons. The consequence is not only that the “curse of God” will come down upon Alō, but also “the curses of the the Law (perhaps in this context not just divine law, but specifically the legal strictures given in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers) and Deuteronomy” do so too. Through the concept of covenant representation, the faithful Jesus trades places with unfaithful Israel in order to bear the curse for those he came to redeem from under the penalty of the law. 1 of The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Jim rejoices that God chooses insignificant people to bring glory to Himself. A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. Leicester, EN: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982. As mentioned earlier, under the Mosaic covenant, the shedding of innocent blood caused the defilement of the land. Donaldson, T. L. “The ‘Curse of the Law’ and the Inclusion of the Gentiles: Galatians 3.13-14.” New Testament Studies 32, (1986): 94-112. 20 The Lord will send on you curses,(H) confusion and rebuke(I) in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin(J) because of the evil(K) you have done in forsaking him. Used by permission. Guthrie, D. and J. Thus, in this case, the act of publicly displaying the representative covenant breakers by hanging functions as a vehicle to appease Yahweh’s anger. Knowing the cause and the solution removes the hopelessness factor, which has caused many to go mad with despair. 53 Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. By showing that justification cannot happen under the law, Paul demonstrates that the only way one can avoid the curse of the law is through faith in Jesus as substitute curse bearer. Josh. “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he 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. Grand Rapids: Wm. New International Version (NIV), Gain a concise, fundamental grasp of what the Bible is all about with our new, Dt 29:27; Jos 23:15; 2Ch 12:5; Da 9:11; Mal 2:2, ver 8, 15; Lev 26:16; Jer 42:18; Mal 2:2; 3:9; 4:6, Ps 39:11; 76:6; 80:16; Isa 17:13; 51:20; 54:9; 66:15; Eze 5:15, Lev 26:16; 2Ki 8:1; Job 12:15; Ps 105:16; Jer 14:1; Hag 1:11; Mal 3:9, Lev 26:19; Dt 11:17; 1Ki 8:35; 17:1; Isa 5:6; Jer 14:1; Hag 1:10, 2Ch 29:8; 30:7; Jer 15:4; 24:9; 26:6; 29:18; 44:12; Eze 23:46, Ps 79:2; Isa 18:6; Jer 7:33; 12:9; 15:2; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20, Ge 19:11; Ex 10:21; Job 5:14; 12:25; 24:13; 38:15; Isa 59:10, Jdg 3:9; 2Ki 13:5; Est 4:14; Isa 19:20; 43:11; Hos 13:4; Ob 1:21, S Dt 4:27; 2Ki 24:14; 25:7, 11; 2Ch 33:11; 36:21; Ezr 5:12; Jer 15:14; 16:13; 27:20; 39:1-9; 52:28; La 1:3, Ps 22:7; 39:8; 44:13; 64:8; Jer 18:16; 48:27; Mic 6:16, 1Ki 9:7; Ps 44:14; Jer 19:8; 24:9; 25:9, 18; 29:18; La 2:15, Lev 26:20; Ps 129:7; Isa 5:10; Jer 12:13; Hos 8:7; Mic 6:15; Hag 1:6, 9; 2:16, S Nu 16:38; Ps 71:7; Isa 8:18; 20:3; Eze 5:15; Zec 3:8, Isa 5:26-30, 26; 7:18-20; 39:3; Jer 4:16; 5:15; 6:22; 25:32; 31:8; Hab 1:6, 2Sa 1:23; Jer 4:13; 48:40; 49:22; La 4:19; Eze 17:3, Ps 96:4; Jer 5:22; Mal 1:14; 2:5; 3:5, 16; 4:2, Dt 29:21; 30:10; 31:26; Jos 1:8; 8:34; 23:6; 24:26; 2Ki 14:6; 22:8; 2Ch 17:9; 25:4; Ne 8:1, 18; Mal 4:4, Dt 30:9; Isa 62:5; 65:19; Jer 32:41; Zep 3:17, S Dt 4:27; Ezr 9:7; Isa 6:12; Jer 32:23; 43:11; 52:27, Ne 1:8; Ps 44:11; Jer 13:24; 18:17; 22:22, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Quest Study Bible, Comfort Print: The Only Q and A Study Bible, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story. THE THEOLOGY OF DEUTERONOMY 27 Paul A. Barker Summary The problems of unity in Deuteronomy 27 are usually treated diachronically resulting in an impoverished theological appreciation of the chapter. By understanding the original meaning of Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and observing its outworking in ancient Israel, Christians today can come to a deeper understanding of what Jesus accomplished at the cross and how he turns a curse upon himself into a blessing for others. Jeremiah 7:6 Such is the curse of the law. you have been redeemed from the curse of the law! They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the Lord your God is giving you.(BV). An examination of Paul’s argument in Galatians, and especially the 3rd chapter, will clarify who the apostle has in mind when he states “Christ redeems us from the curse of the law.”, First, it is important to notice who Paul says the curse is for. According to GALATIANS 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. 18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. Operating under divine mandate, the Canaanite kings must be destroyed if Joshua is to faithfully carry out his mission of judgment and conquest. Some wish to apply the Mosaic law to today’s context in the same manner it was applied in ancient Israel. However, Yahweh does not respond to the plea for the land until both the bones of Saul’s hanged sons and the bones of Saul and Jonathan are buried. J. G. McConville presents the majority view and describes the hanging as “some form of impalement of the body, in a custom that was widespread in the ancient world….The intention was a public shaming of the criminal (cf. DEUTERONOMY 28:20-22, 27-29, 35, 58-61 (HCSB) 1. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. However, the shedding of innocent blood can only be atoned under the Mosaic covenant through the execution of the perpetrators. A. Motyer, eds. Look at Deuteronomy 28:61: “Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed.” That covers everything. Therefore, Israel must take caution that it does not repeat the errors of the Canaanites and fall under similar judgment. In verse 13, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:23: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [8] O’Brien, “The Curse of the Law (Galatians 3.13): Crucifixion, Persecution, and Deuteronomy 21.22-23.” 64. [8] But once it is acknowledged that Deuteronomy and the Priestly Torah are self-contained, they can each be understood on their own terms. Once again, he shows them a land and promises blessing in it. 25 The Lord will cause you to be defeated(T) before your enemies. 28 The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. But are all those cursed under the law redeemed? (AM) There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. (BX) 56 The most gentle and sensitive(BY) woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter(BZ) 57 the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. Christensen, Duane L. Deuteronomy 21:10-34:12. Caneday, Ardel B. Translated by Dorothea Barton. 21:23, he confirms the Septuagint as the oldest source of the subjective genitive option. [25] Some see the prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24 finding a near-fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem and an ultimate fulfillment at his second coming. [30] It is from this law that Christ provides redemption. Since relevant passages in the Old Testament do not give us any details on the exact method of hanging, we can assume it was unimportant. Dunn, James D. G. The Epistle to the Galatians. 2. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1979. According to Genesis 2 and 3, the curse is death. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. Their task, given by the victorious Jesus, is delivering the gospel of salvation through Christ to the corners of the earth. Citing Deuteronomy 27:26, Paul reminds his readers that the law specifically states “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Therefore, the curse is for covenant breakers. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970. Bergant, Dianne and Robert J. Karris, eds. Deut 27:26 does not declare a curse on everyone who tries to obey the law, which appears to be the distinguishing feature of the group that Paul identifies, but rather on those who fail to obey the law. (BW) 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. Finally, it is important to note how the blessing of Abraham flows to the Gentiles through Israel. Therefore, every Bratcher, Robert G. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. Collegeville, MN: The Order of Saint Benedict, Inc., 1989. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976. Grand Rapids: Wm. “The Price of a Dog” – The Verse in Context 67 In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. Joshua then repeats this process with the five Amorite kings who hide in a cave. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan. Grand Rapids: Wm. The most important thing in your life is your relationship with God. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1996. O’Brien, Kelli S. “The Curse of the Law (Galatians 3.13): Crucifixion, Persecution, and Deuteronomy 21.22-23.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 29, no.1 (2006): 55-76. Obedience to the LORD and his laws is the way to enjoy the blessing (i.e. The law reads. (CU) 68 The Lord will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. The apostle Paul states in Galatians 3:13 that: Since Jesus never broke any of Yaweh’s covenant stipulations, his hanging is not punishment for his own sins. The procedure of same-day burial is also seen in Joseph of Arimathea ’ s inheritance neither you nor ancestors. Your eternal destiny the Logic of Paul ’ s Argument on the law for land... 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