Galatians 3:13
"Christ hath (past tensed) redeemed us (He has bought us, He has paid a price for us, and redeemed us for by His stripes we are healed) from the curse of the law,
(remember what we read in Deuteronomy? If we do not keep every jot and
tittle of the Law to perfection then we're under the curse. Now that
sounds like harsh language, but that's what the Book said. `cursed is
every man that does not do them if you're going to do the Law.') being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" First
we must understand that we as gentiles were never under the curse of
the Levitical Law (only Israel fell in this category) but we are under
the over flow of the Ten Commandments as it is a moral code applicable
to all humanity. That said when we first come into redemption we are
placed into the first covenant for one purpose, that being for our
teaching and training by the Holy Spirit. The next thing He shows us is
our need of salvation and the way to acquire it through the ministration
of a death. This death is a death to the curse both of the old covenant
and the first commandment with penalty (sin and death). Both of which
the Lord Jesus Christ did as our sacrifice. And we are to acquire it in
the same fashion as He did it and Paul did by faith. Now look at
Deuteronomy 21:18. Now this is back in Israel's history under the Law.
Deuteronomy 21:18-20
"If
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: (in other words he is a total rebel, just as we've allowed our children to become) 19.
Then 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; (in other words to the authorities who sat at the entrance of the city) 20.
And 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." Does that ring a bell? Oh, yeah it
does. We have all heard of families that have one. Remember the book
"Tough Love"? What was advocated? With this kind of an individual, we
have to take steps and exercise some tough love. We can't just keep
feeding him and helping him out of his tight places, but rather we've
got to deal with him. Well Israel did, only far worse than what that
book ever suggested. Look what their remedy was.
Deuteronomy 21:21
"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," See this is what the sociologists have totally
removed from our judicial system. Our kids have no fear of the Law, nor
do they know God and that's our problem. They can do whatever they want
to do and they know they're going to get a slap on the wrist at most and
then they'll be back on the streets. Hey if we would practice some of
this it wouldn't take long for our judicial system to right itself. We
remember a friend of ours who was in the service in Japan in the
occupational forces after W.W.II. When he came home he said, "Boy
there's nobody in jail in Japan, the courts don't have much to do
because the police deal with the problem on the sidewalks. They
practically beat somebody to death if they caught them stealing or
snatching a purse. So there wasn't a problem at that time, but we're
sure it's changed some by now, but there wasn't much crime at that time
because they dealt with it. Well that's exactly what Israel was
instructed to do. If you have that kind of no good rebellious drunkard
son then turn him over to the authorities, and the authorities were to
literally stone that young man to death. And remember stoning was not a
very pretty picture, it was awful. They did not use small stones but
rather large ones of say 10 to 15 pounds. Now reading on in verse 22.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23
"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: (now
the hanging on the tree didn't kill him, the stoning did. So what was
the purpose of hanging them on a tree? A public spectacle! To let the
public know that this is the way Israel deals with this kind of an
individual. Now people will read this and say, "Well that's barbaric."
Maybe so but they didn't have the crime problem that we've got.) 23.
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in
any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;
..." Now does all that ring a bell? Who hung on a tree?
Christ did, and as soon as Israel saw the sun begin to set what did they
scramble for? Get Him off that tree because we can't have him on there
after sundown. See this is all ringing a bell with their Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 21:23a
"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (and here is the reason) (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;)..." We
say this is awful, but look what is this all a preview of? Of what
Christ accomplished on our behalf. Let's go to II Corinthians. Here
again, we can stand on total salvation based on the finished work of the
Cross + nothing, this is why we can do it. And at the same time keep
that picture in your mind for what it was for that rebel who was a
sinner to be sure and he had been stoned to death, and then hanged on a
tree for the public to see. Note also that he was hanged outside the
city gate not inside of it. All right it was all a preview of the One
that was to come. Now come back to II Corinthians chapter 5:
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