ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite ‘Aokosi 17, 2021 

Jesus was cursed for us

Naʻe hoko ‘a Sisu ko e malaʻia koeʻuhi´ ko kitautolu

Teutalōnome 21 (Deuteronomy 21)

(v. 22-23) Pea ka kuo feia ‘e ha tangata ha angahala ko hono tautea ‘i he lao ko e mate, pea ‘oku tāmate‘i ia, pea ke tautau ‘i ha ‘akau; ‘e ‘ikai ‘ahoia hono ‘anga‘anga ‘i he ‘akau, ka kuo pau ke ke tanu ia ‘i he ‘aho pē ko ia; he ko ia ‘oku tautau ko e koto mala‘ia ki he ‘Otua; koe‘uhiā ke ‘oua te mou ‘uli‘i ho kelekele ‘oku foaki kiate koe ‘e Sihova ko ho ‘Otua.

(v. 22-23) 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. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Sundry laws affecting the life of the people in the land after the conquest were now uttered. The sin of murder was once again dealt with. This time it was the murder of a person which could not be traced to the guilty party. Civic responsibility must be recognized by offering sacrifice.

The question of the marriage of captive women was also dealt with. Should a man set his heart on one of these women, she was to be treated in the most honorable way. The marriage was not to be consummated for a month. If at the close of that time the man were of the same mind, the woman could be married. If not, she was to be allowed to go forth absolutely free.

Then followed laws concerning the inheritance of children. In the existing state of things, it might be that a man would come to hate one of his wives, while he loved another. In such case the children were not to be allowed to suffer. The first-born was to have the' rights of the birthright, whether the child of the loved or the hated woman.

While in this way the right of the child was safeguarded, the necessity for parental discipline was enforced, and provision was made that if the child was not amenable to the law of his parents, the city was to act in discipline and in judgment.

Finally, the hatefulness of sin to God was revealed in the injunction that persons hanged on a tree as the result of sin were to be buried immediately.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for Deuteronomy 21

For he who is hanged is accursed of God: The punishment of being hanged on a tree, and left to open exposure, was thought to be so severe, that it was reserved only for those for which is was to be declared: "this one is accursed of God."

Paul expounds on Deuteronomy 21:23 in Galatians 3:13-14: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Jesus not only died in our place; but He also took the place as the accursed of God, being hung on a "tree" in open shame and degradation. He received this curse, which we deserved and He did not, so that we could receive the blessing of Abraham, which He deserved and we did not.

We are redeemed from the curse of the law by the work of Jesus on the cross for us. We no longer have to fear that God wants to curse us; He wants to bless us, not because of who we are, or what we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf.