Tusite Me 23, 2023
תלה Hung on a Tree
TAUTAUA ‘I HE ‘AKAU
DEUTERONOMY 21:22-23
"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."
TEUTALONOME 21:22-23
22 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; 23 ‘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.
Stoning was the ordinary way of execution among the Israelites. Sometimes, however, the body of the criminal would be temporarily exposed to public view. They would talah ["hang [him] up") on a tree. Joshua, for instance, talah the body of the king of Ai "on a tree until evening" (Josh. 8:29; cf. 10:26). Death on a tree marked him as one "cursed by God."
When Paul wanted to double down on just how far Christ went to redeem us, he turned to the Torah: "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"" (Gal. 3:13). How great is the Great Exchange! The Messiah becomes a curse that we might receive a blessing, and dies that we might live. The Son of God is emptied of everything so that we might overflow with his Father's love and gifts.
Lord of the tree, who
underwent the curse for us, fill us with your blessings that we might live in
you.
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