Ⅰ
In Deuteronomy 21:22-23 there is a prophecy that Christ would be the cursed One hanging on a tree; here we have a type of the crucified Christ as the One who was hanged on a tree—1 Pet. 2:24:
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A criminal could be executed by being hanged on a tree; he who was hanged was accursed of God—Deut. 21:22-23.
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If in a man there was a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he was put to death and was hanged on a tree, his corpse was not to remain overnight on the tree but had to be buried that day, for he who was hanged on a tree was accursed of God—v. 23.
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The Lord Jesus was killed by being crucified, that is, by being hanged on a tree, the cross, and He was buried on the day of His crucifixion—Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; John 19:31.
Ⅱ
The origin of the curse is man’s sin—Gen. 3:17b; Rom. 5:12:
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God brought in the curse after Adam’s sin, saying, “Cursed is the ground because of you”—Gen. 3:17b:
１
As descendants of Adam, all sinners are under the curse; Adam brought us all under the curse—v. 17b; Rom. 5:12, 17-18.
２
Ultimately, the curse is death; death, including all other sufferings, is the consummation of the curse—vv. 12, 17; 6:16, 21, 23.
Ｂ
After Adam sinned, the earth brought forth thorns because of the curse, so thorns are a sign of being cursed—Gen. 3:18; Heb. 6:8.
Ⅲ
The curse is carried out through the law, for the law administers the curse—Gal. 3:10:
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The curse was not altogether official until the law was given; the law now declares that all the descendants of Adam are under the curse—Rom. 5:13.
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The curse, therefore, is related to the law of God, and it is the demand of the righteousness of God upon sinners—3:19.
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If we try to keep the law, we will be in the flesh and automatically come under the curse: “As many as are of the works of law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the book of the law to do them’”—Gal. 3:10.
Ⅳ
“Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree’”—v. 13:
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On the cross Christ accomplished the great work of bringing us out from the curse of the law, working to bear our sins and to remove the curse—v. 13; 1 Pet. 2:24.
Morning Nourishment
Deut. 21:22-23 And if in a man there is a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree; his corpse shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you must bury him on that day. For he who is hanged is accursed of God…Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers has raised Jesus, whom you slew by hanging Him on a tree.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is concerned with the hanging of a criminal on a tree. A criminal could be executed not only by being stoned but also by being hanged on a tree. Whereas Stephen was killed by being stoned (Acts 7:58-59), the Lord Jesus was killed by being crucified, that is, by being hanged on a tree. The one hanged on a tree in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is therefore a type of the crucified Christ.
If in a man there was a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he was put to death and was hanged on a tree, his corpse was not to remain overnight on the tree but had to be buried on that day, for he who was hanged was accursed of God (vv. 22-23). This was exactly the situation when the Lord Jesus was crucified (John 19:31). He was buried on the day of His crucifixion.
Today’s Reading
The one who was cursed and hanged on the tree was a type of Christ, who was cursed and hanged on the cross to redeem us out of the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). (Life-study of Deuteronomy, p. 126)Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is an illustration of an important principle—that the Old Testament was written not mainly for the sake of the children of Israel but mainly for the sake of Christ. The primary purpose of the Old Testament is to portray Christ in various ways. This is the reason that Luke 24:27 says of the Lord Jesus, “Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He explained to them clearly in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Furthermore, in opening the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures, He said to them, “All the things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms concerning Me must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). In Deuteronomy 21 we have a type of Christ as the One who was hanged on the tree, on the cross. Peter used the word tree when speaking of the Lord’s crucifixion: “Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). (Life-study of Deuteronomy, pp. 126-127)
As the seed of Abraham, Christ in His humanity was crucified and became a curse on our behalf to redeem us out of the curse of the law. Galatians 3:1 mentions that Jesus Christ was crucified. Verse 13 goes on to say, “Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree.’” Christ as our Substitute on the cross not only bore the curse for us but also became a curse for us. The curse of the law issued from the sin of man (Gen. 3:17). When Christ took away our sin on the cross, He redeemed us out of the curse of the law.
Through his fall, Adam brought us all under the curse; as fallen descendants of Adam, we the sinners were under the curse. The origin of the curse is man’s sin. God brought in the curse after Adam’s sin, saying, “Cursed is the ground because of you” (v. 17). The sign of the curse is thorns (v. 18). For this reason, after Adam’s sin, the earth brought forth thorns.
However, the curse was not altogether official until the law was given. The law now declares that all the fallen descendants of Adam are under the curse. In other words, the curse is carried out through the law. This means that the law administers the curse. Therefore, the curse is related to the law of God; it is the demand of the righteous God upon sinners. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3286-3287)
Further Reading: Life-study of Deuteronomy, msg. 18; Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, lsn. 32