June 16: Deuteronomy 21
The Bible summarized in three trees
This chapter is noteworthy for many reasons, certainly for the final section. There we read that a man who is hung in execution may not stay there overnight, for the man is cursed. Why is he cursed? For he hangs on a tree - anyone who hangs to death on a tree is cursed. For all mankind came under curse at the tree in the Garden.
This is exactly why Jesus had to die the way that he did. For he was taking our curse upon himself. By the first tree mankind hung himself, in the form of Adam. Which put all of us under a curse of death. God said to Adam that if he ate of that tree, on that day he would die. And he did - he entered into "cursed death" - he and all his offspring, his race.
If you are reading this and you are a Westerner, then you are likely an individualist. But sin does not just affect us - it affects our entire race. Thus in Deuteronomy 21:1-9, atonement must be made for unsolved murders. Regardless of who does it, sin has its own intrinsic, staining effect on the community. It puts us under curse.
So the second Adam came and hung on a tree, that he might die in the place of Adam's race. This is why Peter, Luke and Paul all refer to Jesus' cross as a "tree" (Acts 5:30; 10:39; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). We entered into cursed death at the first tree, so Christ died under our curse at the second tree, so that we might live again and flourish, like trees feasting on living waters (Psalm 1:1-6). No wonder the Bible ends with a new Garden of Eden, and in the middle of it is the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:2).
God's ways are remarkable. The Jews wanted to hasten Jesus'death because the Sabbath was coming, and they didn't want it cursed. Yet they could not see that by murdering Jesus, they were already under the curse and required atonement, which is what Jesus provided them when he uttered the words, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
"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.'" (Galatians 3:23).