Deuteronomy 21 Devotional

Cursed in Our Place

“you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”Deuteronomy 21:23 (BSB)

When a body is found in a field and the killer is unknown, the elders of the nearest town cannot shrug. They break the neck of a heifer, wash their hands, and ask the LORD to accept atonement for his redeemed people (21:1-8). Innocent blood matters to God even when no one can be blamed. Other laws protect people with little power: a captive woman may not be sold as a slave (21:14), and the son of an unloved wife keeps his double portion (21:15-17). The law for a stubborn, rebellious son, ending in stoning, is hard to read (21:18-21).

The chapter closes with a law about an executed criminal whose body is hung on a tree. He must be buried that same day, because anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse (21:22-23). Paul reaches back to this verse to explain the cross. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). The curse you deserved has already been carried, and the way to God is open.

To think about: How does knowing Christ bore the curse in your place change the way you approach God when you are aware of your guilt?