What almost seems like an afterthought are two verses in Deuteronomy that deal with the execution of a criminal.
“When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you must bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.
You must not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you for possession (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Hanging someone on a tree places someone under God’s curse. Leaving the body there overnight desecrates the land that Yahweh gave to His chosen people and invites God’s curse on the whole land.
Crucifixion was a public event that combined execution with humiliation. It’s important to note that those being crucified were never clothed.
God’s abundant love and grace are shown through Jesus, who endured the curse of being hanged on a tree. Because of this, we can receive the Holy Spirit as a free gift of God’s grace.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”
In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14).
Pig Wrangling
I remember a time when going to church on a Sunday night, the church’s neighbor’s hogs had escaped their pen, and there were five of them waiting at the church entrance.
My task was to herd them back into their pen. At that time, I had never dealt with pigs before, but that day I had no choice. What I did would have followed Moses’ commands to the Israelites.
“You shall not watch your neighbor’s ox or sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall take them back to their owner (Deuteronomy 22:1),
The man who owned the pigs was a friend of mine. After church, I had a good laugh with him as I shared the story of herding his pigs back into their pen.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to follow the next admonition that Moses gave the Israelites.
If the owner does not reside near you or you do not know who the owner is, you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until the owner claims it; then you shall return it.
You shall do the same with a neighbor’s donkey; you shall do the same with a neighbor’s garment; and you shall do the same with anything else that your neighbor loses and you find. You may not withhold your help
“You shall not see your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen on the road and ignore it; you shall help to lift it up” (Deuteronomy 22:2-4).
Kicking and Screaming
One of my friends was the pastor of a big church near Atlanta. He shared a story about helping someone who was really struggling and needed the church’s support.
He told me, “I helped her, even though I did it kicking and screaming like a two-year-old, because God pushed me to do the right thing.”
I faintly remember the end of his story, but I recall that God had an important lesson for him. He went out of his way to help, despite his own resistance, and received a powerful lesson and blessing from God that day.
Some rules Moses set may be hard to follow, but if the Holy Spirit guides us, we should listen. We never know what blessings God has for us when we obey and help those in need.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 