June 28 2024

Friday June 28

Jesus Bore the Curse of the Law for Us

Joshua 8:30-35

30 Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal,

31 as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: "an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.

In these last six verses of Joshua 8 the people celebrated their victory over Ai by first building an altar at Shechem and worshipped with peace offerings of thanksgiving to the Lord for His blessings they just experienced. Then Joshua wrote the Law of Moses on the whitewashed stones and took the time to read it aloud to the all the people as one half stood in front of Mt. Ebal (The Mount of Cursing), and the other half stood in front of Mt. Gerizim (The Mount of Blessing).

It was at this time that Joshua reaffirmed the Law in the land of promise. Since the area between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim was a natural amphitheater, everybody could hear the words of the Law clearly and respond with intelligence. By shouting "Amen" to the statements that were read, the people admitted that they understood the Law with its blessings and curses, and that they accepted the responsibility of obeying it. This included the women, children, and the "mixed multitude" (sojourners) who had joined Israel (Ex. 12:38; 22:21; 23:9; Deut. 24:17-22; 31:12). If they wanted to share in Israel's conquest, they had to submit to the Law of Israel's God.

Today, as God's people, His church, we stand in a valley between two mounts. On one side is Mt. Calvary located in Jerusalem on Mt. Moriah, where Jesus died for our sins, and on the other side is Mt. Olivet, where Jesus will return in power and great glory (Zech. 14:4). The Old Testament prophets saw the Messiah's suffering and glory, but they did not see the "valley" between their era and this present age of the church (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Believers today aren't living under the curse of the Law, because Jesus bore that curse "on a tree". “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14). In Christ believers are blessed with "every spiritual blessing" (Ephesians 1:3), because of the grace of God. For them life means the blessings of Gerizim and not the curses of Ebal.

However, because Christians "are not under the Law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14; 7:1-6), it doesn't mean that we can live any way we please and ignore the Law of God or defy it. We aren't saved by keeping the Law, nor are we sanctified by trying to meet the demands of the Law; but "the righteousness of the Law" is "fulfilled in us" as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8:1-4, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” 

If we put ourselves under Law, we forfeit the enjoyment of the blessings of grace (Gal. 5). But if we walk in the Spirit, we experience His life-changing power and live so as to please God. Today, let's give thanks that Jesus bore the curse of the Law for us on the cross and that He bestows all the blessings of the heavenlies on us through the Spirit.

By faith we can claim our inheritance in Christ and march forth in victory!

God Bless!