Deuteronomy 21:23
you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:10-14
The Scripture today is not so much a prophecy as it is a fulfillment. Jesus fulfilled this Old Testament law so that we would be free of it.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 plainly says that “anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.” Stoning was the form of punishment for most capital offenses covered by God’s law. On some occasions they would hang the dead body in public as a deterrent to further crime. However, God forbade them to leave the body on the tree overnight. This was not crucifixion. This was simply putting the body on display.
Paul helps us to understand this law and how Jesus fulfilled it by his death on a cross. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’” (Gal 3:13). Because Jesus was hung on a tree, he satisfied this law as our substitute. He was cursed by God so that we wouldn’t be.
I think this is the often overlooked aspect of the cross that Jesus feared most. It wasn’t the pain that Jesus hoped to avoid when he asked God to make another way. It was being cursed by God the Father that Jesus hoped to avoid.
In fact, Jesus wasn’t left on the pole overnight. Because of the faithfulness of Joseph, he was able to remove Jesus from the pole and bury him the same day which also fulfilled God’s law.
While not a prophecy, I do find it interesting that this law is in the book of Deuteronomy. I wonder how many people they actually hung on a pole to be cursed by God on display for all to see? Or was this one of those forgotten rules that came to light when the Romans began crucifying Jews? God knew how His son would die. I’m pretty sure this was written for Jesus.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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