Deuteronomy 27:21-26: a reflection

21‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 24‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 25‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 26‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

As the people of Israel stand to hear the law, a series of curses is pronounced on those who break God's commandments in secret, and the people answer each with Amen. The list ends with a sweeping word that gathers up all the rest: Cursed is he who doesn't uphold the words of this law by doing them. All the people say, Amen. This last curse is the heaviest, for it falls not only on those who break a particular command but on everyone who fails to uphold the whole law by doing it, and no one does. The law's own final word exposes that no one perfectly keeps it; all fall under its curse. And this points beyond the law to our need of a Redeemer, for Christ would take this very curse upon himself, redeeming his people from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for them.

Notice the reach of that final curse: on everyone who does not uphold the whole law by doing it. It is not aimed only at some notorious sinner; it falls on all who fail to keep the whole law perfectly, and that is every one of us. The law, in its own final word, exposes that none of us perfectly upholds it; all fall short, all come under its curse. This is not meant to leave us in despair but to drive us to our need of grace. For the curse that the law pronounces on all who fail to keep it, Christ took upon himself; he became a curse for us, redeeming us from the curse of the law. The law's exposure of our failure points beyond itself to the Redeemer who bore its curse in our place. What we could not do, keep the whole law, Christ did, and he bore its curse for us.

That is worth taking to heart, for none of us keeps the whole law perfectly, and this drives us to Christ, who bore its curse for us. We can imagine we might stand acquitted before God by our own keeping of the law; but the law's own final word exposes that no one upholds it perfectly, that all fall under its curse. This is not cause for despair but for turning to Christ, who took the curse of the law upon himself, redeeming us from it. Do not imagine you can stand before God by your own keeping of the law; none of us keeps it perfectly, but Christ bore its curse for us. Turn to Christ, who redeemed us from the curse of the law by bearing it himself, since none of us upholds the whole law perfectly and all fall under the curse the law pronounces on those who do not keep it; for the law exposes our failure not to leave us in despair but to drive us to the Redeemer, who became a curse for us and freed us from the curse we could never escape by our own keeping.

Lord, as the people of Israel stand to hear the law, a series of curses is pronounced on those who break your commandments in secret, and the people answer each with Amen. The list ends with a sweeping word that gathers up all the rest: cursed is he who doesn't uphold the words of this law by doing them. All the people say, Amen. This last curse is the heaviest, for it falls not only on those who break a particular command but on everyone who fails to uphold the whole law by doing it, and no one does. The law's own final word exposes that no one perfectly keeps it; all fall under its curse. And this points beyond the law to our need of a Redeemer. Show me the reach of that final curse: on everyone who does not uphold the whole law by doing it. It is not aimed only at some notorious sinner; it falls on all who fail to keep the whole law perfectly, and that is every one of us. The law, in its own final word, exposes that none of us perfectly upholds it; all fall short, all come under its curse. This is not meant to leave me in despair but to drive me to my need of grace. For the curse that the law pronounces, Christ took upon himself; he became a curse for us. Take that to my heart, for none of us keeps the whole law perfectly, and this drives me to Christ, who bore its curse for us. I can imagine I might stand acquitted before you by my own keeping of the law; but the law's own final word exposes that no one upholds it perfectly. This is not cause for despair but for turning to Christ. Keep me from imagining I can stand before you by my own keeping of the law; help me turn to Christ, Lord, who redeemed us from the curse of the law by bearing it himself, since none of us keeps it perfectly.