Galatians 3:13 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 tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. BSB
As we have discussed, the law is holy, just and good. That’s not the problem. The problem is that we can’t perfectly follow the law and that is what makes it into a curse for us. While there are several theories regarding atonement as it relates to the death and resurrection of Jesus and while each offers something helpful, “curse” as used here implies wrath. In anger, God kicks Adam and Eve out of the garden after their sin, and places a cherubim with a flaming sword to make sure they can’t come back. God is utterly opposed to sin and because of this, God has to take some action in order to deal with Himself in order to be reconciled to us. The action taken is Christ dying for our sins on the cross which points to substitutionary atonement.
The text quoted regarding the curse of being hung on a tree comes from Deuteronomy 21:23. The Matthew Henry Concise Commentary puts it this way: “He that is hanged is accursed of God; that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach. Those who see a man thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either”.
The thing to remember is that although Jesus was tempted in every way, He remained sinless. In Romans 5:12-18, Paul describes Christ as the new Adam. Unlike the original, Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to God which qualifies Him to be the perfect sacrifice. (In the Jewish sacrificial system, the animals had to be unblemished and male). Our conversion is a Spirit-led event. Here the Galatians are exchanging Spirit for a system that is based on successfully following rules.
Galatians 3:15 Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to cancel the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise. WEB
Parables take an example from real life and then tie it to a spiritual truth. The usage of covenant here is compared by many commentators to that of a last will and testament. Others will point to a usage that points toward a signed agreement or contract between two parties that can’t be changed (this usage is primarily in the Septuguant and New Testament). It doesn’t really matter as while a will can be changed during a person’s life, it doesn’t take effect until after the death of the person who created it. At that point, the will is permanent and unchangeable. The same is true for contracts once fully executed.
In verse 16, Paul is bouncing back to verse 6 of Chapter 3. (Some translations will use “offspring” or “descendants”). What Paul wants to make clear is that the Mosaic covenant that comes 430 years after Abraham does not nullify the Abrahamic covenant. The Mosaic covenant is supplementary not substitutionary. The Abrahamic covenant points to how you are saved while the Mosaic covenant shows us why we need to be saved. Paul will spend the first three chapters in Romans talking about why you need to be saved in further detail.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, 19 because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. NET
God tells Abraham that I’m going to bless you and all of the people if you will simply trust Me. The law of Moses comes along later and points us back to our own need for God.
The Judaizers are arguing that Gentiles are excluded unless they become Jews. Paul contradicts this by showing that the promise is bigger – it is everyone through Christ. God promised Abraham a son (Isaac) and through his descendants will be the One who accomplishes this blessing. (The point of the genealogy in Matthew’s Gospel is to establish that Jesus comes to us through Abraham and David).
Galatians 3:19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one. WEB
Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not. For if there had been a law given which could give life, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. 22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. NHEB
The implication is that Abraham received his message directly from God while Moses did not. That said, Exodus does not suggest angels but Deuteronomy 33:2 does. Moses was a mediator between God and the Israelites whereas God’s promise was made directly to Abraham (and through Abraham to all people) without a middleman.
If the law was given in order to make us righteous, it should be doing its job and we should see people earning righteousness by following the law (which we do not). As a result, the Mosaic covenant cannot replace that of Abraham. The reverse is also true as Paul never tells us that the law is no longer applicable – both were given by the same God and both are still in effect. The law reminds us that we live in a moral universe (with rules) and there are consequences when we go against those guidelines. These guidelines also point us back to God as the source of our salvation and faith. It bears repeating here that our salvation is not dependent upon works of the law or our own efforts (which is Paul’s point).
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?….37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. BSB
There is an article by the liberal theologian Heidi Haverkamp who having struggled with the never ending battle of trying to do and be good has recently rediscovered John Calvin’s doctrine of total depravity. The comments posted by her readers at the end of the article provide some insight into the thinking of modern liberal Christians. (See: https://www.christiancentury.org/article/first-person/how-i-learned-love-doctrine-total-depravity )