Galatians 3:13-14 Podcast
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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 pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13-14)
Galatians 3:10–14 makes three alarming statements which we will consider today and tomorrow. The first statement is v.10: "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse." The second is v.13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law." The third, in v.14, gives the purpose of the second: "that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
Having considered the first alarming statement in v.10, today we consider the second and third. The second alarming statement in v.13 is, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law."
Christ redeemed us. The word that Paul uses here for "redeemed" is "exegorasen" which means to buy a slave out of the market-place. This happened because God doesn't just love or do love, He IS love.
The story of Hosea illustrates this so well. God tells Hosea to go find his wife, Gomer, who was running around with the men of the city. Many of the men in the city had known her. Hosea walks the streets to find his wife. Eventually, he found her, and he bought her for 15 pieces of silver and 1 1/2 homers of barley, the equivalent of what Judas received for betraying Jesus.
The amount that Hosea paid illustrates that he was not a wealthy man for he had to empty his cupboards to purchase her back (1 1/2 homers of barley). He bought back what was already his, his wife. God did the same; He sent His Son to earth to buy back what was His already. And He emptied His cupboards, He gave all He had, even His life.
The heart of the gospel is "Christ, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus measured up to the law perfectly and in so doing, He undergirded truth itself. In order to extend this blessing to those who would believe in Him, He had to be cursed by God on our behalf.
In v.14, we read, "in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." When we quit holding on to our efforts of measuring up to gain God's acceptance and trust in Christ's righteousness, then we will experience the power of the Holy Spirit.
We like to think that the greatest display of God's power is seen in the parting of the sea or the raising of Lazarus or the healing of the blind man. No, no, no. The greatest display of God's power is the changing of a human heart. Look for Him to do this in your life as you yield to Him.
After Hosea found Gomer, his wife, and brought her home, her name is never mentioned again in the book of Hosea from the fourth chapter til the end. In light of the fact that when her name was mentioned before, it was not in a good light, I believe it's a good bet that she never left Hosea again. Why? Because of his great love. Oh to be defined more by God's love for me rather than my love for God.
