The Hanging Tree

Now let's look at another Old Testament passage: (key verses)

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. 22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: 23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. (Deut 21:18-23)

     This passage (key verse) from the Old Testament has great significance! It is, of course, to be applied to the Hebrew people, but face it, the Hebrew people were the antecedents of Jesus. Their sole purpose was two-fold: (1) Be God's peculiar people and (2) to provide a Savior with Israelite blood. As such the Israelites were a "vessel" for Jesus's incubation much as Mary was. Like Mary, they were to be clean and holy, and have fidelity to God. When Moses wrote the words above, it was for one specific day. However, Israelites were special people with special laws. They had rules for a disobedient, stubborn and rebellious son. Let's stop there for a moment.

     Jesus was known as "a stubborn and rebellious son." He was not, but the religious Jews perceived him that way. How so? Jesus spoke as if he is God! That was Adam's sin; acting as if he was God. (Gen 3:5). The "First Prescription" for eternal "healing" was, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." A better more understandable translation would be, "Thou shall have no other gods in my face." That eliminates all false gods who were worshiped alongside God, but think deeper than that: Jesus was the face of God. (Exod 33:11). 

     Whenever God appeared to men, it was the face of God, or more notably, Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus presumes to be God's "face." That was blasphemous! Therefore, in the eyes of the law-keepers (those of the Levitical priesthood), Jesus was a rebellious son, and stubborn in that he would not recant.

     That law was custom made for Jesus's purpose; Jesus was born to die just as a common trouble-maker would be. God was making a law early on that would convict and sentence Him to His own death!

     Let's examine more of that passage. The rebellious son would "not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them." 

     Jesus forsook his mother, but never his Father! He asked, "But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Mat 12:48-50). At that time, Mary would have had her doubts, and here was her Son denying her. The legalists believed that Jesus broke another precept - to honor his father and mother... and ironically to have a long life - which was appended to that precept!

     I am avoiding the use of the word "commandment" because that is a misrepresentation. 

16 This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. 17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: 18 And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. (Deut 26)

     Moses, inspired by seeing God with his back to his face, was given the purpose of the "Ten Words" which were the "prescriptions" for long physical and spiritual lives! Note, that it was by grace that the Israelites were reproved, let lived, and blessed. Doing God's will does not exempt anyone from doing what He wants them to do!

     They were to keep them with all their hearts and souls. Where have you read that before? Jesus said that was the Greatest Commandment. That means all ten of them! When Jesus spoke about that, he added: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Mat 22:40). Then John reaffirmed that, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

     In the key verses, it was the parents who made the accusation. Without regard to that, children are to honor their father and mother without reservations. As for Jesus, it were those that he claimed were his parents; those outside his biological family. Those who should have been his spiritual family... in other words those who were religious. What did those religious people do? Present him as rebellious and wayward... "He is a glutton, and a drunkard.." The Jewish leaders did just that (Mat 11:19)!

     Was Jesus stoned as foretold? "And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." We do know that Jesus was beaten as he was taken to be crucified. According to Jewish law, then he was likely stoned.

     The crime was perceived rebelliousness, stubbornness, gluttony, and drunkenness. The "jury" convicted Jesus of all those things, even though the legal representatives did not! (Does that sound familiar with today's Russian Hoax?) Accusation is what sinful people do! Old Testament Law punished severely for false witness. It was not Jesus who sinned but the Jews. Jesus even told Pilate that theirs was a greater sin than his! (John 19:11); The wrong people were on the "tree."  

      Death by crucifixion was a Roman thing. Crucifying ancient people was unheard of until the Helenistic era and practiced mostly by Romans. When Moses wrote the key verses, he likely saw the cross in his mind's eye and referred to it as "a tree." Perhaps God called it a "tree" and Moses wrote what he heard. That may be the case because the cross of Jesus was a tree (Acts 5:30). The key verse describes the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The Law was made so that by grace Jesus would be crucified rather than us rebellious and stubborn sinners, who by the way, are gluttons and drunkards!

     Read on: "His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day." Jewish law required that criminals be buried within 24 hours. Jesus died and the evening sky turned dark. That night, he was put in Joseph's tomb (of Arimathaea) (Mark 15:46). 

     Jesus's mock trial and death was prepared for in Moses's time. Even his burial was! No wonder Jesus said,

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Mat 5)

     Jesus was speaking of his death as fulfilment of the Law! The penalty for law-breaking was stoning and hanging on a tree. Both Judas and Jesus did that, but only Jesus was accused of being God! Islam believes Judas paid the price on his tree. Satan was the one who was vicariously crucified that day, but it was God, not Allah, who died in the Flesh!
      Paul said it well: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The "Ten Words" condense to "one Word:" love thy neighbor as ourselves. How is that? With all our hearts and souls! Loving our neighbors is willingly to not offend them by sins against them, and by doing that, God is loved! It is, therefore, important to not consider the "Ten Words" as commandments but "Ten Prescriptions" for healing the souls of mankind!