Daily Thoughts from Deuteronomy 21:22,23: Cursed (Qil’lat)

23 Cursed (Qil’lat)

If someone has committed a capital crime and is put to death, then hung on a tree, his body is not to remain all night on the tree, but you must bury him the same day, because a person who has been hanged has been cursed by God — so that you will not defile your land, which Yahweh your God is giving you to inherit.

(D’varim 21:22,23)

It was early and the shore was empty, a perfect place of solitude for reading his scroll.  Today Moshe talked about justice and fairness.  What to do when an unidentified body was found near a town, how an enemy slave woman was to be treated, how to treat the firstborn of an unloved wife versus the firstborn of a loved wife.

But what spoke most to him this day was the requirement that someone who had been hung on a tree for a capital offense was to be buried the same day so that the land would not be defiled.  For many ages his people had used stoning as the means of capital punishment.  But for someone who committed an action so contrary to the law of God and so dangerous to the community, his death by stoning might be followed by hanging his dead body on a tree as a warning and a testimony against such crimes against the God of Yisrael.

Right before this, Moshe had talked about the son who is rebellious against his parents and will not listen to them or anyone about it.  He is bringing shame upon the community by dishonoring his parents and by dishonoring Yahweh, and he is incorrigible.  He was to be stoned by the community and perhaps have his body hung on a tree.  But to further display him, accursed as he was, would be a defiling of the land.  He had been defiling it by his life.  He would not be allowed to continue defiling it by his death.

This passage filled him with dread for some reason.  He knew he must fulfill Yesha‘yahu’s prophecy concerning the lamb smitten for Yisrael’s iniquities.  How would this happen?  Would his people consider him a dishonoring son?  Would they consider him accursed in some way?  Would they hang him on a tree as a warning to others?

Satan saw it as clearly as he did, that his people would have no stomach for someone preaching what he and John were preaching.  Some would.  Indeed, some had.  But would the nation as a whole not find him odious and inconvenient?  He loved his people but they were as stiff-necked now as they had been when they were in the yeshimon.

His heart was heavy as he took his leave of his new friends and began the trudge back to John’s cave.  Their provision of water was greatly appreciated and he said a prayer over them before he left.  It was not long before he saw his “friend” the satan squatting beside the road waiting for him.  He came in stride after him as he passed, saying nothing.  He did not need to say anything.  He knew what he was thinking.

He spent the night again in his little dirt hollow he had stayed in before.  The heaviness of his heart did not leave with sleep.