—Galatians 3.10–14—

¹⁰ All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." ¹¹ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because "the righteous will live by faith." ¹² The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, "Whoever does these things will live by them." 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.


You are a carpenter. Your father and grandfather were both carpenters, establishing the family trade. Everyone knows your talent and customers flock to your name and reputation. Carpentry is your life and your identity.

One day you and your father are reflecting on the family business. “I built 2 houses in the same city block one year,” you remember. “Termites moved through the whole block the next year, ate ‘em up one by one.”

With a knowing “sigh,” your father offers a suggestion. “We should’ve known son. Wood rots. It just can’t do anything else.”

Just as the limitations of wood undermine the work of a carpenter, the Apostle Paul can look at his people (he was a Jew, after all) and see that their own scriptures spoke of a “curse”, a ticking time bomb of sorts that was embedded in their Law. But unlike the carpenter and his wood, Israel’s problem was not their Law—it was themselves.

Paul could see that the entire history of Israel told the story of a people who fell short of their goal to be God’s light to the world—a people who missed what God wanted of them amid the cursed and rotted ruins of their religion—a people who believed they had God in their pocket. And yet, miraculously, God still accomplished his purposes...not according to any law, but according to a promise made to Abraham.

We would do well to pray not to make the same mistakes.