The Law that was Nailed to the Cross

What was it exactly that was nailed to the cross? Was it the entire Old Testament law or was it something more specific? I tend to lean toward the latter. I believe it is not the entire Old Testament law that was removed, and I plan to show that here. First, the verse that is often referred to as a proof text for the law being nailed to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 (is this something IN the law?)

…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

If the reader has no real depth of understanding from the Old Testament, I concede that it would be difficult to read this as anything other than the Old Testament law being done away with. However, if one takes the time to read, and study the Old Testament, this verse takes on a whole new meaning. Even taking the time to understand that Paul was never preaching against nor did he believe contrary to the Old Testament law. For example the book of Acts mentions Paul as one who walks according to the Law.

Acts 21:24

Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.

Acts 24: 14

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Paul followed and believe every word of the OT. It has been claimed that the law Paul followed was the law of Christ, however, we have to take into consideration that the law of Christ is the very same law that was given to Moses. The Old Testament, including the prophets and the law is the word of God. Yeshua is also the living, breathing, word of God. Therefore, the only conclusion that can be made is that the law of Christ is the very same thing as the Law of God. If that is the case then Paul could only be following the Old Testament Law. Not only is this the case, but the Jews in Acts 21 only known the law of God and the law of the Pharisees. They themselves claim that Paul walked orderly and kept the law.

Acts 21:20-21

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

The Jews were misinformed about Paul. Acts 21: 20-21 shows that Paul did not teach against the law, but we can see that if you continue in the chapter as we read further up the page, this was not the case concerning Paul. If Paul always kept and taught the Law of God, maybe we can begin to consider that the Law of God was not what was nailed to the cross.

Next, why does Yeshua ask for a drink on the cross, just before he dies?

John 19:28-30

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

What prophecy is it that required him to drink the sour wine? Can we find a prophecy that states he will have to drink sour wine? Not exactly, however, we do know that Christ was here to release the lost sheep from the curse of the law. That being the case, is there a place in the bible that requires the lost sheep to drink sour wine? The answer to this question is, sort of. It is not exactly the lost sheep, but rather the adulterous wife. This just so happens to be the role the lost sheep of Israel played in the relationship with YHWH in the Old Testament.

Numbers 5: 12-24, 26-27 (law of jealousy) (23 is important) (this is why he had to drink the bitter water)

“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught— if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself— then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.

‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord. The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”— then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell; and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.”

‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”

‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

Galatians 3:13

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

We know that in the Old Testament, YHWH was jealous of Israel for worshiping other gods. The worship of other gods was repeatedly called prostitution and whoring with other gods. Israel is also called the wife of YHWH, therefore, the law of jealously would be meant for the lost sheep of Israel. As we can see, the very things that happened to Yeshua on the cross was the description of what would have happened to the adulterous wife from the Old Testament law. She would become a curse, but instead, Christ became a curse for us. I say us because we are the lost sheep of Israel. For more on that, see my blogs concerning the lost sheep.

Here are a few verses that show the jealousy of YHWH.

Exodus 34:13

But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images

Deuteronomy 4: 24

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Now to show that YHWH considered Himself a husband to Israel. We know that there will be a marriage in the last days. Modern day Christians read the New Testament and know all about the marriage supper from the book of Revelation. But, was there already a marriage in the Old Testament?

Jeremiah 31:32

not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

Isaiah 54: 5

For your Maker is your husband,

The Lord of hosts is His name;

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

He is called the God of the whole earth.

As we can see, it is clear that in the Old Testament, YHWH was the husband of all of Israel. So we have now established that the Father was the husband and Israel was the unfaithful wife. That can only mean that the law given in the Old Testament would have to be carried out and that means all of Israel would have to, according to Numbers 5, drink from the cup of bitter water.

Matthew 26: 39

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Go back to…

Colossians 2:14 (His people are the unfaithful wife)

…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us is the law from Numbers 5. It does not necessarily mean the entirety of the Old Testament. We can even see that Yeshua was being shamed, mocked, and cursed during this entire situation.

Matthew 27: 39 (numbers 5:21)

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads

Matthew 27:40-43

and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Jesus took the punishment of the unfaithful spouse!!!

He took the curse of Numbers Chapter 5 (that applied to the unfaithful wife) and nailed it to the cross. Just as in Colossians 2:14 completely enabling his divorced wife to be wiped clean of her guilt AND be remarried at the same time.

The law was never a barrier that kept people from him. It was the northern kingdoms disobedience to the law that kept them from him.