Substitution

Continuing in Galatians, Paul looks further into the Law of Moses and finds this:
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree. (Gal 3:13).

Here Paul quoted Deut 21:23. Moses said that if any is executed by being hung on a tree, then the body must be taken down before nightfall, so that the land is not polluted in God’s sight. The body is defiled by sin.

Paul said that according to this law, whoever hangs on a tree bears sin. Jesus was hung upon a tree, so He also bore sin. Because Jesus had no sin, God could impute to Him our sin. He bore the sin of those He died for. Because He had no sin, His death could be used to bear our sin.

So we died in His body on that tree. We were guilty and should have been on that tree, but He took our place. By type, He was the animals God slew to clothe Adam and Eve. By type He was the ram whose horns were caught in the thickets, to substitute for Isaac (all of us) on the mountain (Gen 22:13). “Caught in thickets” by love, “Not My will, but Your will.”.