Christ Took the Curse: Fulfillment of the Law

Devotional

Day 1: Building Altars in Unfinished Valleys

After victory at Ai, Joshua’s men didn’t linger to celebrate conquests. They marched north to Mount Ebal through rugged terrain, prioritizing obedience over convenience. Their altar of uncut stones became a declaration: worship isn’t reserved for settled seasons. True devotion happens mid-journey, when battles still loom and valleys feel unfinished. Burnt offerings rose amid uncertainty, a raw surrender saying, “Your presence matters more than our progress.” Faith thrives not in comfort but in the grit of trusting God’s timing.
[26:21]

And Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
(Joshua 8:30-31, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you delayed obedience to God, waiting for life to feel “settled”? What unfinished valley might He be calling you to worship Him in today?

Day 2: Whole Stones and Unpolluted Sacrifice

The altar’s rough, untouched stones defied human craftsmanship. No chisel marks, no polished edges—a deliberate rejection of man’s attempt to improve God’s design. Like those stones, Christ’s sacrifice needs no human additions. Our religious efforts—self-improvement plans, guilt-driven promises—only mar the perfection of His finished work. The fire of devotion burns purest when we stop trying to “fix” what God declared complete.
[37:50]

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
(Romans 11:6, KJV)

Reflection: What “chisel marks” of self-effort do you keep adding to Christ’s sacrifice? How might laying down your tools deepen trust in His sufficiency?

Day 3: Echoes of Curses, Whisper of Redemption

Mount Ebal’s curses thundered across the valley—a holy indictment no Israelite could escape. Centuries later, nails became the ultimate curse-carriers. Christ hung where shouts of “sinner!” should have drowned Him, yet His silence absorbed every accusation. The law’s demands didn’t soften; they found their target in His flesh. What Ebal proclaimed, Calvary fulfilled: condemnation’s roar swallowed by grace’s whisper.
[47:15]

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
(Galatians 3:13, KJV)

Reflection: When guilt’s “echoes” haunt you, how does Christ’s finished work on the tree rewrite that narrative? What specific lie loses power today?

Day 4: The Word Nigh Thee

Plastered stones bore Moses’ law, but the truest Word stood among them—Joshua, whose name means “Yahweh saves.” Centuries later, another Joshua (Jesus) would embody the Word, making God’s voice not etched on rock but wrapped in skin. Scripture isn’t a distant rulebook; it’s a Person so near His breath stirs our prayers, His scars answer our doubts. The Word became touchable.
[50:00]

But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(Deuteronomy 30:14, KJV)

Reflection: When has God’s Word felt distant? How might approaching Christ as the Living Word shift your engagement with Scripture?

Day 5: Liberty Beyond Lawyer Flesh

Freedom in Christ isn’t a blank check for indulgence. Like Israel hearing both blessings and curses, we’re called to steward grace responsibly. Our flesh plays lawyer, twisting liberty into license. True freedom? It’s the chain-breaking power to love boldly, serve joyfully, and live unshackled from sin’s petty negotiations.
[59:11]

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
(Galatians 5:13, KJV)

Reflection: Where has your “fleshly lawyer” justified selfish choices as “freedom”? How could loving others disrupt that pattern this week?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 8 opens with a people on a journey, sometimes up on the ridge where everything opens up, sometimes down in the valley where it is hard to see. God gives those mountaintop moments so that His people can see farther, understand deeper, and remember what He has done. Joshua, after the victory at Ai, does not rush on to the next conquest. Joshua leads Israel at least a day north to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim because God had already commanded it through Moses.

Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim form a natural amphitheater, where blessings and cursings could be heard clearly across the valley. Joshua builds the altar on Mount Ebal, the very mount from which the cursings were pronounced. The altar receives burnt offerings and peace offerings, showing both the terrible cost of sin and the restored fellowship God provides. The innocent sacrifice points ahead to Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood brings forgiveness and peace with God.

The law is also written and read before the whole congregation, including women, little ones, strangers, and even those like Rahab who came in from the outside. The law makes sin plain. Romans 3 declares that by the deeds of the law no flesh is justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law shows God’s holiness and exposes the fact that no sinner can meet His perfect standard.

Christ answers what the law reveals. Galatians 3 declares that Christ redeemed sinners from the curse of the law by being made a curse for them. The curse came from Mount Ebal, and the altar stood on Mount Ebal. That picture is beautiful: Jesus took the curse, condemnation, punishment, and death sinners deserved. The sacrifice and the written Word meet in Christ, because Christ is both the Lamb of God and the Word made flesh.

Romans 10 warns against self-righteous religion that tries to establish its own righteousness. Christ is the end, the fulfillment, of the law for everyone that believes. Faith does not accomplish some great work to bring Christ down or raise Him up. Faith receives what Christ has already done through His death and resurrection.

The whole counsel of God must guide the Christian life. God’s Word includes comforting promises, hard corrections, blessings, and warnings. Christian liberty is not permission to feed the flesh, because feeding the flesh is really bondage. Christ gives liberty so that His peace, joy, and truth can overflow in loving service to others.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ took the curse personally. Christ did not merely soften the consequences of sin or make forgiveness possible from a distance. Christ became a curse for sinners, taking the condemnation that the law rightly pronounces. Mount Ebal’s altar gives a vivid picture of the cross: the place of curse becomes the place where sacrifice answers the curse. [46:54]
2. The law reveals sin’s true weight. The law does not provide a ladder by which sinners climb to God. The law reveals the holiness of God and exposes every attempt at self-justification. The knowledge of sin becomes mercy when it drives the heart away from self and toward Christ. [42:54]
3. The cross needs God’s Word. The cross without Scripture can look like only a terrible death of an innocent man. The Word explains that Jesus took the sinner’s place, bore the penalty, rose again, and gives hope beyond death. Christ’s sacrifice becomes personal as God’s Word makes its meaning plain. [50:42]
4. Whole counsel guards true liberty. God’s Word gives both blessings that comfort and corrections that confront. Christian liberty is not an occasion for the flesh to play lawyer and justify sin. Christ’s liberty frees the believer from fleshly bondage so that love can serve others. [59:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:52] - A Spiritual Journey Through Valleys and Ridges
[23:15] - Joshua Returns to Mount Ebal
[26:21] - Moses’ Command for Ebal and Gerizim
[28:21] - Blessings and Cursings Across the Valley
[30:59] - The Altar on Mount Ebal
[32:12] - Obedience and Worship Come First
[33:25] - Burnt Offerings and Peace Offerings
[37:19] - The Law Written Before All Israel
[42:02] - The Law Brings Knowledge of Sin
[45:03] - Christ Redeemed Us From the Curse
[48:05] - Self-Righteous Religion Cannot Save
[50:24] - Faith Comes by Hearing God’s Word
[55:01] - The Whole Counsel of God
[58:28] - Liberty That Serves in Love

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 8:30-35
“Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.” [25:08]

Galatians 3:13
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” [46:54]

Romans 3:20
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” [42:40]

Observation questions

After the victory at Ai, what did Joshua lead Israel to do before continuing the conquest, and where did they go? [30:37]
What kinds of offerings were made on the altar at Mount Ebal, and what two needs did those offerings picture? [33:20]
Who was included when Joshua read the law aloud, and what does the passage emphasize about how much of the law was read? [55:01]
In Romans 3:20, what does the law produce in people, and what does it not accomplish? [42:40]

Interpretation questions

Why is it meaningful that the altar was built on Mount Ebal, the mountain associated with the curses, rather than only on the mountain of blessing? How does Galatians 3:13 help explain that picture? [47:23]
How do the altar and the written law work together to show both the seriousness of sin and God’s provision for sinners in Christ? [44:38]
Romans 10 warns about trying to establish one’s own righteousness. What are some religious-looking ways a person may try to earn acceptance with God instead of receiving Christ’s finished work by faith? [48:31]
Why does the meaning of Christ’s death need the Word of God? What would be missing if someone saw the cross only as the death of an innocent man? [50:39]

Application questions

Israel paused after victory to obey and worship God instead of rushing to the next task. Where are you tempted to say, “I will seek God more seriously when life slows down”? What would it look like to put obedience and worship first this week? [31:39]
The law exposes sin rather than giving us a way to prove ourselves righteous. When you become aware of sin or failure, do you tend to hide, excuse yourself, work harder to prove yourself, or come honestly to Christ? Why? [43:20]
Christ took the curse, condemnation, and punishment sinners deserved. How does this truth speak to a specific burden of guilt, shame, fear, or regret that you may be carrying? [47:37]
Joshua read God’s Word before women, little ones, strangers, and those who had come in from outside Israel. Is there anyone in your life who may feel like an outsider to God’s grace or to the church? How could you help them see that the gospel is truly for them? [55:43]
Which parts of God’s Word are easiest for you to welcome—comfort, promises, blessing—and which parts are easiest to avoid—correction, warning, or commands? What could help you receive the whole counsel of God with humility? [56:29]
In what area has your flesh been “playing lawyer,” making excuses for something you know does not lead to godliness? What would it look like to stop justifying it and walk in the freedom Christ gives? [59:31]
Christian liberty is meant to overflow in loving service rather than feeding the flesh. What is one practical way you can use your time, freedom, resources, or encouragement to serve someone this week? [01:00:26]

Sermon Clips

43s

#JesusSaves

“You're gonna keep the law? You're gonna use that as your means to approach god and say, I'm I'm good with you because I kept the law. He says, then you gotta keep the whole law not offending one point. But I can't. That's right. You can't. But that's where the altar comes in. That's why we have the altar. That's why the altar then symbolizes what was to come, the sacrifice, the perfect lamb of God, Jesus Christ. He took away our sins. He shed his perfect blood to cover our sins and to pay the penalty and to take the curse of the law.”

50s

#FreedomFromSin

“My nature, you know what I've learned to start calling my my nature plays lawyer. My sin nature starts playing lawyer. It starts making excuses and coming up with reasons why I'm still right. And I should be able to do that, that fleshly desire that I know is a fleshly desire, and justify it in my mind. I start playing lawyer. That's really... And it's being able to say, no. Stop. Right. Because in reality, what is it? People call it liberty, and they go feed the flesh. But, really, what it is is the bondage of the flesh. It's really the bondage of the flesh pulling you back in. It's really when you give into it and give into that temptation, it's the bondage of the flesh. It's not liberty.”

47s

#ServeOneAnother

“serve one another. That's what it all comes down to. We think about this, what god has called us to, the the reading of his word, the blessings, the cursings, and all that's here. Oh, Jesus took those curses. Jesus took that punishment for us. He took the the penalty. But now he gives us his blessed truth. He says, walk in liberty. Walk in liberty that I've given to you so that you can experience my peace, my joy, my blessings, and then it overflows and you share it with others. Ain't that what a church is supposed to look like?”

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Faith Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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