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Bible study · Deuteronomy 21:1-23

Deuteronomy 21: Not all night on the tree

Read Deuteronomy 21:1-23 before you meet.

In a few lines

When no one knew who shed the blood, the nearest city's elders washed their hands and prayed, "Forgive, LORD, your people Israel" (21:8). And the law that a hanged man "is accursed of God" (21:23) is the law Paul quotes when he writes that Christ became "a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).

The verse to carry

“Forgive, LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.”

Deuteronomy 21:8

To talk about

  1. 1. The elders hadn't shed the blood (21:7), yet they prayed, "Forgive, LORD, your people Israel" (21:8). Is there a wrong near you that you didn't do but could still pray about for everyone's sake?

  2. 2. A father could not let his love for one wife decide which son was the firstborn (21:16-17). Where are you tempted to let the people you like best decide what's fair?

  3. 3. Paul writes, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). What does it mean to you that he became a curse "for us"?

Prayer requests