A common argument or misconception that Torah observers often have to rebut is that the law is a curse. However, this is generally caused by a poor or incomplete understanding of prophecy and the unfortunate error of taking the words of Paul out of their context.
So what is the curse of the law?
Deuteronomy 27:26, "Cursed is the man who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law to do them."
The argument that the law is a curse can easily be rebutted using logic alone. It would be a logical error to say that the curse of the law is the law. Something cannot be of one thing and also be that same thing: if X is of Y, then X cannot also be Y. Example: a leg of lamb is not the lamb, but it came from the lamb. The leg is a part of the lamb, but it is not the lamb on its own.
So, the curse is within the law, but the curse is not the law. Meaning, the curse is established in and by the law, but is only ever invoked due to transgression. Generally, when you find a curse written within the law, it is a sentence or judgment to be issued against the transgressor (i.e. a thief, murderer, adulterer, sabbath reviler). However, punishments from the justice system is not the only curse to be found in the law:
“But it shall come about, if you do not obey YHWH your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
“Cursed will you be in the city, and cursed will you be in the country.
“Cursed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.
“Cursed will be the children of your womb, the produce of your ground, the newborn of your herd, and the offspring of your flock.
“Cursed will you be when you come in, and cursed will you be when you go out.
“YHWH will send against you curses, panic, and rebuke, in everything you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have abandoned Me.
Deuteronomy 28:15-20 NASB
While the context of these curses is better applied to a nation as a whole, these curses may fall upon you individually if you live in rebellion. Feel like everything is against you? Check yourself because it may not be just the enemy ?
The Wages of Sin
There are many curses written in the book of the law, and you can find a lot of them in the last few chapters of Deuteronomy. But the curses are more than just the infliction of hardships, strife, disease, etc., but the outcome is to perish utterly.
Moses told Israel that he had placed before them a choice: life or death, a blessing or a curse.
See, I have placed before you today life and happiness, and death and adversity. [...]
This choice is to either accept the conditions of abiding by the rules for living in what He created, and live forever as a child in His house…
[...] I am commanding you today to love YHWH your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you may live and become numerous, and that the YHWH your God may bless you.
Deuteronomy 30:15-16
Or do as you please, and disregard the ways of God, and face judgment at the end of the age.
But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but allow yourself to be led astray and you worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you will certainly perish.
Deuteronomy 30:17-18
When Sin Has Fully Grown
As you see, there is a greater curse of the law, and that is, death. Not physical death, but the death of your soul and spirit: “For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23), “Fear the One who can kill both body and soul in Gehenna.” (Matthew 10:28).
James writes about this too, “Each one is tempted when carried away and enticed by his own desires. And when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has fully grown, produces death.” (James 1:14-15)
In the context of Torah, the curses YHWH has instituted are judgments against transgressors to be executed after a trial/investigation to confirm the matter. And unless the transgressor has confessed and repented of his wrongdoings before YHWH, his sins will produce death on the day of judgment at the end of the age.
That’s why Yeshua said, “…those who believe in me will not perish but will have everlasting life.” (perish here means to utterly destroy). If you believe in him, causing you to turn from your sins, you will not perish, but live. But if you do not believe in him, and do not turn from your ways, then you will certainly die—because the soul who sins dies, as it is written in Ezekiel 18:4.
Redemption From The Curse
Christ came to redeem us from the curse of the law (Rom 8:1; Gal 3:13), that is, from being utterly destroyed by being cast into the lake of fire when YHWH comes to hold all men in account for their deeds.
This redemption, then, is not a license to continue in lawlessness (Hebrews 10:28), but a cancelling of the debt against us because of our transgressions (Col 2:14), so that we may live eternally in the kingdom of heaven—we, His people, and He, our God (Eze 37:23).
This is an act of great mercy towards us, that though we were dead (the result of the curse of the law) in the trespasses of our sins (Col 2:13), we have now been afforded the opportunity to reconcile our debt (through Yeshua’s priesthood), which we owed to the Most High God—thus, settling the accounts, so that we may walk in the newness of life. The debt we owed demanded our souls to be destroyed, for the wages of sin is death. But because we harkened unto His voice, and perpetually turning from our transgressions to obedience, Yah was merciful and willingly to pardon our transgressions because He is not willing that anyone would perish, but rather, that they would live (Eze 18:31-32; 2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16).
