When witnessing to Christians about the Messianic faith, we are often presented with certain “key verses” that are used to claim that Yah has changed how He interacts with His people. One of the most commonly cited passages is the idea that the Law was “nailed to the cross.”
“You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13–14)
At first glance, many assume this means the Torah itself was nailed to the cross and done away with. But is that what the text is truly saying? Or is there something deeper, something far more consistent with the character of Yah?
Blessing and Curse: The Foundation of the Covenant
From the very beginning, Yah established a clear covenantal pattern with His people: obedience brings blessing, and disobedience brings curse.
“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim… and the curse, if you do not listen…” (Deuteronomy 11:26–28)
The Torah was never the problem. The commandments are life, righteousness, and wisdom. The issue has always been transgression, breaking Yah’s commands. So, if something was “against us,” it was not the Torah itself, but the consequences written against those who violated it.
Yah: The Jealous Husband of Israel
Scripture reveals something deeply relational about Yah, He is not distant or abstract. He is a husband to His people.
“For you shall worship no other god; for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous El.” (Exodus 34:14)
“Return, backsliding children… for I am a husband to you.” (Jeremiah 3:14)
But Israel did not remain faithful.
“The house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me.” (Jeremiah 5:11)
Through idolatry and disobedience, Israel committed spiritual adultery. This is not just metaphorical language, it is covenantal reality.
The Law of the Jealous Husband
In the Torah, Yah even provides a test for a wife accused of unfaithfulness:
“The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness… and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.” (Numbers 5:23–24)
If she was guilty, the curse would come upon her. This is crucial. The curses were written down, a “handwriting” of judgment against unfaithfulness. Now consider this: Israel, the bride, had been unfaithful. The curses of the covenant stood written against her.
The Certificate of Divorce
Because of her unfaithfulness, Israel was not only judged, she was divorced.
“I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce.” (Jeremiah 3:8)
And according to the Torah:
“Her former husband… may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled.” (Deuteronomy 24:1–4)
This creates a dilemma. If Yah is righteous and just, He cannot simply ignore His own Torah. Yet He desires to restore His people. How can He remain just and still redeem a divorced and defiled bride?
The Cup of Bitterness
Now we come to a pivotal moment.
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what You desire.” (Matthew 26:39)
Yeshua speaks of a cup, a cup He is about to drink. This is not just suffering in a general sense. This is the cup of judgment, the cup of the curse, the very imagery we see in the law of the jealous husband. Yeshua, the faithful one, takes the place of the unfaithful bride. He drinks the bitter water. He takes upon Himself the curses that were written against the whole House of Israel.
What Was Nailed to the Cross?
Now we return to the original passage:
“…wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us… nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14)
What was “against us”? Not the Torah. Not the commandments. But the written record of our guilt—the curses, the judgment, the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. The “handwriting” points back to what was written in the law of the jealous husband and the covenant curses. It is the record of transgression that stood as a witness against Israel and Judah. Yeshua did not abolish the Law, He bore the penalty of the unfaithful spouse.
Restoration Through Sacrifice
Through His sacrifice, something incredible happens: The curse is removed from Judah and Israel because Yeshua drank the cup of bitter waters. The penalty is paid by having the righteous husband die instead of the divorced wife. *I believe Yeshua was coming in his Father’s name throughout the Older Testament, and thus it was Yeshua that Israel was married to. More on this in a future article. *
“For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.” (Romans 7:2)
The way for restoration is opened. Yah remains just, because sin is punished. And yet He is merciful, because He Himself, through Yeshua, takes that punishment upon Himself. The divorced bride is restored, not by ignoring the Torah, but by fulfilling it in the most profound way.
Final Reflection
The cross is not the end of the Torah, it is the vindication of it. It shows us that Yah does not discard His commandments. He upholds them so fully that the penalty for breaking them must be paid. But in His great love, He does not leave us to drink the bitter cup alone. He drinks it for us. So when we read that something was “nailed to the cross,” let us understand: It was not the commandments that bring life. It was the curse that brings death. And through Yeshua, that curse has been taken out of the way.
What we have covered here is only one piece of a much larger picture. To see how these truths unfold across Scripture, explore the related articles below and continue the journey.
- Understanding the Distinction Between the House of Judah and the House of Israel
- Discovering the Connection Between Israel and the Church in the Bible
- The Purpose of Yeshua's Death: Redeeming the Bride of Judah - Understanding the Torah of Jealousy
- The True Ultimate Sacrifice: Understanding the Divorce of the House of Israel and its Reclamation
P.S.
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