can anybody explains what 'not being under the Law' really means. can someone interprets Galatians 3 for me, i mean the Bible tells us that all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.” ( Gal 3:10)
Rick, your detailed explanation above is some of the best work on discerning the Law vs Grace issue that I have seen in a long time. In particular, I really like your quote: "let's keep something in mind about the Law. Deuteronomy is laid out in the form of an ancient treaty between a king and his vassals. It is in essence a contract between God and Israel." This sheds some light on the context of the mindset.
One thing I would note is that there is a tremendous amount of insights that can be gained from reading Leviticus and Deuteronomy, in terms of how plain and specific God was about worship - and how that clarity can guide us in modern terms of how we approach God in modern worship.
One note: I think the whole issue of woven fabrics has to do with static, more than magical practices. They didn't have fabric softeners back then. You could get a nasty shock, on a dry day ;-)