Genesis Study - Section 9

THE CURSE!

As a result of man's rebellion, and the intrusion of sin into God's perfect world, we have a number of references in Scripture to the curse. Before we take a look at the subject of the curse and how it has impacted mankind, see if you can answer the questions below.
Questions:

Preamble: -
Adam and Eve had come against God's uniqueness and His exclusive prerogative to know or legislate good and evil. They felt they were an adequate reference point to decide what was right and wrong for their lives, and began to suffer the consequences for their transgression. Yet, in all God's dealings with Adam, Eve and fallen man, we see God's love, grace and mercy in action, as well as holiness and righteousness.
For example, when God put Adam and Eve outside of the Garden of Eden and His localised presence, the Son of God was, in one sense, already ahead of them at Calvary. He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), to redeem us, so that we might receive blessing (Gal 3:14).

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.Gal 3:13

The Curse.
Hebrew synonyms (words having the same sense as another) translated by the English word 'curse' include, 'avar', 'qalal', and 'ala', which correspond to the Greek 'kataraomai', 'katara' and 'epikataratos', and the Hebrew 'haram', and 'herem' which correspond to the Greek 'anathematizo' and 'anathema'.
The pictures behind all these words include such 'colours' as 'to bind, hem in with obstacles, render powerless to resist', or, on occasion ,'to speak lightly of a person'.

For example, concerning 'to speak lightly of a person' we note these words in Exodus 21:17, "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death." Parents were called to teach the ways of the Lord to their children. Those who sought to treat the teaching of God with disregard separated themselves off from the ways of the Lord (e.g. Cain) and, on occasion, were punished. Note also Exodus 31:15 where those who worked on the Sabbath (thus disregarding God's word and the hand of grace offered to them), were to be put to death.

Curse sayings speak of the separation and punishment that comes from a violation of one's relationship with God. For example: Idolatry (Deut 27:15), disrespect for parents (Deut 27:16), deceiving one's neighbour (Deut 27:18,24); manipulating the disadvantaged (Deut 27:18-19); sexual issues (Deut 27:20-23); bribery (Deut 27:5), failure to observe God's law (Deut 27:26).

At times in the O.T. Godly men would pronounce a curse. For example, Noah pronounced a curse on Canaan (Gen 9:26) and Isaac pronounced a curse on anyone who cursed Jacob: "May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.

Gen 27:29.
In Proverbs 26:2 we read, "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest." Here the word curse comes from the root 'qalal' meaning 'to speak of ill will against another.' In the N.T. we see Jesus showing us how to deal with people who curse/ wish us harm: "Bless those who curse you" (Luke 6.28).

In the ANE many of the pagan nations believed that a curse had the inherent power of carrying itself into effect. Either this, or they believed that their gods would invoke evil and vengeance upon all whom they sought to destroy. Note for example, that Goliath "cursed David by his gods" (1 Sam 17:43).

The curses of God are not a result of impatience or a desire to get even with man. They speak, in part, of the consequences of sin.
Curse sayings are a reflection of man's violation of covenant relationship, and God's dealing with that violation in whatever way He desires.
The curse speaks of being separated from one's natural environment, due to transgression, yet also goes beyond this. On occasion, 'curse,' when used by God or godly people, speaks of calling down injury and harm on certain persons. Yet, in the curse, God is not simply 'having a go' at people just for the sake of it.
God's purpose in punishment is to reveal what He is like and to teach those who have not learnt any other way, that God is not to be ignored.
In looking through the Bible we see that sometimes it was only after much suffering that revelation came through to Israel or the kings of Israel: God alone could heal His people since He was the one who had afflicted them. He allowed them to be overrun by different people groups on occasion, as punishment, yet also as a means of teaching. Note, for example, the Babylonians!
The link between a pronounced curse, separation from one's natural environment and punishment is also seen in some of the curses pronounced by God's leaders in the Old Testament. Note, for example, Joshua 9:23. In speaking to the Gibeonites who had deceived him, Joshua said: "You are now under a curse (from the Hebrew root 'arar'): You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God."

In The Garden of Eden

Since Adam had been appointed to exercise dominion over the earth, and since Adam was to begin to die,
his dominion also would begin to 'die'."
Dr H. Morris, in 'The Genesis Record' p 118.

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."
Psalm 103:15-16.

Among the patriarchs Abraham spoke of himself as but 'dust and ashes' (Gen 18:27-28). "You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning - though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered." (Psalm 90:5-6).
Note also Isaiah 40:6.

God pronounced judgement on Satan, Eve and Adam, yet within His words to Eve there is the first hint of the gospel; there is hope. Even amidst judgement there is grace.

God is spoken of as cursing the serpent (Gen 3:14-15) as well as the ground (Gen 3:17). Although the word curse is not used directly of Adam and Eve, Eve is sentenced to pain in childbirth, and the man is condemned to earn his living in 'sweat and toil.'

In Genesis 3:17 the soil is cursed, meaning that man will not have the full benefits of the soil with the fertility of the soil condemned. This may be gleaned from the mention of thorns and thistles, yet also from the cursing of the fig tree by Jesus.

In Genesis 4:11 we see that Cain is cursed. His ban is more specific in that he is banned from enjoying the productivity of the earth, due to his misuse of what God had provided in order to try and secure personal blessing through his own good works.
Concerning thistles we note the words of Dr Bowden

"It is a fascinating fact that thorns begin as leaves but they do not reach full development. No new creative
power is called into operation, merely a stunting of growth of a normal leaf to produce the thorns referred
to in v 18."
in 'True Science Agrees with the Bible'

Concerning the cursing of the fig tree (Mark 11) we note the following: -
Mark tells us that Jesus was hungry and went to the fig tree to pick figs, but also points out that it was not the season for figs anyway (Mark 11:14). So why did Jesus go to it?
Jesus said to the tree, "may no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:15). His words were a curse on the fig tree (Mark 11:21). It was totally separated from its environment, and withered and died. Peter draws the attention of the disciples to this. Between the cursing of the fig tree and Peter noticing the withered tree, Mark speaks of the cleansing of the Temple.

The Temple should have been a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:7). It had become dysfunctional due to the rulings of men and a burden to many. Jesus says that it had been made a 'den of robbers.' God had every right to destroy it should He so desire. Instead, we find Jesus cleansing the Temple (11:15)

In a perfect pre-fall creation it appears that a tree would produce a crop every season (note Rev 22:2), in an environment without the curse (Rev 22:3).
The religious zealots of the day thought their actions put them right with God and made them better than others. They believed their works made them right/perfect before God.
Jesus approaches a fig tree as if it were in a perfect creation and yielding fruit all the time. Yet what does He find? No figs. In approaching fallen creation as if it were perfect, Jesus shows us how God could have dealt with man, had it not been for His grace and mercy.

Instead of being blessed by their act of putting themselves under the law, men put themselves under a curse,
because the Judaizers maintained that their knowledge of the law entitled them to the blessings which were
attached to the sons of Abraham
Prof K. Wuest, 'Galatians', page 95.

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith. Galations 3:10-11

Gal 3:10-11 is a modified quote from Deut 27:26, which reads: "Cursed (is) he who does not confirm the words of this law, to do them." The words are at the end of a chapter speaking blessings and cursing from the two mountains, Mt Gerizim (blessing) and Mt Ebal (curse). Both occur in a setting of love and grace. God is instructing His people. In the speaking forth of blessing and curses we have an authoritative declaration of the eternal connection between righteousness and blessing and wrongdoing and misery.

In the light of God's law all men are guilty. There is no acquittal through appeal to a law that commands and never forgives; a law that prohibits and never lets up. Anyone who violates the law is under a curse, judgement having been pronounced. On his own no man can escape the consequences of the Law. Israel could never keep her side of the covenant.

The man who does not continue in the sphere of the law is under the curse, and the man who attempts to remain in the sphere of the law by obeying it as a means of securing merit, is not justified in the sight of God because justification is by faith. The reason why obedience to the law cannot justify a sinner is that his obedience cannot pay for his sin; it is imperfect. Only blood can pay for sin, for blood means outpoured death, and death is the wages of sin. Christ is the only one who has met the requirements of the law.

The word 'justified' (Rom 3:24), as describing man, is used as a legal rather than an ethical term. It refers to the man approved by God and accepted on the basis of faith, not to the man's character as exhibited by what he does. We have been freely justified in that there is no reason found within the sinner as to why God should justify us. It is because of Christ alone.

The destruction warned of in the covenant curse has fallen on mankind's representative, the Lord Jesus Christ. God bore the curse for us through the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, there, love and holiness met without compromise. On the cross, Jesus endured the curse, because "cursed is every one that hangs on a tree "(Gal 3:10-11). In these verses Paul is appealing to Deut 21:23. The verse does not refer to death by crucifixion as a mode of capital punishment. It refers to a custom whereby a wrong-doer who had been executed had his dead body nailed to a post or tree.

The curse has been borne by another and lifted off our shoulders so that full blessing can flow forth.

Now revisit the questions at the beginning of this session and see what you have learnt. What does this session tell you about God?