Curse
The curse is the opposite of the blessing
Dependent on God
Just as a blessing, a curse only has an effect if it coincides with God’s will. This is clear from the story about Balaam. Balaam must curse Israel at the request of King Balak of Moab. But he knows that he can only curse someone if God wants him to. When he does give in to Balak’s wish and wants to curse Israel, he speaks out a blessing three times, instead of a curse (Numbers 22:2–24:9
Banishment
A curse can cause people to lose their bond with the country they live in. The Israelites, for instance, will be banished from the Promised Land if they do not keep to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 30:1
For an individual, the curse can also disturb this cohesion. The cursed person becomes cut off from the people he belongs to and from his saving relationship with God. Cain is cursed in this way, because he killed his brother Abel. The curse means that Cain is banished from the place where he lives (Genesis 4:11-12
Examples of Curses
Other examples of curses in the Bible are:
- Someone who is put to death on a post is cursed (Deuteronomy 21:23
). His body must be buried the same day, or he will defile the land. - A woman suspected of adultery
, must drink cursed water in Numbers 5:11-28 . This water will shrivel up her womb and make her stomach swell up. She will therefore no longer be able to bear children. But if the woman stays healthy, it means she has not committed adultery. This ritual is mainly intended to limit the consequences of random accusations. - According to Paul, everyone who does not love the Lord is cursed (1 Corinthians 16:22
). He probably means that such people will be banned from communion with God.
Read more?
With a free BibleSA account, you can:
