What is a curse according to the Bible?

1885 253 A curse is a malediction, and we know that no word from God can fail of its effect; under any circumstances a curse from Him cannot be otherwise than a very terrible thing. It may be a stroke only of God's temporal government (Deut. 30:1-8), or it may be absolute, the full and final judgment of sin, the full and adequate penalty of our sins. Christ was made a curse for us on the cross (Gal. 3:13); He thus bore the judgment of sin, and of our sins. This was primarily for the glory of God, — the vindication of the divine glory with regard to sin. It was also for the good of the world as such, the ground of all respite and of every mercy towards it, temporal or spiritual; and it is the ground of the eternal salvation of believers. But, in God's moral government, temporal punishments also attend sin. God works in this world His displeasure of it, as He shows also His love by His mercies. This is always true, however the Israelites may, in a more definite and specific way, be the people of His manifested government.

And what about the curse? It is Just the antithesis of the blessing. The blessing is, as we have seen, to be taken into favour in the Beloved, to be in the Son’s place and relationship before the face of the Father, in all the love of which He is the worthy Object. The curse is to be driven out from that Presence into the most distant place that is possible for the enemy of God to be driven. It is set forth in those terrible words, which by the Spirit of God are put into the lips of Jesus, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew). Could anything be more terrible than this, to have one’s portion for ever in that place of utter and unspeakable woe? But such is the nature of the curse; and from this there is no way of escape, other than the acceptance of the grace presented to all in Christ. This leads into the blessing of God, which makes rich, and with which He adds no sorrow (Prov. 10:22).

This is very strong language. The word “accursed”means “to be under a curse so one cannot be touched.”There is an illustration of this in the book of Joshua when Jericho was going to be destroyed by God, Joshua made it very clear that the people could not take anything from Jericho, because Jericho was under God’s curse but Achan “took of the accursed thing,”“goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight”for himself (Josh.7:1, 21) and so brought the curse upon the whole people and for doing this he was stoned to death. This word “accursed”means you are under God’s curse and you are untouchable, you are under God’s judgment.

"I will curse" - pronounce a judicial curse, pronounce a curse arar (he cursed), him that curseth, speaketh injuriously, wishing evil-kalal (to curse). Here clearly it must be Jehovah not Elohim and the creature Ha-Adam.

Unfortunately, we have to hear the voice of cursing, as well as the voice of blessing, for expression must be given to that which is hateful to Himself. Hence as soon as man has fallen away from Him we hear the curse pronounced, and that as distinctly and forcibly as ever the blessing was; “Cursed,” God says, “is the ground for thy sake” (Gen. 3:17); and later on, when Cain had stained his hands with his brother’s blood, it is said to him, “Now art thou cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.” And under the law the curse falls upon the transgressor:” Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them” (Deut. 27:26). Blessing, however, is the first thing we read of.

I desire to draw your attention to two great lines of truth, which run through the whole of Scripture from beginning to end. One is the line of blessing, and the other that of cursing. And on one or other of these lines is every soul upon earth. It is not only that those under the law are cursed, though that is so in a special way, but “the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked” (Prov. 3:33), whoever, and wherever such may be. There is no intermingling of these two principles, as indeed this is self-evident; neither is there any neutral ground, for the principle upon which the soul is in relationship with God determines for that soul which of these he is under.

The moral reason, such as is seen in both Jezebel and Athaliah, is now noted clearly. The antichrist will be such a character as they, with no heart or showing mercy, but a determination to persecute the poor and needy, with willingness to even murder those who have genuinely broken hearts before God. Such people love to curse others, but are totally dense as to realizing that the curse might recoil on their own heads (v. 17). But so it will be, and blessing will be as Am far from him as it is from his own lips. Cursing is the cold criticism of others with no heart for their blessing in any way, and with this character the wicked clothe themselves (v. 18). Since this is what he chooses, then let it saturate his whole being, leaving him actually a useless entity, yet not only useless, but repulsive (v. 19), girded continually with the curse he loves.

"As the bird by wandering, and as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." A curse does not come without some cause. Moreover it is most characteristic of a fool to be a wanderer, and as restless as the swallow, always on the wing. The bird may havebeen made for this, but not so man, and he will reap the baneful effects. The believer, on the other hand, is like the sparrow that has found a house (no more wandering) and like the swallow having found a nest (no more restlessness) in the courts of God (Psa. 84:3). Let the believer then act in proper character, and not like the fool,-not wandering from God's place for him, not allowing a restless, discontented spirit. These are real enemies of the truth, and will bring bad results.

Now, this is really very solemn indeed, for if I miss blessing, I am exposed to the reverse. "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty" (Judges 5:23). That is, if I do not respond to God's call, which always leads to blessing, I come experimentally under a curse, a blight.

If any are inclined to think that this was just a petulant outburst against a set of rival preachers, let them consider what was involved in the matter, and they will soon see that the curse was the curse of God, with all the weight of His might behind it.