Overview and Response to Passmore Hachalinga’s Paper

Abstract

1 Gen 3:17 mentions the first curse in the Bible when God cursed the ground because Adam and Eve had sinned. Sin resulted in hostility between human beings and the environment. 2 Gen 4:11 tells the story of God pronouncing a curse against Cain after he killed his brother Abel. A curse here means condemnation and judgment. 3 Gen 12:3 details the covenant (promise) God made with Abram, telling him that God would bless those who bless him and curse those that curse him. In other words, God promised to protect Abram. 4 Deut 11:26 lists the blessings and curses God set before Israel. Israel was to choose one or the other. If they obeyed God, blessings would follow. But if they disobeyed God, curses would follow—the land would not produce much. Their enemies would defeat them. In this case, a curse becomes a natural result of rejecting the blessings due to disobedience. 5 Job 2:9 narrates the sad story of Job’s wife advising Job to curse God and die. Here is a case of the lesser trying to pronounce a curse on the greater. The Bible teaches that we should respect those that are above us—parents, teachers, pastors, rulers, etc. 6 Luke 6:28 gives Jesus’ instructions to his followers to “bless those who curse you.” We should not seek revenge. We must teach people to forgive, even their enemies. We must leave revenge with God. 7 1 Cor 4:12 gives Paul’s advice: “When we are cursed, we bless.” This teaches the way Christians should live. We should be peacemakers, the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.