Do curses work? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 9:56-57,

"Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father
by murdering his seventy brothers. God also made the men of Shechem
pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal
came on them."

The account of Abimelech and the men of Shechem is quite a story in
Judges 9. Together, they plotted and murdered Abimelech's seventy
half-brothers so he could rule Sheckem. These seventy as well as
Abimelech were the sons of Gideon, the judge, or leader, that God
raised up to deliver Israel from the Midianites.

One of Gideon's sons, Jotham, escaped and cursed the men of Shechem
and Abimelech from the top of Mount Gerizim, "If then you have acted
honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal [Gideon] and his family
today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you
have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens
of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of
Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Judges 9:19-20.

We read that Jotham's curse is fulfilled three years later, Judges
9:22-24. "After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an
evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted
treacherously against Abimelech. God did this in order that the crime
against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might
be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem,
who had helped him murder his brothers." The full account of what took
place is found in chapter 9.

Here is a case where a curse "worked". Men plotted and carried out
evil and one of the survivors cursed the wicked men. What ever these
wicked men intended and looked forward to fell victim to the curse
given against them. I note several things about this account.

The curse was consistent with God's sense of justice and may be viewed
as a portending of God's certain judgment against the wicked. I also
see that the fulfillment of the curse came three years later, not
immediately. From this I see that God's justice is not always
immediate, but is always certain. Abimelech and the men of Shechem
were nothing but dead men from the day of the slaughter and of
Jotham's curse. We can glean enough from the account to know that it
was not Jotham's will that made the fate of these wicked certain
(although he certainly wanted it). It was not the verbal recipe of
words, (which many misunderstand where the power of a curse comes
from), that sealed the fate of these wicked men. It was God's sense of
justice and his certain judgment that insured Jotham's curse would
come to fulfillment. As Paul says in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be
deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

Do curses work? This one was certainly fulfilled. "The curse of Jotham
son of Jerub-Baal came on them." However, nothing in the account gives
credence to the notion that Jotham had a special ability or a "gift"
to utter potent curses. The account is about what and why God did what
he did, not Jotham. I am reminded of the fearful nature of God
justice, "We know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,'
and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com