The Origin of Curses

Yes, you know about the Fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and you believe that was the origin of curses. You are right because God did rain curses on them and the devil at that time. What you may not know is why God cursed His handiwork and why some people, even believers, operate under a curse even today.

And, unless we know the “why” of any situation, we may not be able to prevent or remedy it. With God’s help, we shall discover the reason that the event became the origin of curses. Without that fall, we would probably not be in the predicament we are in today. It is a situation that God fully describes in the second half of the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy.

What? Second half? Not at all, you have no desire to learn about anything negative. Your only interest is in the first part, the section on abundant blessings and victory over enemies. Curses? No way. I hear you, but wonder why we spend seventy-five percent or more of our prayer time on the enemy. We curse and condemn and rebuke, and pray that our foe should fall and die.

It is because even though we ignore the origin of curses, we realize that curses do land on some people. Keep in mind, we are on this journey to discover why the many promises of God fail in our lives and nations. Once we know, we should be able to make amends and see those promises manifest in the physical. Hopefully.

The Garden of Eden and The Origin of Curses

Mercifully, God made a clear case for us concerning the essence of the Fall. In Deuteronomy 28:47-48, God tells us the origin of curses. Before we go too deep into that, remember that curses represent the anointing for failure. On the other hand, blessings are the anointing for success. Next, we consider the Garden of Eden and how God made abundant provisions for Adam and Eve.

Doing that before we dig deep into our Deuteronomy passage puts the passage in its proper context. Once we are through, you will learn to live rejoicing all the days of your life. And with that, you will enter into God’s gates, where there is fullness of joy. But let us not get ahead of ourselves.

After God created the first couple, He examined His handiwork and declared, “It was very good”. Meanwhile, He planted the Garden of Eden, where He put the man whom He had formed. He made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A Refusal to Rejoice Is the Origin of Curses

There was automatic irrigation, which had four branches to ensure minimal labor input from the first couple. The land had good gold. There were other precious metals. In other words, God made abundant provision for His creations. He even gave the man a wife suitable for him. All they had to do was keep the garden and keep the single commandment that God gave them. You know about he forbidden fruit; some people claim it varies from scenario to scenario. Whether that is so or not, their disobedience was the origin of curses.

Yes, the Fall was also the origin of sin because sin and curses go together. Indeed, the Bible says that there is no curse without a cause – sin. Without the explanation in Deuteronomy, we may not know why God cursed the same people He had just created and blessed so bountifully. Keep that part about God blessing them with every good thing in the forefront of your mind as we examine our text.

In Deuteronomy 28.47-48, God complains about us: “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.

How We Pray

This sounds so harsh that you have to read it for yourself to convince you I did not make it up. You serve God. But you are not doing so with joy and gladness of heart for the abundance of everything. Therefore, they will serve their enemies, in hunger, thirst, and in need of everything. I am sure you know nations where people cannot afford their medications; they are in dire need of everything. And these are not countries at war.

That is the origin of curses. We fail to serve God with gladness because we somehow ignore the good things He has given us. Adam and Eve had all that bountiful provision, and yet believed they lacked something. So, when the devil came with his lies, they fell hard.

When it is time to praise God, people mumble. By the time you get to rebuking and cursing the devil, it is like people come awake. They stamp their feet, shake their heads, snap their fingers, and pray at the top of their lungs. What they do not realize is that they are simply making the curses worse by not rejoicing in what they do have. They are strengthening the origin of sin in their lives. But now that you know why curses come, you will rejoice before God all the days of your life.

Maranatha!