The Curse in Genesis 3 was God’s response to Adam and Eve’s disobedience – The Fall.
There are a variety of things I have observed in this story. The one that stands out to me the most: The curse was God’s choice - It didn’t happen automatically.
The first curse:
So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
I can see God saying to the snake, “You tempted them to eat the fruit, so you can eat dirt. You are the most cursed.”
Then he says, “I will create ongoing hostility between you and mankind – you will continue to attack each other.” I think he is telling Satan, “This is your new role. I will use you as part of my plan to harass and test mankind. You will create chaos for them.”
If God didn’t want all this to happen, why did he allow it? My only answer is that’s the way he is. He lets war, famine, crime, abuse, sickness, pain – all kinds of terrible things go on. I believe he is powerful enough to stop all of it right now, but that’s obviously not the way he does things.
Here is part of his plan for saving us:
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The more I read the bible and consider it actually says, the less comfortable I am with it. It’s unsettling.
Mondays | God is great – I’m in chaos
- Our Father in heaven, your name is holy
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God
