The First Curses

Wednesday, 13th February 2008

Due to man’s disobedience by eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God pronounced a curse on both Adam and Eve.

We read in Gen 3:16-19

16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."

In Gal 3:13, Paul tells us that Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Interpreting this strictly, it would mean the laws that were laid down from Ex 20 onwards. However, the Law can also refer to the Pentateuch, ie. the 5 Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Using a broader interpretation, this would means that any curses pronounced in the book of Genesis would also no longer apply.

There are 2 things that need to be established.

Firstly, childbearing is not a curse. After all, God had told Adam and Eve in Gen 1:28 to be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth.

Rather, it is the pangs that accompany childbirth that is a curse. I have read several testimonies where ladies who believe that Christ has redeemed them from the pains of childbirth encountering painless delivery of their babies.

Secondly, work is not a curse. In fact, we read in Gen 2:15 that "the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

Rather, it is work-related stress that is a curse. Previously, the ground produced plants bountifully. However, the ground started to produce thorns and thistles, and Adam had to toil and sweat in order to eat bread.

I have likewise also read and heard testimonies where folks believe Jesus has redeemed them from stress, and they end up enjoying the work that God has ordained them to carry out.