Curse Turned to Blessing

In the Judges passage we read today at church, the elders of the tribes of Israel placed a curse upon any of the tribes of Israel who gave their daughters to the remaining men of Benjamin.  Though God put a curse upon those who failed to keep His law, the Israelites made great effort to avoid the curse they had spoken.  This made me consider the impact of curses on Christians today, and I have observed a fair amount of  concern and what seems to be misguided fear on the subject.

It is not uncommon for me to speak with Christians who wonder if they are the unwitting victims of a curse.  A mix of feelings, circumstances and teachings on the subject convince people there is something they must do to rid themselves of a curse to receive blessing from God.  This is not scriptural or possible, for it is Jesus Christ alone who frees us from the curse of sin and death.  God promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “...I will bless them that bless you and curse those who curse you.”  When Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam said inspired by the Holy Spirit in Numbers 23:8:  "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?"  It is wonderful that Nehemiah 13:2 says God turned Balak's curse into a blessing!

Having been made Christians by faith in Christ, we are no longer under the Law of Moses or the curses therein.  We have been set free from the defilement of sin by Jesus Christ, and we are also set free from the curses of the Law as well.  Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13-14, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."  In Christ, believers can be assured of God's blessing and are no longer cursed.  If you believe Jesus has redeemed you by His shed blood and washed you clean of sin, you are also free of the curse of the Law because He became a curse for us.  He died so we could live; He was cursed so we can be forever blessed.

As Christians we ought to consider:  should we justify living in fear of a curse Jesus has changed into blessing?  Should we sin by fearing being cursed when Jesus Christ became a curse for us that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith?  Since sin brought a curse, should we willfully continue in sin Jesus died to deliver us from?  It is ironic for a person to be quite concerned about a curse but quite casual concerning their sin and lack of repentance.  Brothers and sisters, let us give Jesus full credit for what He accomplished through His provision of atonement and redemption by His shed blood.  Having become a curse for us Gentiles, we can receive the blessing of Abraham:  God will bless those who bless us, and curse those who curse us.

The Castle

When I first came to Australia, one movie widely recommended for me to watch and be thrown into the deep end of Australian culture and humour was The Castle.  It was hailed as a fine representation of the relatable Aussie battler who was willing to take a stand for his principles and a house that had become his happy home beyond price.  Rather than submitting to a compulsory acquisition of his property to extend the airport, Darryl Kerrigan was able to prevail in pleading his case in the high court--with the expert aid of an unexpected ally.

An interesting aspect of the film was the misplaced faith Darryl had in a local lawyer named Dennis Denuto who struggled to make copies in his office!  Dennis was more knowledgeable in matters of Australian law and the Constitution than Darryl, but his incompetence and ignorance was laid bare by his abject failure in court.  Darryl's case would never had been heard by the High Court without the aid of a retired Queen's Counsel and barrister, Lawrence Hammill.  When all hope seemed lost and Darryl was resigned to failure, Lawrence offered to bring his case for free to the High Court and successfully argued Darryl had the right to just terms of compensation under the Australian Constitution.

What is particularly heart-warming is Lawrence did not take the case to advance his career, as penance in hope of atoning for past wrongs, or out of spite for the system.  He was a man of wealth and high-standing who showed compassion on a regular fellow--not only to help him in his area of legal expertise--but was glad to be a mate to Darryl from the moment they happened to meet the first time outside the courthouse.  When they met two worlds collided, and they both were enriched by the friendship that followed.

One could compare Darryl's victory in court to a David and Goliath mismatch, but the important thing to realise is Darryl could never have won without Lawrence, and David could never have defeated Goliath without God.  The fact Darryl and Lawrence continued in a relationship is a wonderful part of the story as it hints at God's divine stoop to our level--not just to help us in a time of need--but to join with us forever in a friendship that is closer than family on earth.  How great is the LORD who has gone out of His way to reveal Himself to us, a friend who sticks closer than a brother, our God who came to us and saved us when we were lost, hopeless and helpless.  Doesn't it warm the heart to know we can be a friend of Jesus?  He gives us something much more precious than a castle, for He gives us Himself forever.

Our Mighty Redeemer

The last two days I read chapters of Proverbs that mentioned "landmarks" which had been established previously, and how it was wise not to remove them.  Proverbs 22:28 bluntly says, "Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set."  There are people who may be almost offended at this prohibition because they have little respect for their fathers.  There are some who are inclined to question and challenge or dismiss the position of ancient landmarks because they seem outdated and irrelevant to modern life.  Even when we do not understand why a fence or boundary stands where it does, the existence of it ought to convey the simple truth to rational minds there was a reason behind such labour.

To the children of Israel, the ancient landmarks were established by the God of Israel who gave to each tribe and family an inheritance of land by lot.  Thus the primary reason to leave the ancient landmark in the original location was to honour God by submitting to His rule.  God gave the Hebrews land with clear boundaries they were to be content to dwell in and be good stewards of it all their days, and the land was to pass to the next generation.  We are given insight into why people would move a landmark in Proverbs 23:10-11:  "Do not remove the ancient landmark, nor enter the fields of the fatherless; ¹¹ for their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you."  People would remove landmarks due to envy and covetousness, in a desire to enlarge their borders by encroaching into the inheritance of others.

It demonstrated integrity to leave the ancient landmark established by your fathers, for the opportunity and temptation to move the landmark would surely arise.  It seems people were emboldened to do this when adjacent land was vacant or was owned by those who did not have an esteemed father who could sit in the gate and legally defend their interests.  Solomon warned those tempted to steal the inheritance of their brethren that the fatherless had God as their mighty Redeemer who would plead their cause.  God would personally take on the case of the widow, fatherless and stranger--groups of people who were often alone and easily oppressed in society.  Ultimately the consequences of encroaching upon the inheritance of others would be set right by God, and all who fear Him will take note.

The principle of not removing ancient landmarks is applicable for Christians today beyond the physical boundaries of land, and it ought to be a great encouragement that God is our mighty Redeemer who will plead our cause when we walk in righteousness.  When we are the ones who are oppressed, whose rights are trampled on or treated with disdain, we can rest in the comfort of God's love, grace and mercy towards us continually.  God forbid we would lack contentment when God has given us everything richly to enjoy.  Rather than viewing gain as godliness, we do well to remember 1 Timothy 6:6-7:  "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."  May our lives bring great glory to our Saviour through godliness and contentment (not of this world!) because we are in Christ our mighty Redeemer.

The LORD Always Wins

"There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD."

Proverbs 21:30

What confidence and comfort God's people can have in His sovereign rule over all!  Paul was convinced he and all believers who love God can know He makes all things work together for good.  Thus situations that we would say are bad or are intended by others for evil will not undermine or prevent God's good purposes from ultimately being accomplished.  Sometimes, like Joseph in Egypt, God can provide insight into His redemptive operation in our circumstances and ourselves.  He explained to his brethren in Genesis 50:20:  "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."  It was evil when Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave and fabricated evidence to deceive his father into believing he was dead, yet God meant it for good--that in time nations, Joseph, his father and even his brothers would be spared from starvation and death.

Paul suffered many things for the sake of Christ.  His personal introduction to Jesus on the road to Damascus rendered him blind for days and this led to great spiritual insight as God's chosen vessel to bear Christ's name to the Gentiles.  Wherever he went, Paul regularly faced opposition, death threats, beatings and was incarcerated many times.  He took courage in Jesus Christ in such moments, for there is no wisdom, understanding or counsel against the LORD.  While imprisoned he wrote in Philippians 1:12-14:  "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."  One might assume Paul would be hindered, silenced and isolated by his chains, yet new doors of fruitful ministry opened up to him because of it.  We do not read of Paul complaining or ranting about the injustice of his arrest or the need of judicial reforms, for the Gospel was being furthered and Christians were increasingly bold without fear.

In His wisdom, God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to become wisdom for us.  King Herod tried to kill Him, Satan tried to tempt Him, the religious rulers tried to trap Him in His words, and His brothers did not initially believe in Him!  Murderous schemes, deceit and unbelief failed to undermine or hinder the fruitfulness and reception of the Gospel by many followers.  When Satan influenced Judas to betray Jesus, the Jewish rulers condemned Him to death in illegal proceedings and pushed for His crucifixion, God accomplished everything He planned from the beginning by providing atonement for sinners by Christ's shed blood.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8, "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."  Since there is no wisdom, understanding or counsel against the LORD, everything Satan and man did to silence Jesus has glorified Him forever in His resurrection--proving His divinity, His authority, power over sin and death, and He is able to give eternal life to all who trust in Him.

Knowing there is no wisdom, understanding or counsel against the LORD, how good it is to be in Jesus Christ by faith in Him!  This means whatever is intended to be evil against us God will use for good, that injustice will lead to an outpouring of grace and salvation, and the miraculous power of God displayed in response to wicked schemes will be so great that Satan will lament having foolishly played into God's hands.  The devil is proud enough to believe he handed God an easy victory, but the credit for every redemptive victory belongs only to Jesus Christ our LORD.  How would it transform your perspective of your life and the world, seeing there is no wisdom, understanding or counsel against the LORD?