The Bible is clear that there is the power of life and death in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). We should therefore always be very careful over our utterances because what we say may sometimes have very consequences for those under our authority. The patriarch Jacob, for example, inadvertently placed a curse on his family when he rashly said: "...if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live." (Genesis 31:32). Little did he know that the thief was none other than his dearly beloved soul-mate Rachel! Later, we learn that Rachel died in childbirth (Genesis 31:16-20)! Had Jacob been a bit more careful with his mouth, Rachel would probably have lived to a ripe old age.

Some curses manifest themselves in names. Let us look at a few examples in the Bible. As Rebekah labored in childbirth, the midwives offhandedly named her twin boys. The first, they called "Esau" for "his whole body was like a hairy garment". The second, they named "Jacob" because he held his brother's heel as they emerged out of their mother's womb (Genesis 25:24-26). Figuratively, however, the name "Jacob" may mean "supplanter", "deceiver" (or "conman" in modern parlance)! It was a name that brought untold trouble to Jacob as he lived out its meaning. First, he had to flee from a vengeful Esau whom he had cleverly upstaged in getting the birthright and later the blessing that went with it! Later, he again had to flee from a jealous Laban, after some underhand dealings in husbanding Laban's livestock (Genesis 27:36 - 45). It was only after a divine name change that Jacob's turbulent life settled into some semblance of order and peace.

We see a similar situation in the life of Jabez. The name "Jabez" sounds like the Hebrew word for "pain" and apparently, that is how his life turned out - full of pain. His mother had experienced so much pain (either during the pregnancy or during childbirth) that she decided to name her son "Jabez". Little did she know just how negatively that name would affect Jabez's life. Again, it was only divine intervention that brought about positive changes in the circumstances of the man's life (1Chronicles 4:9 - 10). Need we add here the case of the foolish excesses or omissions if Nabal the Carmelite whose very name meant "fool"?! (1Samuel 25:25).

Let us look also at some corporate curses involving the children of Israel. The first has to do with a date in Israel's history, that every Jew has come to view with much trepidation and dread. This date is the ninth of the fifth month on the Jewish calendar. It is known as Tisha b' Av in Hebrew. Moses had sent spies to go spy out the land of Canaan before Israel crossed the Jordan to take possession of it as per God's promises to the Patriarchs. The twelve spies were gone for 40 days and on their return, ten gave a negative report concerning their expedition. In divine wrath, God vowed that all persons aged 20 and above who had come out of Egypt would die in the desert. None would enter the Holy Land! This fateful pronouncement was made on the ninth of Ab! This date has turned out to be a long-standing cursed day in the lives of the Jewish people. 
The destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon's temple in 606BC happened on the 9th of Ab. And so was the destruction of the Second Temple by the Roman General Titus and Emperor Vespasian in 70AD. The expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian peninsula by Spain's royals Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492AD also happened on the same date! Since every matter must be established at the testimony of two or three witnesses, is it not fair enough to conclude that, for the Jews, the ninth of Ab is a cursed day?!

The other corporate curse was also pronounced during Moses' day. In Leviticus 26, God sets out blessings attendant to Israel's obedience to his word, and curses should Israel abandon their covenant with God. Verses 18, 21, 24, and 28 repeatedly emphasize that the period of chastisement would last for "seven times". A small amount of calculation will give us a prophetic time span lasting 2,520 years. During this extended time, Israel would wander through the nations, never being at rest, despised, downtrodden, and at the mercy of their Gentile enemies! Pogroms, gulags, ghettos, exclusion from lucrative or prestigious professions, exclusion from elite neighborhoods, etc would be their lot. Sure enough, starting with the Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar, Israel remained as exiles in foreign lands until the expiration of the said period in 1914. As World War One drew to a close in 1918, the Jews started trickling back into the Holy Land under the auspices of a British mandate over Palestine. Modern Israel was later born under the premiership of David Ben Gurion. Today, "Aliyah" (or the Return) remains a central plank of Jewish policy and is on full steam.

But then, one would ask; if the Mosaic curse ended in 1914, how come over six million Jews were interred in Adolf Hitler's World War Two hecatomb? How come Anti-Semitism is on the rise globally? These questions bring us to the second corporate Jewish curse. A troubled Pontius Pilate was literally between the devil and the deep blue sea. He honestly could find no justifiable grounds for sentencing Yahshua to death. Incited by the Jewish leaders, however, the crowds were baying for the Son of Man's blood. The situation was first deteriorating into a riot. The incensed crowds were chanting "Barabbas", as the more deserving of clemency when Pilate sought to release Yahshua as part of the Roman imperial policy during Jewish festivals. For the bloodthirsty crowd, it did not matter that the said Barabbas was a dyed-in-the-wool murderer and insurrectionist!

Pilate was cornered, he ordered water in a basin brought. In full view of the seething crowds, he washed his hands proclaiming his innocence of Yahshua's blood (Matthew 27:19-24). To the governor's words, the charged crowds responded:

"Let his blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:25).

The Jews thus placed a curse on themselves and their offspring in subsequent generations. This unfortunate (and rash imprecation) is responsible for untold Jewish suffering from the first century AD, right up to the present. There is respite, however, with Yahshua's Second Coming. Says the prophet Joel:

"... their blood-guilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon." (Joel 3:21,NIV).

Lastly, let us consider the Apostle Peter's case. Among Yahshua's disciples, Peter (or Cephas), comes across strongly as a practical, action-oriented man. He was given to making gaffes and blurting things out without careful forethought. They were on their way to Jerusalem and a troubled Yahshua was apprising them of what must surely happen to him. He would be betrayed, be arraigned before the Jewish ruling council, be sentenced to death, and be handed over to the Gentiles for execution. In his typical abrupt fashion, Peter vowed: "... even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." (Matthew 26:33)

Yahshua however predicted that before the night passed, he, Peter would have denied Yahshua thrice. That is exactly what happened on that fateful night as Yahshua underwent a cruel and totally unjustified trial. By denying Yahshua, Peter inadvertently brought himself under a triple curse! He could no longer be numbered among Yahshua's apostles! Mark how the angel put it, as he addressed the women at Yahshua's tomb immediately after the resurrection: "...but go tell his disciples and PETER ..." (Mark 16:7) Peter's vehement denials of Yahshua had completely alienated him from the Saviour! He could only be restored via the breaking of the self-imposed curses! Is it not testament therefore to overwhelming divine love for us frail humans that Yahshua sought to precisely do that? They were beside the Sea of Galilee where it all began.
Peter had already gone back to his previous career of fishing. Yahshua visited these disconsolate fishermen one fine morning a few days after his resurrection. Three times, Yahshua emotionally probed whether he,  Peter, did indeed love him. With each positive response from Peter, Yahshua would respond; "Feed my lambs", or "take care of my sheep..." (John 21:15 -17).

For us, it  was a very strange and emotional discourse until one understood it from the context of Peter's three-time denial of the Lord. Essentially, Yahshua was breaking the curses that Peter had brought on himself by denying him.

In a future installment, I would like us to focus on the important subject of how to break curses. For now, let us all rejoice in the promise that all curses will one day be a thing of the past (Revelation 22:3). Shalom.

Pst JK Chang'andu