When the people of Israel came out of Egypt, God gave them The Law in the wilderness at Sinai. Then, before they were about to go into Canaan, Moses in effect set before them a choice between curse and blessings. This choice was to be enacted in a covenant ceremony. The people were to pass… Continue reading The curse
Tag: curse
Shame and curse
Has The Flood dealt with the problem of sin and evil? Lest we are tempted to think that righteous Noah has brought an end to sin, guilt, shame and curse, there is a follow up to the Flood narrative. Read Genesis 9:18-29 We are reminded again of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, all humanity… Continue reading Shame and curse
The verdict
God has come to meet with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they have been caught in their sin and their guilt and shame is exposed. Instead of taking responsibility they look for ways to blame each other and the serpent. God does not allow them to use the blame game to get… Continue reading The verdict
Two Trees: Two Ways To Live
I believe that there is a single choice running through Scripture. It’s the choice that we find here in Genesis 2-3, it’s offered to the people of Israel at the end of Deuteronomy, it’s the choice that Christ makes at Calvary and we too are called to make that choice in response to the Gospel.… Continue reading Two Trees: Two Ways To Live
Not without hope
Genesis 11 paints a pretty hopeless picture. The new, post flood humanity have in effect squandered the blessings and privileges of the covenant with Noah. Their hubristic rebellion against God has been crushed, they are divided by language and scattered across the world of the day. However, at the end of the chapter, we are… Continue reading Not without hope
Cursed
The cursing of the fig tree seems like one of the most peculiar events in the Gospels. What was going on there? Did Jesus just lose it with an inanimate object in the same way that I get frustrated when the internet plays up or the TV refuses to respond to the instructions I send… Continue reading Cursed
A son for sickness (Ruth 4)
We all know how the book of Ruth ends. Boaz steps in as kinsman redeemer, Ruth marries him and they have a son, Obed, he becomes the father of Jesse and Jesse becomes the father of David, the king of Irael. Ruth the outsider joins the family lineage of King David and therefore along with… Continue reading A son for sickness (Ruth 4)
Fall and Judgement
Failure and Rebellion In Genesis 1 and 2 God had been the primary actor and it was his voice that was heard consistently. God spoke in order to bring things into being and events to pass. Towards the end of Genesis 2, man is drawn more towards the centre of the stage so that he… Continue reading Fall and Judgement
Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)
We have seen that life in the presence of the living God is about blessing. In Genesis 1-3, this blessing is seen in terms of provision and protection for God’s people in the place he has given them. For Adam and Eve, that meant in the Garden of Eden. For Noah, this meant life on… Continue reading Far as the curse is found (Deuteronomy 28:15-16)
The Curse
Covenant History blessed in God’s presence, cursed by exile from it To understand the Covenant ceremony, we need to go back to Genesis 1-3. God creates a good world and also plants a beautiful and secure garden for the first humans, Adam and Eve, to live in. Adam is commissioned to tend to the garden… Continue reading The Curse
Faithroots 