Articles
Cursing
Jotham, the son of Gideon, stood on a mountain overlooking Shechem and cursed the men of the
city. “Let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and Bethmillo; and
let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from Bethmillo and consume Abimelech” (Judg.
9:20).
Who could blame Jotham for pronouncing this curse? All of his brothers had been slain and
Jotham alone had escaped the murderous plot of Abimilech and the men of Shechem. His father,
Gideon, had saved Israel and they had repaid his heroics by killing almost all of his descendants.
It was scandalous and atrocious. Shechem deserved what was coming to them.
We don’t know if Jotham was a prophet speaking on behalf of God or if his words were his own.
Regardless, God made certain the curse came true. Abimilech would burn the city of Shechem
and then be killed attempting to destroy Bethmillo. Their treachery had led to their mutual
destruction.
I suspect that curses used to be more widely understood than they are today. Growing up, I
always thought cursing was to say a bad word (filthy or foul language). But that wasn’t what
Jotham did on the mountain. Cursing is a call for judgment upon people. When someone calls
on God to damn someone, that is a curse. I’ve heard that one used many times. Often the words
are directed towards friends. The curse flows off the lips so quickly I’m convinced they are
unaware of what they are really saying.
While we might nod along with Jotham, agreeing with the desire for justice to rain down on the
wicked, we must resist the urge as Christians to curse the way he did. Jesus has called on us to
“bless those who curse you” (Lk. 6:8) and so, as Christians, we are to “bless those who persecute
you; bless and do not curse” (Rom. 12:14). It isn’t enough for us to restrain our lips from
cursing. We are supposed to do more than that. We are supposed to bless.
It would be nearly unfathomable for Jotham to stand on that mountain and to bless rather than
curse. Imagine if he had instead cried out, “May God show kindness to all of you. May you live
long lives and know peace.” Not many people would nod along with that pronouncement. They
deserved the curse.
However, in our case, it isn’t about what the world deserves that should dictate our words and
our hearts. Instead, what matters is who we are and who we follow. Jesus, on the cross, called
for His enemies to be forgiven (Lk. 23:34). That is a blessing in the place of a curse. It was a
blessing that we need. Shechem and Abimelech needed a blessing to save them from the
consequences of their own actions—to keep them from getting what they deserved.
This is what God wants from us… to bless the world rather than curse it. “Not returning evil for
evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose
that you might inherit a blessing” (I Pet. 3:9). God has called us to receive a blessing with the
intent that we would then become a blessing to the world around us.
Go out, then, and make the world a better place. Be a blessing to all men, even to those who
have done all they can to bring calamity into your life. In the end, it isn’t about what they
deserve… it’s about you being what God wants you to be: a blessing to all men.
