What happens with the believer when he is cursed?

This article wants to answer the following question I have received:

What happens when a believer is cursed? And if the one who cursed him is one of his relatives, but this relative is not a believer?

There is a lot of superstition and deception on the curse among people. The absolute truth about spiritual things is found in the Bible, that is God’s Word. Therefore, we want to see what the Bible says on this subject.

Unfounded curse has no power

God says in His Word so:

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight. (Proverbs 26:2)(NASB)

This truth applies equally both to those who believe in the Lord Jesus and to unbelievers. Even yesterday talking with a former colleague of mine from the University, she said me that her chief, anytime she had a conflict with a worker, she sent the secretary or someone to light candles at church and ask God to curse that certain person. The former university colleague told me that nothing had happened to people whom that chief sought to curse, but her daughter was in a car accident twice last winter and accidents were very serious.

The curse of Jotham

Regardless of whether she or he is a relative or not, we must see every man as our neighbor, that we are called to love as ourselves.If a family curse is unfounded, stay calmly because you will not be affected, but if it has reasons, hurry to get back with God and with your relative or anyone that man is.

Gideon was the judge who delivered Israel from the people of Midian. Gideon had seventy children of his, as he had several wives.One of these sons was Abimelech, who went to the people of Shechem after the death of his father, and asked their support, then he came and killed all his brothers, only Jotham escaped alive. When the people of Sechem came to him to make Abimelech their king, Jotham also came, stood on the Mount Gerizim, at a certain distance, and said this curse:

 

Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal (Gideon) and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved– for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your relative– if then you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.” (Judges 9:16-20)(NASB)

Just in three years, God fulfilled this curse of Jotham and He even made the punishment by fire be applied. The people of Sechem were rebellious against Abimelech who defeated them in battle and then came and set fire to their city. From there, Abimelech went to Thebez, where he died, being hit by a stone that was thrown by a woman at the entrance of the tower. At the end of chapter 9 of the book of Judges God says:

 

Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them. (Judges 9:56-57)(NASB)

Jotham was Abimelech’s brother, but his curse was fulfilled because it was founded.

Do not curse anyone

The Lord Jesus teaches us in the famous sermon on the mountain not to curse anyone:

 

You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (The Gospel of Matthew 5:43-48)(NASB)

Apostle Paul also wrote in the Epistle to the Romans:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14)(NASB)

God guard us from curse and keep us in His blessings always.

Translated by Felicia Rotaru