The Hidden
Jesus -Joshua's Curse
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Curses have great power. This is not something we take seriously in America, even though their deadly results can be seen throughout the Bible. One such example is Joshua's curse, which he pronounced over the city of Jericho, after he captured it and burned it to the ground:
Joshua's curse came true many years later, when a man named Hiel came and rebuilt Jericho, and during the process his two sons, Abiram and Segum, both died. 1 Kings 16:34 To make the story even more tragic, it was not some enemy or some pagan or some despised Philistine that received the brunt of this curse, but rather, this dreadful tragedy fell upon a man named Hiel, a fellow Jew! |
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As I read this story, I was perplexed, for it seemed that innocent bystanders were harmed by what appeared to be Joshua's brash and cruel act of speaking this violent curse. Recently, though, as I meditated and prayed over this story, the Holy Spirit showed me a spiritual truth that gave it at least some meaning. Jericho was originally a beautiful and desirable city, for it was built by the river Jordan, surrounded with palm trees, Deuteronomy 34:3 and situated on prime real estate in the "Land of Milk and Honey." But then sin came into the city and it became vile in God's eyes, and He issued a divine decree for the Nation of Israel to destroy it, which they did. Apparently God then prompted Joshua to pronounce a curse over that city as a verbal object lesson of how much God hated their sin. |
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In a symbolic sense, I am the city of Jericho. When God created the race of Man, he placed us in a beautiful garden, just like Jericho, but then sin came in, and God decreed that Man must be destroyed. Genesis 2:16,17 But then a man named Hiel appeared, a Jew from God's chosen nation, and he came to rebuild that burned and ruined place. And so it is that God also sent a Jew to rebuild us, a man named Jesus, only he has come to rebuild us with "Jewels" Isaiah 54:11,12 and "Living Stones," 1 Peter 2:4,5 rebuilding us as a city for God to live in. Revelation 21:1-10 |
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However, before Jesus could rebuilt the city of ME, the curse of Joshua had to first be fulfilled. Hiel paid a very high price to rebuild Jericho, since both his sons had to die, and in my own rebuilding, I discover that Jesus not only fulfilled Joshua's curse by dying, but he also became Joshua's Curse, for Paul says "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." Galatians 3:13 Hiel probably didn't take Joshua's curse seriously when he went to rebuild Jericho, so he probably didn't really expect for his two sons to actually die. However, Jesus knew full well that in order to rebuild sin-damaged me, he was definitely going to have to endure the agonies of a painful death, and yet Jesus decided that I was worth it! Jesus willingly became Joshua's Curse because he looked down the corridors of time and saw me, and decided I was worth all the pain, all the trouble, all the anguish that he would have to endure as the Son of Man! Who can understand such love? |
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After Hiel rebuilt Jericho, it became a valuable and desirable city again, only this time it was inhabited by God's people, and not the pagans of Canaan. Both Elisha and a company of Prophets lived there, 2 Kings 2:5,18 Men from Jericho helped Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah 3:2 and even Jesus preached in Jericho. Matthew 20:29 And so it is with us: even though Jesus became Joshua's Curse to rebuild us, he also declares that I am worth it! And what does Jesus gain from all his anguish and pain? He gains our love, for he knows that "Those who are forgiven much, love much." Luke 7:47 In return for all of his pain, start loving Jesus now, and let your love steadily grow and increase into eternity, so when Jesus comes to live inside the rebuilt YOU, let his words be "All my pain was worth it!" |
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