NO CURSE, BUT...

Dearly Beloved,

NO CURSE, BUT...

“No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them.... There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel” (Number 23:21-23 NIV).

“While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them” (Numbers 25:1-3 NIV).

As the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness in their exodus from the land of slavery, Balak, the king of Moab hired Balaam, a diviner, to come and curse the Israelites so that he, Balak, could wage war against the Israelites and defeat them. However, Balaam knew that the Israelites were blessed people of God and that they could not be cursed. He reluctantly came to do the evil assignment, though on the condition that if he was allowed by God to curse the Israelites. It was evident from his four oracles that the people of Israel could not be cursed. In fact, he blessed them on each occasion that Balak wanted him to curse them to the displeasure of Balak. He categorically said in one of his oracles that there was no curse against the Israelites because their God was with them. However, he knew another way that the Lord could turn against His blessed people: sin! He taught Balak to make the Moabite women entice the Israelites into sexual immorality and idolatry (see Numbers 25:1-3; 31:16; Revelation 2:4). This made God to be angry with His people, and 24,000 people died among the Israelites on a single day. What a curse could not do, sin easily did!

There is no curse, sorcery, divination or any kind of evil planned or invoked against any true child of God that will come to pass (see Isaiah 54:17). However, in spite of the fact that sin does not bring every calamity, it can bring a devastating havoc on any errant child of God. Satan knows that God builds a fortified edge round His beloved ones, but he also knows that he can wreak his havoc on any wayward Christian.

Are you wayward in your relationship with God? You are giving the devil an opportunity to operate in your life. Beware that YOU will not loosen the fortified edge that God has built round you. No curse, but....

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).