We've all heard about God dividing the 12 tribes into two groups and having 6 tribes stand on Mt. Gerazim to pronounce blessings and the other 6 tribes to stand on Mt. Ebal to pronounce curses.
Did you know that God can actually curse a blessing? Through the prophet Malachi, God spoke these words to the priests - "If you do not hear and if you do not put it into your heart to give glory to My Name, then I will send the curse and I will curse your blessing and it will become accursed and it will no longer be among you."
What blessing is the Lord referring to? The blessing of the priesthood itself! The privilege of being set apart unto God to draw near Him, minister to Him, and intercede with Him on behalf of the people. This was the blessing given to the Levites for standing with Moses and wielding a sword against their own brethren at the incident of the golden calf.
But they had become unfaithful and corrupt, and being God's true representatives was no longer the guiding principle of their hearts. So God threatened them through the prophet that if they did not put it into their heart to give Him glory - He would turn what was originally given to them as a blessing into a curse because their actions were profaning His Holy Name.
Does God still threaten to turn a blessing into a curse? Do we have any cause to fear this possibility? After all, we are blessed to be called the redeemed of the Lord, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people for the Lord's renown! Wow, what a blessing!
We have been given so much - but what is required of those who have been given much? Is our motive for receiving God's blessing to give Him glory? Are we the people bringing Him fame and renown? Is this the purpose of our marriage? Is this why we are raising children? Is this the main purpose in our vocation? Is this the deciding factor in how we make decisions with our time, our resources and our liberties?
Have we put giving Him glory into our hearts? If we do not, and we become corrupt, would God turn our blessing of being married into a curse? Would He place a curse upon the blessing of our raising children? Would He curse the work of our hands if we are not doing it unto Him to glorify His Name?
And IF He did curse our blessings, what would this curse look like? That's simple - what happened to the fig tree when Jesus found no fruit on it? That's right, it withered! It withered from the roots just like the desire for prayer, meditation upon the word, the joy of worship, and serving others will wither if these blessings become a curse.
What else might this curse look like - it might look just like the widow who lives for pleasure - "dead being alive" - "having only a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." Or maybe a branch in Christ no longer abiding and bearing any fruit, having withered.
But did Paul ever express such concerns? Yes, remember when he wrote - "No, I beat my body and make it my slave, lest after having preached to others .....I myself should be rejected...hmmmm". What about Peter, did he consider this a possibility for a believer? Yes! "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn their back on the sacred commandment.... for them the last state is worse than the first. (How wretched a state when what had been such a blessing has in the end become a curse)
I believe God has not changed, He is still today as He was when He spoke to the priests through Malachi, and therefore we would be wise to give all the more earnest heed to the things we have heard ....for how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Were not these things written down for our admonition?
We are a kingdom of priest - and the reason we have been given this blessing is to bring God glory. We are the salt of the earth to bring Him glory, to be a people for His renown. What will happen to us if we lose this purpose? I was sobered by these thoughts today.