What Is the Curse?
Genesis 2:16,17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ ”
When Adam ate of the forbidden tree, he disobeyed God and lost access to the Tree of Life. God pronounced the death sentence (a curse) upon Adam and Eve, which was passed on to his posterity. His body began the dying process on that same day (Genesis 3:24). God also directly cursed the ground, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17) Thus, the original curse brought the death sentence upon mankind and forced man to toil to produce food.
Was there a Purpose?
God knew that because Adam and Eve had only experienced blessing and life in the Garden, they did not appreciate the horrible consequences of sin (Romans 7:13). The couple chose disobedience over God’s just and loving rule. God then permitted them to experience the full results of sin. Ultimately, God wants mankind to worship Him willingly “…in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). During the resurrection, people will be able to compare the results of obedience and life to sinfulness and death. Mankind’s present experiences with evil are teaching them why righteousness is the better choice.
Is this Curse Permanent or Temporary?
Revelation 22:3, “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.” Yes, when Christ reigns on earth, all mankind will be restored back to health, peace, life – essentially all that Adam lost will be returned to men. Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
Summary
God did curse man for a time, allowing him to follow his own course of sin leading to his death. However, God permitted mankind to experience sin for the ultimate purpose of blessing. Remember “God IS love”…it is not just part of who He is…it is who He IS. (1 John 4:16)
