"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Galatians 3:13
To this generation a curse is a fictitious evil spell of some kind which was fabricated by Hollywood for the purpose of creating a dramatic plot. We think of gypsy curses, voodoo curses or the mummy's curse. In order to understand the reality of the curse of God, as it is found in scripture, we must see it as it is set in opposition to the blessing (Deuteronomy 28). This being the case, much light is shed upon what it is to be under the curse of God, if we see what it is to be an object of the blessing of God.
How revealing, for example, if the opposite of the benediction found in Numbers chapter 6 is considered: Numbers 6:24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: (25) The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (26) The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. The curse would be something like this: "The Lord curse thee and forsake thee. The Lord turn His back upon thee and punish thee. The Lord withdraw all favor from thee and leave thee in thy grief and misery."
Apply this to our holy Lord Jesus, our blessed Substitute, and we get some idea of the meaning of our text in Galatians 3. If he that is forgiven much, loveth much, then surely you and I must weep and embrace with deep devotion, this One who has become our curse. If God had cursed and forsaken us, we must have acknowledged that He not only had the right to do so, but was obligated to do so. Nevertheless, God embraced and delighted in us. Our Lord deserved the highest favor and honor of the Father and yet He cursed and forsook Him. This is salvation!
The result of God's blessing is that all things work together for our good and end in our eternal bliss and delight. To be under God's curse means that though a man be rich, well respected and the recipient of all that this world considers good, it shall work together for evil and culminate in his eternal damnation.
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