Gbemiga Olakunle
“In his days (the days of King Ahab), did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho; he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun” – I kings 16:34, KJV.
To have a proper understanding of the above scripture, one needs to put it in its proper context. It was after the fall of the city of Jericho through very unconventional warfare that “Joshua adjured them (the Israelites) at that time, saying, cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it” – Joshua 6:26, KJV.
In the account of the fall of the city of Jericho recorded in Joshua chapter 6, the LORD instructed the Israelites through Moses successor – Joshua to march round the city – wall once for 6 days. And on the 7th day, they should march around the city -wall for seven times and that the Priests should be blowing the trumpets and at the seventh time, the priests should make a long blast with the ram’s horn while the rest of the Israelites should just shout with a great shout at the seventh time. When they did, the usual thing happened! The wall of Jericho fell.
Having described the event which preceded the pronouncement of the curse by Joshua, the Bible did not tell us what prompted Hiel during the reign of King Ahab, to rebuild the city of Jericho. Neither did the Scripture tell us whether the man was aware of the curse or not. We only knew that once the conditions for the activation of the pronounced curse was fulfilled, the curse just went in to operation, and claimed innocent lives in persons of Abiram and Segub, the eldest son and the youngest son of Hiel who rebuilt Jericho. That was how powerful a curse could be from an anointed fellow or man of God.
Apart from anointed men/women of God, other categories of people who can also place effectual curses are traditional rulers, parents, spouses (husband or wife/those who are in serious relationship), political or business associates. In any of these categories any aggrieved person or party who felt cheated in a relationship, business deal or political association can place a curse for a just cause or reason(s). Maltreated slaves/servants can also place curses on their masters which can run in such families for life. Pastor E.A. Adeboye recently recounted how his extended family used to be victims of that category of curse until he broke the curse in his own nuclear family through the grace of God.
However, curses cannot work or become activated except there are basis for it. “As the bird by wandering as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come” Prov.26:2, KJV. In other words, a curse cannot come into operation if there is no justification for it. But once there is genuine basis for it, it will come into operation whether the victim(s) are aware of its existence or not. Some curses can be instant while some can be latent (silent) for years until the conditions are met.
Since we have established how curses can work, it is advisable for people to stay out of situations that can provide genuine basis for the placement of a curse not just for their own sakes but for the sakes of their children/generations that are yet unborn or even the larger societies.
Whether known or unknown to many, the nation-Nigeria may be suffering from one form of bad governance/mismanagement of national resources or the other because of several innocent bloods that might have been shed in the quest for socio-economic and political powers over the years. Even some political leaders who might have felt cheated in the political chess game for power might have inadvertently placed some curses on the nation. Such political leaders might have already been dead while some may still be living.
Whichever may be the case, our politicians are hereby admonished to be careful and be wearied of how they play their games with their associates, mentors and especially their god -fathers. If such groups of people at any point in time feel cheated, it may have dire consequences on the players involved, their respective constituencies and the nation at large even if such aggrieved fellows or parties do not voice out a word or raise a finger publicly. And it can be more dangerous if such leaders are principals and powers personified except the mercy of God overrules them just as the blessings of Moses overruled the curses that Jacob placed on three of his sons because of their behavior.
Besides, there is an obvious conspiracy from the international community against the progress of this nation that is being championed by the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Can a hidden curse be responsible for this unfriendly posture of these two leadings nations and their seeming uncooperative attitudes in our determination to end our ongoing security challenges especially in the North-East? Why did America place an embargo on the sale of military hardware to Nigeria and goes ahead to encourage their allies to toe the same line of action? Or have the two leading nations got wind of the revelation that Nigeria is the next emerging superpower in the comity of nations as ordained by God and foretold by His anointed Prophets in the early 1980s?
This same prophecy was re-echoed by another man of God in October this year-2016 in an Holy-communion Service when the Pastor repeatedly declared that Nigeria’s economy will son bypass that of China since as at today China’s economy is the leading economy. Specifically, Nigeria will soon be a power to be reckoned with politically, economically and militarily in the comity of nations. These new dimensions may be our subject matter for another day, by God’s grace.
