Bridges on Proverbs 26:2

Charles Bridges on Proverbs 26:2


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2. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

Groundless fears are real evils, and often press heavily upon enfeebled minds. A curse flies out of an angry mouth undeserved, unprovoked. ‘What if it should come to pass?’ But we need no more fear the causeless curse, than the birds wandering over our heads. The swallow flying up and down never lights upon us; so the curse causeless shall not come to hurt us. Powerless was Moab's curse, though attempted to be strengthened with the divination of the wicked prophet.† Goliath's curse against David was scattered to the winds.† What was David the worse for Shimei's curse;† or Jeremiah for the curse of his persecutors?† Under this harmless shower of stones we turn from men to God, and are at peace. “Let them curse; but bless thou; when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.” (Psalm 109:28.)

But if the curse be not causeless, it will come. Jotham's righteous curse came upon Abimelech and the men of Schechem. (Judges 9:56, 57.) Elisha's curse fearfully came to the young mockers of Bethel. (2 Kings 2:24.) The curse abides on Jericho from generation to generation.† And — Reader — if thou be an unconverted, unbelieving sinner, without love to thy Savior, there is a curse for thee, not causeless, justly deserved; and come it must, come it will.† Yea — has it not already come from thy Maker and thy God;† not an impotent threat of evil, but the solemn foreboding of everlasting wrath centering in thy heart? Oh! flee from it while time is given; while the refuge is open to thee!† If thou be under cover, it shall not come.† Thou shalt rejoice in “thy redemption from it,”† in thy complete security. (Chapter 1:33.)

Footnote:

Numbers 22:4-6; 23:8. Deuteronomy 23:4, 5.

Numbers 22:4-6

4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: {face: Heb. eye} 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

Numbers 23:8

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

Deuteronomy 23:4, 5

4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

Footnote:

1 Samuel 17:43.

1 Samuel 17:43

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Footnote:

2 Samuel 16:12.

2 Samuel 16:12

12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. {affliction: or, tears: Heb. eye}

Footnote:

Jeremiah 15:10.

Jeremiah 15:10

10 ¶ Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

Psalm 109:28

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

Judges 9:56, 57

56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

2 Kings 2:24

24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

Footnote:

Joshua 6:26. 1 Kings 16:34. The city of Palms is described by a recent traveler, as an assemblage of huts, ‘so low, that at night one might almost ride over them without being aware of the fact.’ — Three Weeks in Palestine, p. 89. Such is the unchangeable truth of God!

Joshua 6:26

26 And Joshua adjured them 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 firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

1 Kings 16:34

34 In his days 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.

Footnote:

Deuteronomy 28:15; 29:19, 20. 1 Corinthians 16:22.

Deuteronomy 28:15

15 ¶ But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Deuteronomy 29:19, 20

19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: {imagination: or, stubbornness} {drunkenness...: Heb. the drunken to the thirsty} 20 The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

1 Corinthians 16:22

22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha

Footnote:

Chapter 3:33. Zechariah 5:3, 4.

Proverbs 3:33

33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

Zechariah 5:3, 4

3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. {every one that stealeth...: or, every one of this people that stealeth holdeth himself guiltless, as it doth} 4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

Footnote:

Genesis 19:17.

Genesis 19:17

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Footnote:

Romans 8:1.

Romans 8:1

1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Footnote:

Galatians 3:10, 13.

Galatians 3:10, 13

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 13 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:

Proverbs 1:33

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.