KEY VERSE: DEUTERONOMY 33:6

GENESIS 35:22 GENESIS 49:1-6

NUMBERS 16:1-25

Summary thought: Being aware of the history helps us to understand the present and future. It helps us understand people in general and guides us how we ought to pray.

Introduction

The Bible speaks extensively about curses and their effects. In Deuteronomy 28,God listed the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The curses include poverty,sickness,confusion,oppression and failure in everything you do. These show how serious curses can be. However, the Bible also shows how to break curses through Jesus Christ, Galatians 3:13 declares that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree, “Jesus became a curse on the cross so we be free from all curses.

Reuben was the oldest son of the Biblical Patriarch Jacob (Israel) born to him by Leah (Genesis 35:23).But the Bible tells us about is interesting and thought provoking. I want to remind you that when something is mentioned in the Bible, it is because God has a good reason for it to be included. It is also for us to learn from. Everything in the Bible is relevant for our understanding.

TWO BOYHOOD INCIDENCES ABOUT REUBEN

1-Reuben found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah (Genesis 30:14)

   Mandrakes are a special type of herb that the people of the Middle East regarded as an aid to conception. Its aroma is associated with lovemaking.

His motivation to do this could be sympathy and jealousy on behalf of his mother who had been slighted all along by his father and on top of that Leah had stopped bearing children (Gen 29:35).

2-Not long after Rachel’s death, when Reuben was apparently still a young man, he went and lay with Bilhah who a concubine of Jacob. This is a sad and demoralizing story in the family of Jacob. Genesis 35:22 says while Israel lived in that land Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his Fathers Concubine, and Israel heard of it. Bilhah was a hand maid of Rachel when she realized that she could not give birth.

This despicable action is similar to what the Apostle Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 5 :1 as sexual immorality as is not even named among the gentiles-that a man has his father’s wife. Because of this, Reuben lost the privileges accorded to the firstborn son. In the blessings of his children, Jacob said to Reuben, you are my first born, my might and the first fruits of my vigor, excelling in power. Unstable as water, you shall no longer excel because you went up onto your fathers bed, then you defiled it. you went up onto my couch. Gen 49:3-4

From this background, we want to see how the Fathers pronounced words affected Reuben as a tribe.

A-In the blessing. Excelling in power, excelling in honor Vs 3

  .He spared the life of Joseph when the rest wanted to kill him

  .He took the responsibility of defending Benjamin in Egypt

B-Vs 4: unstable as water-you shall not excel.

  Indeed no judge, no prophet, no ruler came out of Reuben.

Because of this, Reuben became proud and jealousy. Abiram and Dathan being led by Kolah rose against Moses and they perished. (Numbers 16). They wanted to grab power from Moses.

When the Israelites were taking over the promised land, the Tribe of Reuben, Gad  and half tribe of Manasseh requested land on the east side of the Jordan river. This would have reflected the attitude of me first and I would rather be off by myself. It is a psychological and physical divide.

Reuben was under a curse and could no longer excel in life. Curses come through our lives in three ways

1-Generational or hereditary curses which are as a result of the sins, evil ritual practices of our ancestors. They may also be family curses thought to be negative patterns or behaviors that pass down through generations in a family. These may include addictions, financial difficulties, relationship problems or heath issues that seem to affect multiple members of the family.

2-Bad spells or evil words/negative words from our enemy.

. Numbers 23:23 says surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. This means when you belong to God, no curse can prosper against you

. Proverbs 26:2 also promises that the curse causeless shall not come (Like a sparrow in its flitting, like swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight.

When you live right and pray against curses, they cannot stick to you.

. You can fight against curses by declaring some powerful scriptures.

Isaiah 54:17  “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue  that shall rise against in judgement you shall condemn.This includes every cursing tongue.

Psalm 109:28 declares, “let them curse,but bless thou,then they arise,let them be ashamed,but let thy servant rejoice.” This means even when people curse you,God’s blessing will override their curse and bring you joy instead.

Declare Romans 8:1 and Psalm 91 upon your life.

3-Self-made curses. Jeremiah 20:14 Cursed be the day when I was born. Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me.

Psalm 109:18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with a garment, and it entered into his body like water and like oil into his bones

Now let’s look at Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.

In his own mercy, God spoke through Moses to command life in the tribe of Reuben.

Reuben began to increase and excel. The curse is reversed. RECOGNIZE THE POWER OF BLESSING.

Instead of waiting for others to bless you, take authority and speak blessings over your own life.

Every morning, look into the mirror and say, “IAM BLESSED.IAM FAVORED.IAM SUSSCEFUL.IAM HEALTHY.IAM PROSPEROUS.DECLARE NUMBERS 6:24-26  over yourself. “The Lord bless me and keep me. The Lord make his face shine upon me and be gracious unto me:the Lord lift up his countenance upon me and give me peace.

Bless your home, your carrier, your business and your work daily. Let your blessing become your lifestyle.

When you consistently speak blessings, curses have no room to operate in your life.

DECLARATIONS

ISAIAH 44:2 Thus says the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee: fear not,O Jacob,my servant:and thou,Jesurun,whom I have chosen.3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty,and the floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring.

PRAYER TIME

.Praise God for the redemptive power in the blood of Jesus,for redeeming us from the curse of the law.

.Take authority over every curse upon your life,in Jesus’name and command all curses issued or spoken against you to be broken,in the name of Jesus.

.I take authority over inherited curses and I command them to be broken now,in the Name of Jesus

.I take authority over curses amanating from satanic agents,spiritual ignorance,witchcraft curses,evil dedication,ancestral sins,handling cursed objects ,strange money or cursed gifts or living in a cursed land or house,in the name of Jesus Christ.

.I renounce and break all curses placed on my family line and my descendants,in the name of Jesus.

.I break any curse that may be in my parent’s families back to ten generations.

.I take authority over every curse of sickness

 -Infirmity

-family destruction

-Financial destruction

-Marital destruction

-Physical and spiritual destruction

.I now cancel the consequences and evil effects of all curses,IN THE NAME OF JESUS