STARTPOST TITLE: A bowl of salt removes the curse AUTHOR: Larry DATE: 13.7.05 ----- BODY:

A bowl of salt removes the curse: "
A bowl of salt removes the curse


�At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: �Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: �At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.� Josh. 6:26 (NIV)

�In Ahab�s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.� 1 Kings 16:34 (NIV


God�s curses are no small matter. Though hundreds of years had passed, the curse upon Jericho was fulfilled in 874 BC.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Joshua�s army conquering Jericho. The city�s walls, large enough to contain dwellings within their span, came crashing down through the power of God. (Josh. 6). Right after the city was conquered, Joshua pronounced this curse, which came true over 700 years later.

However, the story of Jericho doesn�t end here. Around 30 years after Hiel�s sons perished because their father ignored the curse recorded in the book of Joshua, we find there is more to this curse, after all.

In 2 Kings 2, the prophet Elijah is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. His successor, Elisha, returns to Jericho from the Jordan River, where he had just bid Elijah farewell. Then, the people of Jericho approach Elisha. It seems Hiel�s efforts to rebuild the city have failed.

�Now the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. �We have a problem, my lord,� they told him. �This town is located in beautiful natural surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive"

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