Book Review Series: 'The God of Israel and Christian Theology' - Detailed Review: Chapter Seven
Curse and Redemption
R. Kendall Soulen, in his book, has argued that the central theme of scripture is the Lord's work as Consummator of creation. As Consummator, God promises fullness of life to the human family and to all of creation in and through economies of mutual blessing, God's economy is inaugurated primordially through the distinction of God and creation: God blesses creation with life and the promise of fullness of life, and creation in return blesses God with thanksgiving and praise. He also argues that understanding the difference between Israel and other nations is crucial to God's plan. This distinction is not a temporary fix but a key part of how God's blessings and a full life are realized throughout history. Soulen believes that God's relationship with Israel and other nations shows a broader, ongoing purpose rather than just solving conflicts.
Yet if the great central theme of the Hebrew Scriptures is the Lord's work as the Consummator of creation, its great subordinate theme is God's work as Redeemer and Deliverer. That is the subject of chapter seven.
The occasion (not cause!) of God's work as Redeemer is the appalling reality of sin, the incomprehensible fact that the human family cuts itself off from God's economies of mutual blessing and instead seeks to procure blessing on its own terms at the other's expense. Male seeks blessing at the expense of female, Gentile at the expense of Jew, Jew at the expense of Gentile.
In these ways and others, the human family turns its back on God's blessing and does violence to the human other. The economy of difference and mutual dependence becomes an economy of curse rather than blessing and is therefore overshadowed by the curse of God. God's curse is simply God's blessing as seen from the backside, that is, as seen from the perspective of the creature who has repudiated it. But from this perspective, God's curse is curse indeed.
Curse and the Economy of Consummation
Curse and the Economy of Creation
He explains that God's economy—His way of managing creation—involves differences and mutual dependence among people. This is seen in the natural differences like male and female, parents and children, and generations. It also appears in the historical relationship between Jews and Gentiles. God's blessings come through these differences and relationships.
The creation sagas trace the human family's readiness to receive God's blessing through a series of social pairs: male and female (Gen 2-3), brother and brother (Gen 4), comrade and comrade (Gen 11). In each case, the result is distressingly negative.
Soulen points out that when humans turn away from God's blessing and try to act independently, they face God's curse. This curse isn't a separate punishment but a consequence of rejecting God's ways. He illustrates this with stories from Genesis, like Cain and Abel, and the Tower of Babel, showing how rejecting mutual blessings leads to conflict and suffering.
The first parents of the human family stand beneath the Lord's blessing from the dawn of their existence. Nevertheless, they quickly grow impatient for the fullness of divine blessing (Gen 2-3). Rather than trust God as the source of that fullness, they seek to wrest blessing for themselves from the forbidden tree of knowledge, that is, from a creature like themselves (3:6-7). By so doing, the first parents refuse to trust that blessing is the gift of an Other. Instead, they picture the divine Other as fundamentally untrustworthy, a threat to their hope for fullness of life (3:4-5). As a consequence, God's blessing is in fact overshadowed by God's curse (14-19). The first parents go on to procreate and fill the earth in accordance with God's origi-hal promise (1:28), but now these activities are accompanied by hardship and suffering (3:14-19). Above all, the man's rule over the woman is depicted as a wound in the economy of mutual blessing. "The companion of chapter 2 has become a master."
The story of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:1-16) signals a further rupture in God's economy of blessing. Cain and Abel both bring offerings to the Lord, but the Lord has regard only for Abel and his offering. The story introduces a motif that recurs throughout the rest of the biblical narrative: the "deflection of primogeniture" or God's preference for the younger over the older of two siblings. While many purely human considerations might be adduced against God's giving preference to either brother, the pattern is in fact basic to the logic of God's blessing. By preferring Abel's offering over Cain's, God does not spurn Cain but rather requires him to receive God's blessing in solidarity with his brother, who receives God's favor in a special way. God even gives Cain a special word of comfort and warning: "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fall-en? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it" (4:6-7). But Cain cannot master his bitterness and slays his brother. Cain thereby cuts off a living soul from the economy of blessing and deprives it of fullness of life. But by cutting off his brother, Cain cuts himself off from God's blessing as well, for God's blessing comes by way of an other. Thus Cain brings God's curse upon his own head (4:10-16). The story anticipates the future relation of Jew and Gentile by signaling both the promised blessing and the threatened curse that attend those summoned by God to perform different tasks in a single economy of mutual blessing.
The story of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) indicates in an entirely different way how the human family resists God's blessing as mediated through the human other. As noted in the previous chapter, the human family's plan to build a tower to the heavens is motivated by the fear that otherwise "we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (11:4). This ambition stands counter to God's original blessing to "fill the earth." In effect, the comrades of Shinar exploit the unity of the human family in order to frustrate God's intention to bless through difference (compare Gen 10:1-32).
By the end of the creation stories, it is clear that humans often resist God's blessings, which come through differences and mutual dependence. The differences between men and women lead to deceit, shame, and injustice. The differences between brothers result in hatred and violence. The differences between friends lead to pride, isolation, and confusion. In each case, sin rejects the idea of receiving blessings through relationships with others. Sin breaks the connection between blessing and accepting others. It seeks blessings without recognizing their divine source and without living in harmony with others. As a result, sin turns blessings into curses and relationships into sources of conflict and discord.
Curse and the Economy of Covenant History
In discussing God's covenant history, Soulen highlights how God's promise to bless Abraham and all families of the earth hinges on recognizing the importance of Israel. He says, "I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and anyone who curses you I will curse; and through you all families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3). This shows that God's purpose focuses more on blessing than on cursing—blessing is mentioned five times, while curse is mentioned only twice. However, God's blessings come only if Israel and other nations see each other as essential partners in God's plan. If obedience to God does not include being open to others, then God's history with Israel and the nations will continue to move from curse to curse.
The story of Exodus (Exodus 1-15) shows how the relationship between God, Israel, and other nations can change from mutual blessing to exploitation and curses. After Joseph's death, the Israelites continued to thrive in Egypt. Earlier Egyptians understood that God's care for Israel also brought blessings to Egypt. However, a new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, saw Israel's growth as a threat. He tried to control the Israelites through oppression, forced labor, and even ordered the killing of newborn Israelite boys, but his plans failed. Despite Moses and Aaron showing God's power, Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites, saying, "Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go?"
Because Pharaoh rejected God's blessings, Egypt was struck by plagues, including the turning of water into blood, disease, and the death of every firstborn. During this devastation, God made a distinction between Israel and Egypt, showing that the opposition led to catastrophe for Egypt. Pharaoh briefly allowed the Israelites to leave but soon changed his mind. The conflict ended when the Red Sea parted for the Israelites and then closed, drowning the pursuing Egyptians.
This story illustrates that God's curses do not affect everyone equally. God can curse nations, as stated, "The one who curses you I will curse" (Genesis 12:3). The Bible often depicts Gentiles negatively as idol worshipers and enemies of Israel and God. These traits come from their rejection of God's truth, which is evident in God's actions for Israel and creation. Therefore, Gentiles cannot excuse their idolatry and hostility as natural but are seen this way because of their refusal to accept God's blessings alongside Israel.
The Scriptures are very clear about God's judgment on both the nations and Israel. While Israel has a special role, it also faces severe consequences if it fails to uphold its part of the covenant with God. If Israel fulfills its duties, God will bless them. But if Israel neglects this task, it will face disaster, which can also affect other nations.
The Bible often recounts how Israel repeatedly brings curses upon itself by breaking the covenant (as seen in Judges 2, 1 Kings 11, and 2 Kings 1). The prophets frequently criticize Israel for neglecting the covenant and warn of new disasters if they do not repent. The main reasons for Israel's failures are consistently traced back to two things: turning away from God, who is the true source of blessings, and seeking blessings elsewhere:
Be appalled. O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the lord. for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jer 2:12-13)
Just like other nations, Israel often forgets that God's covenant is the only reliable source of blessings for both Israel and creation. This forgetfulness is particularly surprising for Israel because they are the ones who carry God's covenant and have firsthand experience of God's powerful blessings. Therefore, the Bible suggests that Israel's sins are more upsetting to God than the sins of other nations:
You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. (Amos 3:2)
Some rabbinic thought suggests that when Israel sins, it causes suffering not just for Israel but for other nations too. It's said that if the Gentiles knew this, they would protect every Israelite from doing wrong to avoid their own suffering. This highlights that Israel's actions have a global impact, just like Israel's special role chosen by God.
Curse and Final Consummation
Given the nations' ongoing persecution of Israel, it's not surprising that the Scriptures often depict the end of God's story with Israel and the nations as one where Israel receives God's blessings, while the nations end up in distress (Isaiah 30:27-28; 63:1-6; Zephaniah 2). The prophet Haggai especially sees the climax of this history as a larger-scale Exodus, where God elevates Israel and brings destruction to the nations:
I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of a comrade. On that day, says the lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts. (Hag 2:21-23)
This outcome of covenant history would mean that God's original promise as Consummator is only partially fulfilled because God promised to bless not only Abraham but also "in him" all the families of the earth. However, Haggai's vision should not be seen as narrow-minded. Instead, it shows one possible result of covenant history, recognizing that nations face both God's promise of blessing and the threat of His curse.
External enemies are not the only threat to God's plan for Israel's ultimate fulfillment. Israel's own sin is also a problem. Given Israel's repeated disobedience to God's commands, at least one prophet foresees a bleak future for Israel:
Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20)
Redemption and the Economy of Consummation
At the core, the disaster of sin makes us question the future of God's plan as the one who completes creation. With humanity constantly resisting blessings from others, will God give up on mutual blessings and let covenant history end in deserved curses?
The Hebrew Scriptures respond by showing that God also engages with humanity as a Redeemer. As Redeemer, God remains faithful to the plan as Consummator, refusing to let curses be the final outcome. God confronts sin, evil, and violence to uphold the economy of blessing, especially for those at risk of losing the promise of life.
Sometimes, the struggle between sin and deliverance dominates the Hebrew Scriptures, like in the story of God rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, which marks Israel's emergence as a nation. However, even in the Exodus, the hope and memory of God's primary role as Consummator are never lost.
Exodus: Redemption for Consummation’s Sake
The story of the Exodus is central to Israel's history because it shows God's power to save Israel from its enemies. How far will God go to protect Israel from being wiped out? Remembering the Exodus, Israel believes God will go to great lengths. This is crucial for Israel, as it has faced many threats of extermination over the centuries. The Passover Haggadah says, "Not in one generation alone but in every generation they have risen up against us to destroy us." Yet, Israel's enemies have repeatedly failed to destroy them. For Israel, this is clear proof of God's faithfulness to His promises and one of God's key acts as Redeemer.
However, the significance of the Exodus is not just about being saved from destruction. Equally important is that God frees Israel from slavery to bless and fulfill Israel's life in this world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer understood this well in his reflections from prison:
Unlike the other oriental religions, the faith of the Old Testament is not a religion of redemption … To the objection that a crucial importance is given in the Old Testament to redemption (from Egypt and later from Babylon, cf. Deutero-Isaiah) it may be answered that the redemptions referred to here are historical, i.e.. on this side of death, whereas everywhere else the myths about redemption are concerned to overcome the barrier of death. Israel is delivered out of Egypt so that it may live before God as God's people on earth.
Bonhoeffer's observation is supported by Claus Westermann's point that the entire story of deliverance in the Pentateuch (Exodus through Numbers) is framed by two books focused on God's blessing, Genesis and Deuteronomy. This idea is also evident in the details of the Exodus. The story’s turning point is when God hears the Israelites' cries and remembers the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 2:24). God's memory of His promise leads to His actions as a Redeemer. God reassures Moses, saying, "I have remembered my covenant" (Exodus 6:5) and promises not only to redeem the Israelites but also to bring them into the promised land (Exodus 6:8). This shows that God's deliverance is meant to bless Israel by making it a great nation, giving it laws, and leading it to the promised land.
When seen in the larger context of God's role as Consummator, the Exodus contains significant details that might be overlooked. One notable detail is that Moses, the deliverer of Israel, is saved and raised by Pharaoh's daughter in Pharaoh's household (Exodus 2:1-10). This connection between Egypt and Israel echoes the Joseph story, where their destinies are intertwined. Later, Moses, as a fugitive, is taken in by Jethro, a priest in Midian, marries Jethro's daughter Zipporah, and has a family (Exodus 2:15-22). After the victory at the Sea of Reeds, Jethro brings Zipporah and their children to join Moses, praising God's deliverance of Israel (Exodus 18:10). This shows that the nations can also recognize and praise God's work as Redeemer, hinting at the broader scope of God's plan as Consummator.
Additionally, the mention of the "mixed crowd" that left Egypt with the Israelites (Exodus 12:38) indicates that the Exodus included more than just Jacob's descendants, reminding us that God's deliverance involves diverse peoples working together.
Jubilee and the Restoration of the Whole
The institution of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) provides a clear example of how redemption contributes to a broader vision of wholeness and blessing. During the Jubilee, households that had to sell their land or family members due to hardship were restored. All debts were forgiven, allowing these households to fully participate again in the economies of family, land, and harvest.
Every fifty years, at the end of a cycle of seven sabbatical years, a year of Jubilee was announced with the blowing of ram's horns on the Day of Atonement. This proclaimed freedom for Israelites enslaved due to debt and returned sold land to its original families. The Jubilee also required observing Sabbath year rules, where fields were left fallow, producing only what grew naturally, and everyone could eat from the land, regardless of ownership.
The Jubilee assumes that God is ready to bless Israel through the life-giving systems of land, family, and harvest. To redeem, in this context, means to restore those at risk of losing their place in these systems, so they can receive and enjoy God's blessings. This concept is similar to the purpose of the Exodus, where God delivered Israel from Egypt to give them the land of Canaan and be their God (Leviticus 25:38, 42, 55). Jubilee envisions redemption as restoring the whole community, fostering an economy of mutual blessing between God and people, among people, and between people and the land.
Redemption and Eschatology
Ultimately, Israel's hope for the future is not just about being saved but about achieving wholeness, a full and blessed life. This hope is focused on peace in this world—between God and Israel, Israel and other nations, and humanity and nature. However, Israel's prophets knew that, because of sin, wholeness and fullness of life couldn't be achieved easily or directly.
Instead, God's peaceful reign (shalom) can only be established through a struggle against destructive forces. Final fulfillment of God's plan requires restoring things, not by going back to the past but by defeating these dangerous powers and fulfilling God's original purpose.
The prophets described God's final act of redemption in different ways, reflecting the various ways humanity resists God's work. God's redeeming work takes one form when Israel is threatened by other nations, another when Israel fails to live up to its calling, and yet another when both Israel and the nations reject God's plan. Although the prophets often spoke of God's judgment on Israel, they also gave messages of hope and promise, encouraging Israel to repent and restore their relationship with God. No matter how serious Israel's sins, God is always willing to take Israel back, sometimes simply because God cannot imagine life without Israel:
How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel. My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal. the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. (Hos 11:8-9)
This shows that there are no limits to how far God is willing to go to redeem Israel from its sins.
Systematic Reflections by Soulen
R. Kendall Soulen reflects on how the Scriptures show that God's work of completing creation is vulnerable when humanity resists blessings from others. Sin, evil, and oppression, and the need for God's liberation, are undeniable parts of God's history with Israel and other nations. However, the main theme of the Scriptures is not just about sin and redemption. Instead, liberation is crucial because these destructive powers threaten to cut humanity off from God's blessings. Sin and redemption must be understood within the broader context of God's work as Consummator and the mutual blessings God establishes.
Christian theology has traditionally focused heavily on sin and redemption, which is understandable. However, this approach often views sin and redemption in an abstract way, separate from God's work with Israel and other nations. According to the Bible, human sin is not just against the Creator but also involves the relationships between Jews, Gentiles, Israel, and the nations with God.
Karl Rahner's concept of the supernatural existential helps explain this:
Our actual nature is never "pure" nature, It is a nature installed in a supernatural order which man can never leave, even as a sinner and unbeliever. It is a nature which is continually being determined (which does not mean justified) by the supernatural grace of salvation offered to it.
Our nature is never just "pure" human nature. We are always part of a supernatural order created by God. This remains true even if we are sinners or don't believe in God. Our nature is constantly influenced (but not necessarily justified) by God's grace, which offers salvation. Rahner suggests that we should consider sin and redemption within the context of our human condition, which has been transformed by God's plan to complete creation. If God completes creation through the history between Israel and the nations, then our supernatural identity involves the differences and mutual dependence between Jews and Gentiles. This identity is determined by God's grace and is historical but also exists before we exercise our free will. When humanity rejects God, it does so within the context of this supernatural order. Our identity is shaped by God's grace, beyond just our existence as His creatures.
In simpler terms, Rahner is saying that our human nature is always part of God's supernatural plan. Even if we sin or don't believe, God's grace is still influencing us. Understanding sin and redemption means considering how God's plan for completing creation shapes our lives, especially through the relationships between different groups of people. When we reject God, we do so within this broader context of our God-given identity.
Rahner warns that trying to live purely according to our created nature, without recognizing our supernatural identity, leads to guilt and separation from grace. Michael Wyschogrod adds that ignoring Jewish identity in favor of just being God's creatures threatens Israel's existence.
Gentiles face a similar temptation. They may try to define themselves only as creatures of God after encountering the Jewish people and their Scriptures. This leads to trying to enjoy creation's blessings while ignoring the covenant history and the mutual dependence between God, Israel, and the nations. This approach, known as supersessionism, denies the need for solidarity with Israel.
Despite these temptations, there are limits to this form of sin. Rahner points out that human beings can reject their supernatural identities as Jews and Gentiles, even trying to destroy Israel:
The state of elevated nature is man's most fundamental determination. . . This state is unconditional and cannot be abolished by sin. Man's freedom can sinfully say no to this state but cannot abolish it any more than man's freedom can abolish his nature and existence by saying no to them.
We can say no to our “supernatural identities” as Jews and Gentiles, however, Jewish and Gentile identities cannot be completely erased. This persistence shows God's deep commitment to creation. By protecting Israel from annihilation, God preserves the human family's existence in their differences and the promise of covenant history. In doing so, God remains faithful to both Israel and the whole human family's created and covenantal identity.