The last words of Jacob to both Simeon and Levi were a curse. Jacob pronounced a curse on his sons for having murdered the Shechemites. First, they lied that they would allow Shechem to marry their sister, but it was on the condition that they will circumcise the entire people for they were Gentiles. The Shechemites agreed, but Simeon and Levi had an agenda. They had the plan to avenge their sister whom Shechem has defiled. To this end, after circumcising their men, Levi and Simeon murdered the entire people. They also sport with their oxen by crippling them. The biblical text reads, “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence. May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger, they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport. A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel” (Gen. 49:5-7NLT).
After mentioning their sins, Jacob added their curse. These two brothers would be scattered among their brethren. In Joshua 19, the curse placed on Simeon is seen. The descendants of Simeon were given land, but their land was within the territory of Judah. Apart from their land being within the territory of Judah, it was also borderless and boundaryless. Think of it, their land was within someone’s territory and unfortunately, there was no boundary to demarcate what they had. They were not safe. They were not at peace. They had become wanderers in one way or the other.
This would have been the fate of Levi for they all received the same curse. However, Levi was able to turn this around and became the most respected tribe among the Israelites. They didn’t just become a blessing. They made an intentional decision, and at the end, their curse was lifted. Although they were scattered among their brothers, it was for a good reason. Having no land was a curse for a tribe, but for the Levites, it became a blessing because, Yahweh became their portion. It all happened when the Levites obeyed the voice of Moses. Israel sinned by making a golden calf and worshipping it. God’s anger was kindled against them. To this end, Moses came to rally people for God. He said, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me” (Exo. 32:26). The Levites responded and joined Moses. After they had followed Moses’ word, he said to the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing” (Exo. 32:29). For this reason, a tribe which had been cursed became a blessing because they hearkened their ears to the voice of God’s servant, by extension, the voice of God.
Many are still under generational curse, family curse, and other curses because they are not willing to obey God. Some have betrayed their God. Others have gone back at their promises. Some have spoken against genuine men of God for no reason. All these have become a curse on them. For this reason, they wander as the sons of Simeon wandered among the Judaeans. Let us turn back to God. Let us hear the voice of God. Let us act upon the voice of God, and our lives would be transformed like the Levites.
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