If I am wicked, woe to me;
Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
See my misery!

Job 10:15 NKJV

Jesus taught the crowds blessings. (We all like that.) Yet Jesus also warned of the flip-side of the coin – the curse or the woe of suffering because of evil.

We are most familiar with the Beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel, but here we are going to examine a briefer list from the Gospel of Luke.

(Don’t relate to lists of blessed are you if… and woe to you if?  Listen to this.)

Listen to Blessings & Woes from the Beatbox Bible

Jesus did not teach like the other teachers of Job, teachers of the Law and the Prophets, teachers of the Psalms and Proverbs. Here is an example of what Jesus would have had in His Bible (Old Testament).

Deuteronomy 28

2  And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.

3  Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.

[list continues]

15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

16 Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.

[etc.]

Get the idea? Obey God; therefore blessings. Disobey God; therefore curses.

Blessing is reinforced throughout the Bible, especially in Psalms. Curses and woes mentioned, but not so much.

Proverbs presents contrasts, as does Jesus in the beatitudes.

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. – Proverbs 14:21

Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. – Proverbs 24:18

+

Woe is not exactly like curse, but you will find it in the same places as the evils which bring curse (of the Law) or just immoral, sinful behavior.

+

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes? – Proverbs 23:29

[Do you know the answer; have you guessed?]

Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine. – v.30

+

Surly excess of wine, liqueur, mixed drinks, drugs, beer and other escapes from reality –  temporary escapes of fading pleasures of the flesh – all bring woe, sorrow, strife, complaining, wounds (even fights and murder). You sometimes don’t even have to leave the bar or the club or the casino to see these.

The Prophets spoke also of woe. It is a great cry of despair.

Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. – Isaiah 3:11

I have seen your abominations,
your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings,
on the hills in the field.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
How long will it be before you are made clean?” – Jeremiah 13:27

+

To be continued…