The Mercy in the Curse

“In sin, Adam and Eve would seek to find love with each other in the absence of love for God, and in God’s creation this simply cannot work. To reject God is to fall into sin; to fall into sin is to fall prey to guilt and the power of its corruption, both of which makes love impossible as God designed it. It was thus in mercy that God cursed the woman and the man, injecting a poison into their relationship for which he alone is the antidote. In the futility of love apart from God, Adam and Eve were to turn back to God, just as we must turn to God today for grace to repent of sin and minister in love. Love between a man and a woman simply cannot work without love for God at the center of the relationship; by means of his curses, God mercifully brings this fact to our attention so as to woo us back to himself.” (Holding Hands, Holding Hearts, Richard and Sharon Phillips pg. 49)