I invoke a curse on the time river. It is a river that flows incessantly, never ceasing in its relentless forward motion. It carries with it the memories of the past and propels us into the unknown future. But it also has the power to trap us, to make us prisoners of its unyielding current. Time is a curious creature, always moving forward, always taking us along for the ride. It is both our greatest ally and our most formidable enemy.
It is both our greatest ally and our most formidable enemy. It gives us the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to love, but it also takes away our innocence, our youth, and ultimately our lives. But what if we could disrupt this flow? What if we could halt the river's progress, even if just for a moment? Would it bring us peace? Would it bring us the chance to change our lives? Or would it simply create chaos? I invoke a curse on the time river not out of malice, but out of a deep desire for understanding.
Why did Joshua curse Jericho in Joshua 6:26?
After the Lord God gave the city of Jericho into the hands of Joshua and the people of Israel, Joshua pronounced a curse on the city: “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26).
Prior to the battle, the Lord had declared Jericho, the first city to fall to Israel’s conquest of Canaan, to be wholly dedicated to Him: “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury” (Joshua 6:17–19). The facts that everything in Jericho belonged to the Lord and that the collapse of the city walls was wholly the Lord’s work probably factored into Joshua’s warning not to rebuild the city.
First Kings 16:34 reveals that Joshua’s curse did come true during the time of King Ahab: “Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”
Several important details must be noted. First, Joshua did not promise Jericho would never be rebuilt. Instead, he said the person who rebuilt it would be judged by the loss of his firstborn son and youngest son.
Second, God confirmed His word through Joshua, taking the lives of Hiel’s sons Abiram and Segub. At the beginning of the work (the laying of the foundation), the first son died; at the end of the work (the hanging of the gates), the youngest son died. This proved God’s faithfulness and revealed the consequences of sin that often affect one’s family members. Though the sin was Hiel’s, the consequence included the deaths of two sons.
Third, Hiel’s rebuilding of Jericho is included as part of a longer passage describing the evil that took place during King Ahab’s reign in Israel. Ahab took a pagan, non-Jewish wife named Jezebel and even worshiped her god, Baal. Further, Ahab had a temple of Baal built in the capital city of Samaria and erected an Asherah pole. The conclusion of this account is that “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33). During this wicked time, Hiel disregarded Joshua’s curse and rebuilt Jericho.
This moral low point in Israel’s history was also the point at which God raised up the prophet Elijah to fight against Baal, revive the hearts of the Israelites, and turn many people back to the Lord. After a three-year drought during Ahab’s reign, Elijah defeated the priests of Baal and helped begin a spiritual revival among the Israelites.
My father’s brothers with their wives did call on rare occasions and every other Christmas my mother’s childless sister came up from Copenhagen acting upper class with her husband who worked in a firm importing French cars and was the creepy owner of an 8mm camera he used for all kinds of things, and my grandparents would also come, their palms worn and hard, from another, more puritanical town in the same country, in the same fashion, by ferry, grey hair, grey clothes, standing windswept and grey on the quay waiting for my father to come down along Trondhjemsveien in a rare taxi to pick them up and sometimes I, too, was in that taxi and they looked so small next to their big suitcases.
I want to grasp the true nature of time - its complexities, its mysteries, and its unforgiving nature. I want to stare into the abyss of time, to challenge its authority, and to uncover its secrets. This curse is not meant to harm or destroy, but to illuminate and transform. It is an invitation to explore the depths of our existence, to dive into the currents of time and emerge with a newfound understanding. It is a challenge to rethink our notions of time, to question its boundaries, and to redefine our relationship with it. The curse on the time river is a statement, a declaration of our unwillingness to be mere passengers in the journey of time. It is a call to seize the reins, to take control of our own destiny, and to shape our lives according to our own desires. In invoking this curse, we are venturing into uncharted territories, traversing new frontiers of thought and perception. We are challenging the very fabric of reality, daring to question the unquestionable. And in doing so, we become explorers, pioneers of the human spirit. Let us not fear the consequences of this curse, for in embracing it, we free ourselves from the constraints of time. We become masters of our own fate, controllers of our own reality. We unlock the potential of the universe, unleashing a power that has lay dormant within us for far too long. So let us invoke this curse on the time river, not out of spite or anger, but out of a deep yearning for truth and understanding. Let us challenge the boundaries of time and discover the limitless possibilities that lie beyond. And in doing so, may we find the answers we seek, and may we be forever changed..
Reviews for "Unraveling the secrets of the time river curse"
1. Jane - 2/5 stars
I was really disappointed with "I invoke a curse on the time river". The plot seemed promising but quickly became convoluted and difficult to follow. The writing style was also choppy and made it hard to engage with the story. I found myself struggling to care about the characters and their motivations. Overall, it was a confusing and unsatisfying read.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars
"I invoke a curse on the time river" was an absolute bore. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story failed to capture my interest from the beginning. The characters felt flat and uninteresting, and the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic. It felt like the author was trying too hard to be profound and intellectual, but it just ended up being a pretentious and tedious read. I would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars
I had high hopes for "I invoke a curse on the time river", but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The concept was intriguing, but the execution was lackluster. The narrative was disjointed and difficult to decipher, making it hard to connect with the story and characters. The author seemed to prioritize style over substance, resulting in a confusing and frustrating reading experience. I struggled to finish it and wouldn't recommend it to others unless they have a particular interest in experimental literature.
4. David - 1/5 stars
"I invoke a curse on the time river" was a complete waste of time. The plot was nonsensical and the writing was pretentious and self-indulgent. The author seemed more interested in showing off their vocabulary and literary references than in telling a coherent story. The characters were shallow and forgettable, and the overall reading experience left me feeling frustrated and annoyed. I would strongly advise against picking up this book.