The curses issued on Mount Ebal focus predominantly on hidden or secret sins, committed under the cover of darkness or deceit. These curses underscore the danger of hypocrisy, as Jesus Christ warns in Luke 12:1-2 against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy, declaring that nothing covered up will be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Hypocrisy manifests as leading a double life, appearing blessed while harboring unrepented, secret sin, thus living under a curse for failing to fully commit to Christ. Jesus emphasizes in Luke 14:33 that anyone who does not renounce all cannot be His disciple, highlighting the necessity of total commitment to the truth. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 illustrates God's rejection of duplicity in His church, as He judged their deceit without delay, stopping their lie dead in its tracks. Their plan, influenced by satan's prodding, was to deceive the church into believing they had given all from the sale of their property, while secretly keeping a portion for themselves. Had God not intervened, they would have lived lives of hypocrisy, burdened by the constant fear of their lie being exposed. Hypocrisy brings a curse, ensnaring the spirit in a web of deceit, as the hypocrite becomes desperately committed to maintaining the façade at any cost to avoid personal losses.

In the context of God's judgments, a clear division emerges among His people, separating them into two groups where one receives blessings and the other faces curses due to disobedience. This division is vividly illustrated in Deuteronomy 27, where Moses instructs the issuance of curses at Mount Ebal, a directive later executed by Joshua as recorded in Joshua 8:30-35 after the children of Israel entered the Promised Land. The six tribes assigned to stand on Mount Ebal, representing the curses for disobedience, were descendants of Jacob's concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, along with Reuben and Zebulun, the oldest and youngest sons of Leah. This placement on Ebal symbolizes their association with rebellion and sin, stemming from their failure to obey God's law. The curses pronounced toward Mount Ebal by the priests standing in the Valley of Shechem further emphasize the consequences of turning away from God's commandments. Symbolically, those on Mount Ebal lack the deeper spiritual understanding of God's law, having access only to the law written on stones, which God provided for them on that mountain. Their lack of peace with God and incomplete commitment to His service underscores the need for an altar on Ebal, offering a means for burnt and peace sacrifices, though notably excluding sin offerings despite the mountain's connection to disobedience.

Curses have long been pronounced upon others with the intention of inflicting penalty or retribution. Pronouncing a curse upon one's parents, the handicapped, the king, or God is punishable by death according to biblical standards. Pronouncing a curse on God's people was not allowed, as seen when God declined to let Balaam curse Israel, declaring them a blessed people. However, pronouncing a curse on evil was deemed appropriate, such as Joshua's curse on anyone attempting to rebuild Jericho, where disobedience would bring the curse upon their children, leading to their death. God inspired Moses to command the Levites to shout from Mount Ebal the details of curses that would befall the children of Israel for disobedience after crossing the Jordan River. These curses, detailed in Deuteronomy 27 through 30, encompass 27 types, summarized as defeat, disease, desolation, deprivation, deportation, and death. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 emphatically lists the curses for disobedience, affecting all aspects of life and applying to anyone who breaks God's laws. A curse is attached to any failure to keep God's law, no matter how small, rendering all under that curse until repentance. The curse of the law is the death penalty, and failure to keep it brings one under God's wrath. Just as obedience relates to blessing, disobedience relates to cursing. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, bearing an intensely thorough curse greater than any other. By taking this penalty, He removes the curse from us upon genuine repentance, transforming it into a blessing. This is reflected in the separation Christ experienced on the cross, bearing the curse for us, as shown in His cry of abandonment. In examples like Numbers 5, a woman who defiles her husband becomes a curse under the law until severe penalties are enacted. Similarly, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 illustrates that a criminal hung on a tree represents the curse over Israel, not to be left overnight but buried. The curses for disobedience are building upon nations for breaking God's law, manifesting as defeat, disease, desolation, deprivation, deportation, and death. Yet, in God's Kingdom, as stated in Revelation 22:3, there shall be no more curse.

God has blessed the United States with immeasurable abundance and freedoms, yet the nation faces a grave risk of losing these blessings due to disobedience, idolatry, and immorality. In the history of Israel, as recorded in Deuteronomy 28:64-68, Moses warned of curses that would befall the nation for failing to obey God's commands, painting a picture of ever-expanding bondage, both physical and spiritual. This prophecy remains applicable to nations today, as Moses predicted rebellion against God would lead to such consequences. In Judges 2:14, the cycle of sin and bondage is evident, where the Lord repeatedly delivered Israel into the power of their enemies in response to their disobedience. This pattern culminated in II Kings 17 with Israel's deportation to Assyria, a physical manifestation of their spiritual state. Jeremiah 17:4 further underscores the spiritual causes of this enslavement, warning of the consequences of departing from God's instructions. Disobedience to covenant obligations brings curses, tying physical bondage to the spiritual condition of a nation, a lesson that echoes as a warning for today's rebellion and ingratitude.

In the sacred laws given by God, there are stern warnings and consequences for disobedience, particularly in the form of curses that accompany capital punishment. When a man commits a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death and hung on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but must be buried that day, so as not to defile the land which the Lord your God is giving as an inheritance. For he who is hanged is accursed of God, bearing the weight of divine judgment for his grievous sin. This public display of the criminal's body confirms the curse brought by his wickedness, as death itself is the curse for sin. God instructs that such a display is to last only one day, ensuring the curse does not linger to pollute the community or the land, for He desires His people to walk in uprightness and not be constantly reminded of sin and condemnation. The burial of the body signifies the completion of the punishment, a command to move forward and not dwell on the curse, maintaining the holiness of the land and the people under His care.

The biblical concept of 'Jacob's Trouble" describes a lengthy period of severe divine punishment prophesied in Jeremiah 30:12, the worst time for Israel and Judah, but eventually culminating in their deliverance. The scriptures symbolically refer to summer (such as the 9th of Av) as a season of judgement, linking both historical and modern events (duality of prophecy), fulfilling prophecies of national apostasy and consequences. The consequences include economic collapse, military defeat, foreign domination, pestilence, war, and natural disasters necessitating extreme chastisement to provoke repentance. The curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 can be seen as "warning shots" of God's displeasure over moral decay and national sins. Jacob's trouble, both in ancient times and current times, will strip Jacob's children of their autonomy, forcing a total reliance on Almighty God. The metaphor of labor pains is used to describe the pain and intensity of the trials which describes the inevitable, but transformative, suffering. We are warned against complacency, prioritizing godliness over any worldly alternatives, trusting God, and seeking His coming Kingdom. We must trust in God's sovereignty amid our trials, realizing that suffering is often a tool for sanctification. Consequently, we must faithfully await His timing for deliverance. While no one except God the Father knows the timeline, we should stay ready, clinging to Him. Thankfully, Jacob's Trouble is not an end, but an intense refining fire, leading to redemption for all who humbly submit to the sovereign will of God.