Missio Dei uncovered in the study of Canaan’s curse in Genesis 9:25 – Paradox of God’s love and justice

Abstract

This article draws our attention to the paradox in understanding the mission of God [missio Dei] as God of both love and justice within the context of war against nations like the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Assyrians, and even the Israelites. The misreading of biblical texts like Genesis 9:25 leads to the varied pretexts or driving forces behind the genocide, land grabs, and related matters. This article attempts to answer the following question: What is the motive behind the curse of Canaan in Genesis 9:25? To uncover the message behind Genesis 9:25, this article discusses the three aspects from missional perspectives: firstly, the formation: understanding the basic concepts of nakedness, holiness, and curse before the fall of human beings into sin; secondly, the deformation: understanding the critical reception of the curse of Canaan within the fall of human beings into sin; and thirdly, the transformation: understanding the ultimate missio Dei-led curse of Canaan as a paradox of God’s nature as the God of love and justice.
Contribution: This article adds value by uncovering the missio Dei behind Genesis 9:25, which serves as the basis for critical reflection on, and the reception of, missional guidelines. These guidelines should be received, appreciated, and applied by God’s people, both within and beyond the faith community. The aim is to prevent further misreadings of biblical texts, which continue to serve as pretexts or driving forces behind holy wars, genocide, land dispossession, and related matters.