Why the Earth Is Cursed

… of the glory of the children of God (compare Romans 8:21).

“Because they transgressed the law and changed the ordinances, an everlasting covenant, therefore a curse will devour the earth, because those who dwell in it have sinned” (Isaiah 24:5–6).

The discourse returns again to the exact sense of the prophecy. So that no one may think that the God of all brings punishments on anyone without cause, the prophets join the causes to the stirrings of wrath and plainly announce the charges against those who are punished. The earth will mourn, then; for what cause? “Because they transgressed the law and broke the everlasting covenant.” That is why he says: “And the earth will be accursed, for those who dwell in it have done wrong.”

Since the land of the Jews too, together with the other cities or countries, was made to pay the penalty (for it was laid waste, as I said), the prophet again seems to bring into the open the offenses of those under the law. “For they transgressed the law,” he says. Those of Israel held it of no account, and turned as it were onto another path, giving heed to teachings that are commandments of men (compare Isaiah 29:13).

Taking the words in their universal sense and giving their meaning, we say that in the beginning the God of all fashioned man and engraved on him a natural law, training him toward the knowledge of evil and good. And this, I think, is what was said through the voice of John about the only-begotten Son of God: “He was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world” (John 1:9). We understand that this also came about in the last times, I mean the times of his coming. For it is written: “In those days, says the Lord, putting my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10).

This law, then, which steers us from within toward the knowledge of good and evil, those on the earth transgressed, and they changed the ordinances. For though they were created for good works (compare Ephesians 2:10), they turned to love of the flesh and to an earthly mind. That is why the earth has become accursed: those who dwell in it have offended the Creator by a great many wrongs.

“Therefore those who dwell in the earth will be poor, and few people will be left” (Isaiah 24:6). For since, he says, the earth has become accursed because so very much lawlessness arose in it, they will therefore be weighed down by unexpected poverty and will barely be saved; for those left will be few and easily counted.

So much for the letter and the plain surface of the history. Toward the innermost sense we say again that those who will be condemned before the divine judgment seat for a great many wrongs will in every way be poor, and in want of the …