Hebraic Musing – Does God Punish Children for the Sins of Their Fathers?
My good friend
raised a question. “Why does God visit the iniquity of the
fathers to the third and fourth generations?” which proclaims, or
suggests, that a man’s descendants will have to suffer for the iniquity of his
father. And this understanding comes
from verse 5 of Commandment #3, AKA “Do not worship idols.” “You shall not make for yourself an idol
in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for
I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin
of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and
keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:4-6 NIV
Verse 5 is always the focus of the
verses for Commandment #3.
Does God really
punish the children for the sins/iniquities of the fathers “to the third and
fourth generation.”? I admit that always
puzzled me, so let’s look more closely at some working definitions of key words:
- Iniquity – Violation of societal laws (the right or duty that mankind
is under obligation to do)
- Sin – Violation of God’s law; breaking the law and missing the
standard which He has set for us.
- Hate – Biblically - to love less; to dislike someone or something very
much; intense or passionate dislike.
- Righteousness – Being right in the eyes of God; Keeping His
commandments; Quality of being morally right.
The commandment
has to do with idol worship; “hate” means that God is getting less respect than
idols.
A child’s life and
moral growth is shaped, molded, and influenced by their father, and that
influence carries to future generations.
So, fathers need to be careful since the things they do are the examples
that will influence future generations.
How often have we heard “Like father, like son” or “The nut doesn’t fall
far from the tree.”
Does the sin of
the father that is repeated by the son become a sin for the son, or is it just
a sin of the father? For the father,
yes. For the son, it depends if the son
recognizes it as sin or as a way of life!
Do a man’s descendants have to suffer for the iniquity of their father? They might have to suffer, but the son(s) have
freedom of choice, however their behavior will be influenced by his
father’s training or example.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel
stresses the individual’s responsibility. “For every living soul belongs
to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who
sins is the one who will die.” Ezekiel 18:4 NIV And Ezekiel clarifies the responsibility
issue. “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the
son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and
right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The
soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of
the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness
of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked
will be charged against him.” Ezekiel 18:19-20 NIV
Ultimately, we
should learn from this that we are responsible for ourselves and our own
sins according to the Lord God’s summary.
“… I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the
Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin
will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have
committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For
I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” Ezekiel 18:30-32
SUMMARY - If a
father lives a life of sin, he pays the price; and if a father is righteous, he
lives; and if a son lives a life of sin, he pays, and if a son is righteous, he
lives. Here is a father’s
responsibility. “Discipline your
son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.” Proverbs
19:18 NIV
Points
to Ponder
Fathers,
is it a sin to not discipline your son?
How
many generations are affected by a father’s behavior, or misbehavior?
What
responsibility do fathers have to live righteously?
Have
you seen idol worship handed down to future generations? What’s an idol?!?!
Do
you know any “sons” who have overcome bad parenting?
“For
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,” Titus 2:11
Yosef
a.k.a.
Joe Brusherd December
5, 2023
“Biblical Marriage” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”
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