My daily devotion quoted from Exodus 34:6-7
“”The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected – even the children in the third and fourth generations.” “
After reading several commentaries, I think that the Lord is referring to the sins of the parents affecting the generations because these sin are continued down through the generations without repentance. I refer to Exodus 20:5-6, where the Lord says, “You must not bow down to them (idols) or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love on those who love Me and obey My commands.”
My daily Bible study is currently in the Book of Ezekiel. In Chapter 18, The Lord is talking to Ezekiel who was a prophet during the Judean exile in Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1) I am taking excerpts from Chapter 18, please refer to the entire chapter for further reading.
“”Then another message came to me from the Lord: “Why do you you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: The parents have eaten sour grapes, bu their children’s mouths pucker at the taste? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are Mine to judge- both parents and children alike. And this is My rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.””(Ezekiel 18: 1-4)
From commentary from www.reddit.com, I understood this verse to mean that that the Jews blamed their parents for their captivity and the Lord was telling them to stop saying this because they should express resentment of their ancestors.
The Lord give three examples in this chapter. “Suppose a certain man is righteous and does what is just and right…….. and faithfully does my decrease and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will sure live, says the Sovereign Lord.” (vv. 5, 9)
“But suppose that a man has a son who grows up to be a robber or a murderer and refuses to do what is right. And the son does all the evil things his father would never do-…. Should such a sinful person live.” No! He must die and must take full blame.” (vv. 10, 13B)
“But suppose that sinful son, in turn has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life….. and obeys My regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live. But the father will die for his many sins- for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what is wrong among his people.” (vv. 14,15, 17B, 18)
“”What” you ask, “Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?” No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps My decrees, that child will surely live. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if the wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey My decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.” (vv 9-22)
“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like the other sinners, should they be allowed to live? NO, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.” (vv. 22-24)
“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn for your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should your die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!” (vv30-32)
In today’s world, these Scriptures surely apply as well. We should admit that we are sinners, believe that Christ died for our sins, and commit our lives to following Jesus.
(All Scripture taken from the New Living Translation)