I seem to recall hearing someone preach this idea at one time or another, That the sin/s of the father would carry over to his children. I also seem to recall something about so many generations.
What I wish to ask is this. Is there any such a thing spoken of in the Bible and does it mean the children will see what the father does and do the same or does it mean that the burden of the fathers sin will be placed on the backs of his offspring ?
If there is such, do you think it applys now ?
I think they were probably referring to Ezekiel 18:
18:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
5 “If a man is righteous and does what is just and right— 6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8 does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, 9 walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.
10 “If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13 lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.
14 “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16 does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Even though I now know this is in the Bible, My other questions remain. Along with new ones in light of Jay C's post from Eze. Any thoughts ?
THere is a teaching out there that promotes the idea that the sins of the parents are passed down to their children. This is known as "generational sins." Yet it is not a Scriptural teaching in the NT. It is a fatalistic degrading teaching that offers no hope to the child. Too many people have become Christians and somehow they "broke the mold" of their lost parents. Why this cannot be true of someone raised in a Christian home is beyond me. The truth is that we can conquer any sin by the grace of God - by the power of the resurrection. Romans 6, 7, 8 make this truth abundantly clear.
Steve, Yes, I believe the Bible and I agree that the blood of our Lord is greater than sin. But that same Bible says
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The same Paul wrote both.
I believe David was "Saved", A man after GOD's own heart even. But was there not a sword against his house the rest of his life ?
2Sa 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Marty, I am not sure how your response relates to generational sins. Yes, David reaped what he sowed, and the entire kingdom felt the repercussions. However, it did not plunge his entire family into a never-ending cycle of adultery. To be sure, each of his children that the Bible gives us information had their own sins, but not the same one as David. Further, there are many other children from David that we know absolutely nothing about from Scripture.
What you offered in your responce- "The truth is that we can conquer any sin by the grace of God - by the power of the resurrection. Romans 6, 7, 8 make this truth abundantly clear. "
Tells me that you believe that with salvation, comes and end to reeping what you have sown, as well as the passing on of such to your offspring. My pointing to David was to show that this was not the case. He repented and yet still suffered.
There are a good many words in those 3 verses. Show me the ones that say that the Grace spoken of there applys to the flesh.
And I'm not trying to say that the children will follow in the same sin, I am trying to say that from the way I read it, They will reep part of the fathers whirlwind. Just how, I am not sure.
But for example, If a man robs a bank and is caught and sent to jail, His children will lack a father as well as his income etc. They suffer for his sin. This could be what is meant but then why to so many generations ?
Thanks Jay, for your reply. Once I read it, I thought about the memory of "Generation" and did a search. Here is what I found.
Exd 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am ] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation ] of them that hate me;
Exd 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty ]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation ].
Num 14:18 The LORD [is ] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty ], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation ].