Reading Exodus 34 this morning and verse 7 struck me. “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 children in the third and fourth generations.”
This verse is referring to generational sins—not if I sin by lying to my boss about being sick when I’m not, then my children will pay for that sin. Children are NOT punished for the sins of their parents nor are parents punished for their children’s sin (see Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18).
Exodus 34:7 convicted me of those sins in my life that I see my children replicating. Sins that make me bow my head in sorrow because I see sinful behaviors in my children that they have learned by my example. Sins I commit that impact my children as a natural consequence of my disobedience. It’s hard having that mirror put up in front of my face and seeing my own sinful behavior playing out in my children!
I once noticed my daughter acting like a real brat in the way she was talking to someone and then it hit me—she sounds just like me! That is an example of a generational sin passed down to children and grandchildren.
The problem with generational sin is that it can get so deeply embedded into who we are that it can take several generations to reverse. (Exodus 20:5-6) We sometimes hear, “that’s the way my mama did things, or, that’s how my daddy did things.” Our job as believers is to evaluate those behaviors of our ancestors that we tend to imitate, determine if they are good or if they are sinful, and if they are sinful, we are called to break the cycle. It starts with ME. If I’m exhibiting sinful behavior, I have to recognize it, confess it, and repent of it. Repenting of it means turning and going the other direction. Stop it.
None of us are perfect and we will all mess up. But God is gracious and he lavishes His unfailing love on all His children—those who are called according to His purpose. I am so thankful for a forgiving Father!