The Ancient Word...

In the 6th century B.C., God sent Israel into Babylonian Exile for the sin of idolatry. During several decades of Exile, the captives started complaining, "The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" -- meaning that God was punishing them for the sins of their ancestors (Ezekiel 18:2, NIV; compare Lamentations 5:7).

Through prophets the Lord responded,

...you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel...The soul who sins is the one who will die. Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right...he will surely live...Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (though the father has done none of them)...the son will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head. But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things...He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live.... (Ezekiel 18)

...whoever eats sour grapes -- his own teeth will be set on edge. (Jeremiah 31:29-30)

This declaration of individual responsibility liberates sinners from their past inasmuch as repentance brings God's forgiveness. It likewise shows that present suffering does not prove God's present anger because that suffering may result from past sins.

The Lord does not consider children guilty of the sins of their parents. However, He does allow them to suffer the consequences of their ancestors' actions.

You shall have no other gods before me...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, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6; compare 34:6-7)

Some of us have received a heritage of godlessness, abuse, and irresponsibility, and we suffer for it every day. However, the Lord invites us to break that cycle by leaving a different legacy to our children -- a legacy of godliness, love, and blessing.

The Lord does not hold us responsible for the sins of those who came before us. However, He will call us to account for what we give to those who follow:

Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:5-6)

... for Today

We know that pregnant women who consume large quantities of alcohol can afflict their unborn babies with a set of birth defects known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Various other habits, such as cocaine and tobacco use, can also dramatically affect the unborn. These young children start their lives off-balance because of the choices of their mother.

We're also aware that domestic abuse, usually from a father, has a way of coursing down through generations. Sons tend to mimic what they see modeled by their dads, even when they detest it.

We tend to imitate what we see in many areas: Spending patterns (thrift, impulsive buying, or frivolous expenditures), eating habits (fast food, junk food, and quantities of food -- "Supersize me!"), and clothing choices (modest, sensual, tidy, or unkempt).

Some of us face hardships because of clearly destructive choices of our parents. Most of us experience some level of pain (at some point) because we inherit habits from our families.

The blame for such suffering clearly does not lie with God.

Perhaps as we assess our ancestry, we might also choose to pass on a more wholesome, godly, and Christ-like legacy to those in our wake.

Discuss...

1. Identify and discuss some of the "sins of the ancestors" that we commonly see in our culture.
   
2. What legacy do you desire to leave to your children or grandchildren? What choices could you make today to help produce that legacy?

Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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