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Sins
of The Father. The "punishment" described in Exodus
20:5-6 is not for sins such as stealing, murder, or lying. It is
a warning against worshiping other gods. Parents who reject the true
God will have children who usually do the same.
Your
second passage tells us that God does not automatically bring the
sins of the father on his great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.
In Ezekiel 18 God tells us that that our children will not always
suffer for parents sins.
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Now
behold, he has a son who has observed all his father’s
sins which he committed, and observing does not do likewise.
He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes
to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s
wife, or oppress anyone, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery,
but he gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked
with clothing, he keeps his hand from the poor, does not
take interest or increase, but executes My ordinances, and
walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s
iniquity . . .
When the son has practiced justice and righteousness,
and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live . . . The
son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the
father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of
the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be
upon himself. (NASB) Ezekiel 18:14-20 |
God
goes on to say that a wicked man can be forgiven.
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"But
if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed
and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness,
he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions
which he has committed will not be remembered against him;
because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will
live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares
the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from
his ways and live? (NASB) Ezekiel 18:21-23 |
God
does not take joy in punishing people. This implies that the warning
in Deut. 5:9 is only about the worship of other gods. It is not about
all sins. It also means that unless the parents or the children have
a change of heart, the effects of the father will not abate until
after the great great grandchildren. God will finally cause the cycle
to end.
Conclusion: I
loved the statement in Ezekiel 18:23 that God does not take pleasure
in the death of the wicked, nor does He take pleasure in "punishing" people. He
desires that they believe in Jesus Christ and become holy ones. But
He does enjoy the death of His godly ones.
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Precious
in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.
(NASB) Psalms 116:15 |
Why?
Because God wants an intimate relationship with us. When we worship
Him, we are worshipping the One who should be worshipped. When we
worship Him, we draw nearer to Him.
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