The Sins of Our Fathers
Are we punished for the sins of our fathers? According to Numbers 14:18, Exodus 20:5, and Deuteronomy 5:9, our iniquities are carried to the fourth generation. This would mean that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren must pay for our iniquities. In case you don't know what "iniquity" means, it is immoral or unfair behavior. So, do our children and our children's children suffer as a result of our personal behavior?
I ask this question because of recent events in my own life. My 1 year old son was taken to the emergency room for seizures and vomiting. After three trips to the emergency room he was admitted to the ICU due to inability to awaken after falling asleep. While in the ICU multiple specialists were called, including neurologists. The doctors believe that my son may have a GI issue, epilepsy, and, possibly, a brain tumor. We now have to give him medicine twice a day for his stomach and we have to keep a detailed log of his activities (what he eats and drinks, what he does throughout each day, when he sleeps and wakes up, how long each seizure lasts, if he vomits or has diarrhea, how often he has wet diapers, whether or not he has any behavioral changes, etc.). Combine this with the biweekly doctor visits and the pending referrals, it has been very difficult on my wife and I.
Although we're devoted Christians that trust God, we have had close family suggest that this is God's way of getting our attention. We were actually told that we need to look at our own behavior and understand that sometimes God punishes those close to us to get our attention when we're doing things that are not pleasing to God. That we should evaluate ourselves, and our lives, to see what we are doing, or did, to cause this to happen to him.
The very idea that God would punish my son for my actions was quite insulting. Hearing such a thing from close family made it a million times worse. Although there are many instances in which the Old Testament mentions future generations suffering because of our sins, the suffering is from God not correcting the effects of our own inequities. He is not adding punishment but is allowing natural "consequences" from our actions to continue. If we do something that stains our family name badly enough, it can impact future generations.
It would be as if Stalin or Hitler had children. The entire world would treat their offspring differently simply because of who their parents were. These pieces of scripture act as a warning to us. They are letting us know that our actions may have a greater impact than we think. They are saying that karma is real and you should watch yourself due to that. They are not saying, however, that our children will be punished for our sins. There is a difference between having an impacted social standing and incurring the wrath of God.
I ask this question because of recent events in my own life. My 1 year old son was taken to the emergency room for seizures and vomiting. After three trips to the emergency room he was admitted to the ICU due to inability to awaken after falling asleep. While in the ICU multiple specialists were called, including neurologists. The doctors believe that my son may have a GI issue, epilepsy, and, possibly, a brain tumor. We now have to give him medicine twice a day for his stomach and we have to keep a detailed log of his activities (what he eats and drinks, what he does throughout each day, when he sleeps and wakes up, how long each seizure lasts, if he vomits or has diarrhea, how often he has wet diapers, whether or not he has any behavioral changes, etc.). Combine this with the biweekly doctor visits and the pending referrals, it has been very difficult on my wife and I.
Although we're devoted Christians that trust God, we have had close family suggest that this is God's way of getting our attention. We were actually told that we need to look at our own behavior and understand that sometimes God punishes those close to us to get our attention when we're doing things that are not pleasing to God. That we should evaluate ourselves, and our lives, to see what we are doing, or did, to cause this to happen to him.
The very idea that God would punish my son for my actions was quite insulting. Hearing such a thing from close family made it a million times worse. Although there are many instances in which the Old Testament mentions future generations suffering because of our sins, the suffering is from God not correcting the effects of our own inequities. He is not adding punishment but is allowing natural "consequences" from our actions to continue. If we do something that stains our family name badly enough, it can impact future generations.
It would be as if Stalin or Hitler had children. The entire world would treat their offspring differently simply because of who their parents were. These pieces of scripture act as a warning to us. They are letting us know that our actions may have a greater impact than we think. They are saying that karma is real and you should watch yourself due to that. They are not saying, however, that our children will be punished for our sins. There is a difference between having an impacted social standing and incurring the wrath of God.
Ezekiel 18:20
The person who sins is the one that will die — a son is not to bear his father’s guilt with him, nor is the father to bear his son’s guilt with him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked will be his own.
We reap our own karma. Children are not punished for anything pertaining to their parents. No person should place that guilt, or charge, upon a parent. Much less so when their child is in the ICU, unable to wake up, and possibly has a brain tumor. They should have support, not condemnation or judgement.
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