Sins of the Fathers

... For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me...
                                                             - Exodus 20:5

Jonathan Edwards is best known as one of the greatest American preachers of all time, a man whom God used to spearhead the Great Awakening. In his wake, many thousands of people came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Great Awakening impacted society for several generations.

Mr. Edwards' family legacy was also impressive. Among his direct descendants were 13 college presidents, 65 professors, 100 lawyers, 100 missionaries, 30 judges, 60 physicians, 60 authors, and 80 holders of public office including three U.S. Senators, three governors, a vice-president, a controller of the U.S. Treasury, and many business owners and directors.¹ Edwards Researcher A. Winship wrote, "Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the Edwards family is due to Mrs. Sarah Edwards." 

Parental teaching and example have incalculable influence on succeeding generations. Children of divorce often get divorced themselves. Children of alcoholics frequently succumb to alcohol addiction. And children of godly parents tend to walk in the way of their parents.

Beyond these direct effects, our attitude toward God's commands can also have long-ranging effects on our descendants. In the Ten Commandments God described Himself as showing love to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep my commandments [Exodus 20:6].

Genesis 19:30-38 tell of how Lot's daughters got him drunk and had relations with him so they could have children. Their resulting sons, Moab and Ammon, founded kingdoms that have been a thorn in Israel's side for over 3,000 years. Joshua 13:13 tells us that Israel disobeyed God, by not destroying a tribe called the Geshurites. Some 400 years later, out of this tribe came King David's wife Maacah, who bore him Absalom, who murdered his brother, deposed David, and was ultimately murdered.

Thomas B. White writes of generational curses that can only be removed by what he terms spiritual warfare.² These are said to have their origins in unrepented sins of previous generations. Even if one does not accept White's premise, it is clear that our own thoughts, behavior, and teaching creates a legacy of curses or blessings for our descendants.

What must we do as parents?

  o  It is critical to honor God's Word in our homes, discussing it often with our children so that they will learn how to live. Moses urged the Israelites, And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. [Deut 6:6-7]

  o  Children learn less by our words and more by our example. Recently a friend of mine confided with me that his wife had filed for divorce. He lamented, "And I wanted so much to be able to raise our children in a godly Christian home." His remark highlights the fact that, if we put asunder what God has joined together, we lose the opportunity to model for our children God's plan for a loving family.

  o  Pray for our children. Dr. James Dobson recounts the story of his great-grandfather, who spent an hour every day in prayer for the spiritual welfare of his family, including the generations to come; and how God answered his prayers: "Toward the end of his life, my great-grandfather made a startling announcement. He said God had promised him that every member of four generations--both those living and those not yet born--would be believers. Well, I represent the fourth generation down from his own, and it has worked out more interestingly than even he might have assumed..." ³

  o  Ask God to show us our shortcomings. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me... [Psalm 139:23-24] Then turn away from our sins. A good friend shared with me that his father was an alcoholic, who beat his wife and children, just as his own father did before him. "I made a firm decision that that chain of sin and misery would end with my generation. It would be passed along no more" This friend raises the children God gave him in a godly home, modeling God's love to his own children.

I've described how things should be. Perhaps in your life you have already been through a divorce. Or perhaps your children have already grown up and are not walking in God's ways. While you may never be able to undo the hurt and sorrow, what's done is in the past. You can still love your children and pray for them, and do your best to model godly living.  Ultimately, they need to take responsibility for their own actions, just as you have for yours. No sin is too great for God to forgive, no heart too broken for God to mend, no life too mangled for God to set in order. Look to Him who is able ... to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy... [Jude 24]


¹http://aboverubies.org/articles/GenerationToCome.html

²White, Thomas B., The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare, Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, MI (1990).

³http://www.family.org/docstudy/solid/a0007408.html

Christian, legacy, divorce, Jonathan Edwards, Sarah Edwards, children, Joshua, teach, King David, Lot, Geshurites, Maacah, James Dobson, Bible, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Christian, legacy, divorce, Jonathan Edwards, Sarah Edwards, children, Joshua, teach, King David, Lot, Geshurites, Maacah, James Dobson, Bible, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Christian, legacy, divorce, Jonathan Edwards, Sarah Edwards, children, Joshua, teach, King David, Lot, Geshurites, Maacah, James Dobson, Bible, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef. Christian, legacy, divorce, Jonathan Edwards, Sarah Edwards, children, Joshua, teach, King David, Lot, Geshurites, Maacah, James Dobson, Bible, God, Jesus, bccddde, cddeeef.