We’ve heard
about the “sins of the fathers” being “revisited upon the children,” but God
said – whether child or parent – each of us carries responsibility for own
actions. That’s true, of course, since God said so! But it primarily refers to punishment such
as fines or jail time.
Bad decisions and unhealthy lifestyles today can, and most likely will, affect
even a great-grandchild. For example, they might eat the nutrition-less foods
they had growing up. Or they might do drugs because their grandmother did. They
might not be taught social skills or the godly standards expressed in God’s
word.
As one
generation passes poor choices onto another generation who doesn’t know they
even have choices, the chain continues – unless we seek God’s power in our
lives and those of our ancestors and offspring for generations gone and to
come.
That’s what
Moses did. As the mediator between God and God’s people who had been enslaved
for hundreds of years, Moses pleaded for this visitation of sin to cease.
Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses
And now, I beseech thee,
let the power of my lord be great,
according as thou hast spoken, saying,
The Lord is longsuffering,
and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity
and transgression, and by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation.
Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity
of this people according unto the greatness
of thy mercy, and as thou hast
forgiven this people, from Egypt
even until now.
From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King
James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019
Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses
Lord, I need evidence of Your power!
You said You’re slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love,
forgiving all sorts of sin and rebellion,
yet not excusing the guilty.
Indeed, when parents sin, their choices
and actions affect other people–
even a great-great-grandchild!
But please pardon us, Lord!
Please keep on parenting us
with Your glorious love.
From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected
from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary
Harwell Sayler, ©2019
May God
forgive us our sins and break any chains of bad inheritance, traumas suffered, or
“bad blood” between us and others affecting us, our families, and our
countries in Jesus’ Name.
…