Exodus 20:5 Why is God punishing children for their parents' sins?

Question

I am not an aethiest out to disprove a religion. I am merely a Christian who is finding trouble with Exodus.

4 Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.

5 Never worship them or serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents' sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

6 But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.

So why is going punishing the children up to the 4th generation for the sins of their parents? - Malak answered with the following: "Ezekiel is undoing what was told in Exodus. Point being, we are no longer punished for the sins of our parents, which is a good thing, since I have quite enough of my own."

Ok good, so it's no longer this way. But why would he do it in the first place? - Victor Ious answered this by saying, "Exodus precedes Ezekiel. IF YOU READ the Bible instead or picking scriptures - you would find a context - and you MISSED the IN BETWEEN.

Its not a contradiction - when God quit holding the father's sins against his children and their children's children. The reason God did in the first place (again you have no idea of context) is the rebellion of the house of Israel. Later God relented and would not ever again hold the sins of the father against his generations."

What is he talking about when he says 'the rebellion of the house of Israel'? I dont know what that is so it doesn't help much answering my question.

Anyone else have any different ideas as to why God did this in the first place? Or can anyone tell me what the 'rebellion of the house of Israel is?'

Answer 1

It takes a long answer:
1.This judgment was given in connection with God's command against idolatry. The penalty was chiefly national. Israel would suffer for three or four generations because of that failure and she did.
2. When judgment was personal, it was chiefly temporal, such as the deprivation and disease that naturally follows evil conduct. Such suffering is a fact of life that flows from the law of social influence. but children also benefit from a parent's right choices. This is the way God has made life.
3. Children are held personally guilty as regards eternal salvation only if they continue in the parent's sin. God does not damn the innocent for the evil choices of their parents.
4. While the physical and social consequences of sin may persist as far as our great-grandchildren, God's spiritual rewards for love and obedience go on for a thousand generations. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Answer 2

The Bible mentions “generational curses” in several places (Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9). It sounds unfair for God to punish children for the sins of their fathers. However, this is looking at it from an earthly perspective. God knows that sin is passed down from one generation to the next. When a father has a sinful lifestyle, his children are likely to have the same sinful lifestyle as well. That is why it is not unjust for God to punish sin to the third or fourth generation – because they are committing the same sins their ancestors did. They are being punished for their own sins, not the sins of their ancestors. The Bible specifically tells us that God does not hold children accountable for the sins of their parents (Deuteronomy 24:16).

Answer 3

I am a Muslim and my holy book is Quran, which is a continuation of Bible. Any questions that Bible fails to answer are answered by Quran. God Almighty has a system whereby destiny of a child is somewhat linked to his parents and it is absolutely just. Because a child inherits the property of his parents. Now if a rich father loses his savings in speculation or gambling and becomes penniless, than naturally his successor son will get nothing. Similarly if a pregnant mother drinks and meets an accident, her daughter may born with some inborn problem. But the particular child will be assisted and helped by God Almighty in many ways so as to gain his due place in the world and hereinafter. He will also be given due credit in the hereinafter for his shortcomings. Every human has two lives, one in this world and another in the hereinafter. When two are seen together, no child will ever suffer unduly for any fault of his parents. Muhammad Javed Iqbal

Answer 4

The verse in Exodus says the sins of the fathers will be "visited" upon further generations. This refers to the "cumulative effects of sin, but responsibility is always on the individual. God forgives all of sins if we accept His gift of salvation, but there are repercussions which could affect our children. There are consequences to every action, good or bad. A parent, for example, who comes to Christ late in life, has a lot of damage control to do, in instructing and teaching their children. Thankfully, through His forgiveness and grace, we can all rise above our upbringing and our circumstances. I think this is a verse, when taken out of context, that is often misused and misunderstood. More the reason to come to Christ early in life and strive to follow Him thoughout. We then can leave a legacy of love, light, and hope for our children. God bless you.

Answer 5

Arewethereyet had an excellent answer. I studied these verses in one of Beth Moore's Bible studies (Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life). I don't think I could have summed up the answer better than Arewethereyet did. Notice the verse that say that God will show mercy to the thousands who love Him...
:o)

Answer 6

The God of Abraham has no choice; you see, he is a construct of the imagination of Abram of Ur, a patriarchal tribesman who wants to have an effect on future generations.

Although not within Abraham's purview, this has come true. What we do to the earth now will affect more than 4 generations in the future. I see all the asthmatic kids and cancer-ridden adults from the transgressions of our immediate forebears . . .

. . . caring for the environment is the only way to save the future.

Answer 7

If you are expecting this God to be moral or ethical you are sadly mistaken.

The bible is fully of how this God is evil. In fact this God even admits he created evil. Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

This God also approves of murder & rape! Numbers 31:17 - 18 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Keep alive for yourselves? What do you think were done to them and why only the VIRGIN WOMEN???

What a nice God! Just the kind of God you want to be just like!

Answer 8

Whether you believe in God or not, there are consequences to the children down to the fourth generation.

Think of it like this: A man is an alcoholic, a drug user and beats his wife regularly. These things WILL reflect in the children's lives, will they not? His children will either likely be just like him, or they will develop hang-ups and mental problems as a result. This will reflect on their children, and their childrens' children, etc.

This is how God punishes them, by their own doings. While we are not under the law anymore, the effect of this type of behavior in the parent is still evident to this day.

Answer 9

Bottomline God is God and sometimes He can be very angry and set harsh punishments. Then He cools down and changes His mind and lightens up the punishment.
The house of Israel has disobeyed Him several times, and He had had it I quess. Parents do get fed up after awhile when the kids are always disobeying.

Answer 10

The Creator does not punish the children the parents do.
The sins of the parents are past on through their DNA.

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