Sins of the Fathers – Kings of Israel

Sins of the Fathers

Jerry’s dad was never there, was never really anywhere
Except at the bar until morning.
Jerry is a father now, but his father never showed him how,
And Jerry ignores every warning.
If Jerry gives in to his son’s every whim,
His boy will turn into his grandfather all over again.

Jessie’s mother liked to yell, and Jessie knew so very well
Aggression was likely to follow.
Jessie suffered all alone and she turned her heart of flesh to stone;
Her soul became empty and hollow.
So, what kind of mother will Jessie now be?
And will the violence grow deeper through her family tree?

Cassie’s father’s in his room, he won’t be coming out real soon.
He’s lost in the fantasy section.
Cassie’s mom she often cries; she can see it in her mother’s eyes,
The stress and the pain of rejection.
But Cassie knows just what she has to do.
If she can act out enough, perhaps he’ll finally come through.

You know the sin of the fathers, it visits sons and daughters
And it travels on down the line.
In all its aberrations through all the generations,
They are messin’ with the same old crime.
You’ve got to stop! Turn to Jehovah!
You’ve got to stop and turn from your sin.
You’ve got to stop! Turn to Jehovah,
And acknowledge all the trouble you’re in,
So, you can turn your heart over to him.

1 Kings & 2 Kings: The Kings of Israel

Both of the books of Kings reference the sordid history of the Israelite monarchy. David was faithful to Jehovah God, and initially, so was his son, Solomon, who took his place on the throne. But Solomon was lured into the worship of false gods by his many foreign wives. At the end of his life, Solomon realized his mistake. He records his mistakes in the book of Ecclesiastes, in a letter written to his son.

“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”… Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Ecclesiastes 12:8, 13-14

Although Solomon understood truth again at the end, the damage was already done, and after Solomon’s reign, things got much worse. The moral failures of most of the kings became magnified in their sons and successors. The end result was that Israel fell into moral and spiritual decline and moved further from God. No longer living under God’s blessings, they were eventually captured and dispersed.

“‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’”
Numbers 14:18

Does this mean that we are judged or punished for the wrongs committed by our parents? No. We are held accountable for the sins that we personally commit. However, parental sins have a significant impact and influence on the children, thus bringing them into judgment as well. Consider these statistics:

Children of substance abusers are more likely to abuse substances themselves, and they are at higher risk for other issues. ¹
Children whose parents ever smoked, even if it was prior to their birth, are more likely to smoke.²
A survey found that the vast majority of adults who had a parent with a sex addiction had issues surrounding sexuality as an adult. ³
Pornography addiction creates issues for the entire family, including emotional disengagement, insecurity and doubt, and financial issues.⁴
Children who are exposed to pornography at a younger age are more apt to suffer from intimacy issues, risky sexual activities, sexual violence, and sexual addiction.⁵
1/3 of individuals who were abused as a child become abusers themselves,⁶ and more than half will be abused as adults.⁷
Divorce has a profound impact on children, including an increased risk for academic decline, criminal activity, and drug and alcohol use.⁸

It is clear to see that the sins of the parents can absolutely lead to problems and sins in our youth today.

So, what does the Bible say about parenting? Proverbs 20:7 says, “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.” Proverbs 31 describes a woman of God and in verse 28, it says “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.” We are called by God to be good role models for our children so that they will be blessed. Parents – we are still the most important influence in the lives of our children, even when they are rebelling against us. They are watching us, and what they see will stay with them for a lifetime. Children are a gift from our Heavenly Father, and we will need to account to him for how we have cared for that gift. That just may be our most important job.

We will all be accountable to God one day, and when we do, we will need to account not only for how we lived our lives, but how we have influenced the lives of others , especially our children. Let us always take that charge seriously.

Related Devotional

Dad?

Resources

For help to stop smoking, go to: Smoke Free

For information on Faith Therapy for addictions go to: Biblical Answers for Addictions

Raising Godly children in an ungodly world: Raising Godly Children and Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World Downloads

Additional Parenting Suggestions: Raising Godly Children in a Wicked World

Next Article – A King Foretold: Prophecies of the First Coming of Christ

Citations:

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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