05.16.09
Isaiah - Day 272
Scripture: Isaiah 14:21 (NIV): "Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities."
Thought: To me, God has every right to stem the tide of evil and wickedness: He'll do just what is necessary.
Question: Have any sins of my parents or grandparents "haunted" my life?
God's prophecy, voiced through Isaiah, against Babylon, now becomes somewhat of a command: "Prepare a place to slaughter his son..." Whose sons? Belshazzar's!--that last, wicked King of Babylon who, akin to the spirit of Satan, arrogantly puffed himself up to brutally conquer Israel. God is rectifying this most unjust situation! Belshazzar will die, (see Daniel 5), and will be denied a decent burial. His memory will be erased, and to insure that, his offsrping will be killed.
Belshazzar's sons are executed "for the sins of their forefathers." The Old Testament law is clear in this principle: where the father commits gross evil, the children will also pay for those sins. Look to Numbers 14:18: "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." This truth is first presented in Exodus 20 during the initial giving of the 10 commandments (verse 5): "You shall not bow down to them (graven images or idols) or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." It is reiterated to Moses in Exodus 34:6 and 7: "And he (God) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation'." A principle repeated so often and worded so precisely must be taken seriously! Comes the question, "Does this Old Testament law apply to New Testament times?" In my opinion, yes! God does not change in His basic character and nature, and certainly, these verses describe an aspect of His character. It is His nature to mete out justice this way, which, I believe, is a way that parallels another strong biblical truth: "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." In other words, the man who sows evil will reap that evil back in and through his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The curse, (some call it the "generational curse"), keeps going! (Of course, any curse of any sin can be broken and forgiven by the blood of Christ!!)
God commands Isaiah and the people to slaughter Belshazzar's sons following the defeat of Babylon, as a "keeping" or "fulfilling" of this godly principle. Their slaughter moves to completely destroy Belshazzar's evil, even as it will continue in his children, sown into their lives by the seed of their wicked father. It is a purification process, a Holy purging, if you will, of the insidious contagion of sin as it repeats from father to son.
"...they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities." Even as Belshazzar was condemned for having overthrown Israel's cities (in Isaiah 14:17), so God overthrows any attempt that might be made in the future by Belshazzar's seed to erect "evil" cities. God understands how to nip an issue in the bud! They must not be allowed "to rise", "to inherit the land" or "cover the earth with their cities." It must be prevented before it begins.
Prayer: Holy God, Your purity is deep and thorough--both within Your own nature and out from You as You set standards for us. We are to "be holy" even as You are holy. I thank You, Father, that the only way any of us can "be holy" is to be covered in the precious, holy blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. He cleanses us unto Holiness! Amen.
Marcy Fearey : Generational sin
05/19/2009, at 19:22 [ Reply ]
Is. 14:21- I agree that God is a God of justice, but also a God of grace. Because of Christ's sacrifice, the price was paid. Justice was satisfied. Jesus' blood covered my sin including ones that would have come from preceding generations. I praise God that His justice sent His Son to pay my debt of sin and His justice was the vehicle through which God's grace is dispensed freely and in abundance. "Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ." "And from His fulness we have all received, grace upon grace." (Jn. 1:16, 17) Praise God that His justice prompted His Grace!
Grace upon Grace--unlimited and abundant!