Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16
The Bible seems to contradict itself
here. In one case it appears children are cursed because of their fathers, but
in another they are apparently not punished. Which is it?
A father will impress a certain
lifestyle on to a son. That son has the choice of passing that trait on to his
son. . .and so on. Violence, revenge, sexual perversion, drinking and drug
intake are all taught through influence. The father’s acceptance or rejection
of these certain traits can have a profound influence on his son or daughter. A
father should think, before committing a sin, about how that will affect future
generations.
Every generation suffers the
consequences of a previous generation’s sin, however, every generation has the
choice whether to continue that legacy or choose a better one.
In Deuteronomy 5, God addressed the
second of the Ten Commandments—false idols, one of the most heinous of all
crimes in the eyes of God. If a man passes a legacy of idol worship on to his
sons, God will not bless that family. He also wanted fathers to know the
serious consequences of such actions. This was a crime against God.
In Deuteronomy 24, God addressed a
legal offense, a crime against another person. He says here you can’t take a
father to jail for a crime his son committed (and vice versa).
Deuteronomy addressed two different
crimes and two different offended parties. One was warning against those who
offend God. The other focused on crimes involving other people.
Creating a legacy of anti-God will affect
future generations and they will certainly be punished.
In Deuteronomy 24, God addresses a
legal offense, a crime against another person. He says here you can’t take a
father to jail for a crime his son committed (and vice versa).
Deuteronomy addresses two different
crimes and two different offended parties. One is warning against those who
offend God. The other focuses on when people are involved.
Creating a legacy of anti-God will affect
future generations and punish them.
Committing a crime passes no legal
punishment on to the future generations.