“By no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation” (Ex. 34:7b).
In Exodus 34:7, we find a repetition of the warning and promise given in the deliverance of the Ten Commandments, “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex. 20:5–6). As God passed before Moses, proclaiming His name and declaring His goodness and mercy, He reminded Moses that He would not overlook sin. Those who chose to reject Him and continued to worship idols would suffer by His hand to the third and fourth generation. Without repentance, guilt cannot be removed, and God’s judgment will go forth. In light of this, God wanted Israel to consider their actions, to repent of their sin, and not to use His grace as an excuse to continue sinning. It never was, and never has been, the case that we can go on sinning so that grace may abound (Rom. 6:1–2).
Exodus 34:7, and its correlating passage in chapter 20, has caused a great deal of controversy because it is often misunderstood. It can be mistakenly assumed that God is being unjust by making the children suffer for the crimes of the father, which would seem to contradict the teaching of Ezekiel 18, “He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.… ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him” (Eze. 18:17–20 NIV).
If a father is unrepentant, then the consequences of his sin will be visited on the children (but not the guilt of it). The children will not be punished for the father’s crimes, but they will suffer because of them. However, if the children repent of their own sins, then God will show them mercy, just as He will show the father mercy if he turns from his sin. The key is repentance. To those who turn from their sin, God will show mercy. But those who persist in sin will bring suffering to themselves and to their children.
This passage is a reminder that our actions have broader effects than our own lives. What we do affects our children. Though they do not pay for our crimes, they suffer the consequences and learn from our examples, even emulating our behavior. Repent of your sins today so that your children will not suffer from them.
