Sins of the Fathers?

Dear Victorious,

I've heard that the Bible says God will punish us for the "sins of our fathers," even to the third or fourth generation. This doesn't seem logical. How could a loving God do such a thing as punish me for something I clearly did not do?

Yvette I. - Rockford, IL

Dear Yvette,

You might be misunderstanding that. I think there are a couple places where such language is used in the Bible. But in both contexts, it isn't God punishing people unfairly. Rather it is the people experiencing the natural consequences of the poor choices made by their parents, grandparents, etc.

Mental health professionals readily point to trends in addiction, divorce and other "sins of the fathers." Basically the poor choices made by my parents are likely to be repeated in my life as well. In such case, we both suffer.

Conversely, if my parents chose righteousness and pursuit of God, I am much more likely to do the same. So the blessings of righteousness are also carried on to the third and fourth generations (though the Bible doesn't state that this way).

Look at Exodus 20:4-5 and notice that the first time God made this statement, He was talking about being a jealous God. He said that His punishment would endure to the third and fourth generations, but similarly His blessings would endure to a thousand generations!