QUESTION ANSWERED - If God doesn't count your sin against you (Psalms 32:1), then why does Exodus 34:7 & Numbers 14:18 say He does forgive but still punishes to the third and fourth generation?
1. First, Psalms 32:1 says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." But what did the man do to have his sin forgiven? David said that as long as he was silent about his sins God's hand was heavy upon him (vs. 4). But then he said, "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD: and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." (vs. 5). But in Exodus 20:5 he said, "for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me". This would be the people who did not repent of their sins of bowing down to and worshipping idols instead of God. They are pictured as hating the LORD. Their example would be terrible and their families after them no doubt would walk in their steps and suffer from the parents awful sins. The consequences of leaving the LORD would thus be suffered by future generations. It does not mean that we inherit the sins of those parents because Ezekiel 18:20 states that the son does not bear the iniquity of the parents. But sometimes slavery came upon people or health problems or deformities because of their sins. This was especially so in Old Testament times. Even David who was forgiven suffered the consequences of his sins for the rest of his days in the transgressions of his children before whom he had set a bad example. So in one sense of the word even he who was forgiven still had to suffer the consequences of his sins though he was made free.
2. People should not take sin as a light thing. There are terrible consequences of sins. We sometimes think that we can dilly dally with sin and it wont hurt us but it is a hard task master. Romans 7:13 states "But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." People's sins can make it hard on them and they can lose their souls over them but they can also make it hard on future generations affected by the results of those sins. You take for instance the people who because of sinful activity have become victims of Aids. Their adulterous, fornicating, homosexual, lesbian situations spread this to other people. Little babies are born with the disease. They likewise spread it to other generations and it grows and grows until it is an international health problem. Now they can be taught the gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of sins, confess Christ and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Such people are saved according to Mark 16: 16 but they still have the disease their sinful conduct brought upon them. They can go to heaven but they still go through physical death as a consequence of the disease. And what about those contacted and infected in family or job place. Loose living is condemned in the Bible for our own good. It is for our good that the LORD said, ''thou shalt not commit adultery."If the only sexual fulfillment is in marriage to a pure person then the blessings can go on for a thousand generations. Many Bible scholars make that interpretation of Exodus20:6 where he said, "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Scholars say that the word "thousands" means thousands of generations. With this in mind the Psalmist well said, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalms 1:1-3).
3. God is merciful to men and women that repent and obey Him. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7). God's mercy is extended to the sinners as well in that he is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). This is pictured in Exodus 20:5, 6. He only visits the iniquity of the sinful fathers unto the third and fourth generations. The other side of it is to keep His commandments and his mercy will be extended thousands of generations. If you really want to help the people of this world live a God fearing, God obeying, God ordered life and you not only will be saved eternally but you will be making a better world for a thousand generations.
No wonder Jesus on the cross said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). They were not thinking of how it was going to affect their families, their jobs, their future, and their eternity. Their wicked acts and attitudes destroyed their city, their temple, their country, and their future. This was besides all those who will burn in hell for that awful deed being repeated by rejection of Him in every generation. IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS. C. D.
CLICK HERE TO SEND US A QUESTION OR COMMENT ABOUT THIS LESSON