And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Exodus 34:6-7
Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
God is imparting understanding as to who he is. Being a God of judgment and righteousness he can not just forgive sin and clear the guilty. Nevertheless, being a God of lovingkindness, graciousness, and merciful, he provided an atonement for the sins of the world and opens the door to forgiveness to all men individually.
Concerning “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” we have further elaboration in Exodus 2o.
Exodus 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: 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; 6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
It is not a reference to an individual sin but a pattern of sin, a hatred of God, a culture of godlessness. Just as the consequences of our iniquity of departing from the true living God and teaching our children they are animals, simply coincidences of nature, is coming back to haunt us now.
Views: 0
