Sins of the Father

[Waiting2BwithHim]

I was having a conversation with a friend...We were discussing the wrongs of my siblings and her children.

She kept mentioning the sins of the father were passed on to the next generation and so on that it will keep getting passed.

Now I know that Adam would be the first man of sin to pass on to Cain and Abel and so forth...

Now first I would like to know is this sin that is passed on just to effect one child or all children of their father?

Second is this also to say that the exact sin the father did the children would do?

is there anything about the sins of the mother?

Is this just even a saying? I can't imagine any sin that my father had done when he was here That I did or would do.

I guess that is why this is confusing me. My sister it would seem would be carrying on where my dad left off.

Can someone please explain where this all stems from? How should this be taken in the literal sense?

[LIONFURY]

I was having a conversation with a friend...We were discussing the wrongs of my siblings and her children.

She kept mentioning the sins of the father were passed on to the next generation and so on that it will keep getting passed.

Now I know that Adam would be the first man of sin to pass on to Cain and Abel and so forth...

Now first I would like to know is this sin that is passed on just to effect one child or all children of their father?

Second is this also to say that the exact sin the father did the children would do?

is there anything about the sins of the mother?

Is this just even a saying? I can't imagine any sin that my father had done when he was here That I did or would do.

I guess that is why this is confusing me. My sister it would seem would be carrying on where my dad left off.

Can someone please explain where this all stems from? How should this be taken in the literal sense?

In God's eyes all sin is the same. So when sin passed down to you it was not a specifics sin(s),It was sin in general.

[PeterH]

I was having a conversation with a friend...We were discussing the wrongs of my siblings and her children.

She kept mentioning the sins of the father were passed on to the next generation and so on that it will keep getting passed.

Now I know that Adam would be the first man of sin to pass on to Cain and Abel and so forth...

Now first I would like to know is this sin that is passed on just to effect one child or all children of their father?

Second is this also to say that the exact sin the father did the children would do?

is there anything about the sins of the mother?

Is this just even a saying? I can't imagine any sin that my father had done when he was here That I did or would do.

I guess that is why this is confusing me. My sister it would seem would be carrying on where my dad left off.

Can someone please explain where this all stems from? How should this be taken in the literal sense?

That's a lot of questions tied to one subject eh.

Starting off there are several scriptures that say the "iniquity" of the father will be visited even up to the forth generations of his family.

Exodus 20:5

Exodus 34:6-7

Deuteronomy 5:9

There is also scripture that states that fathers are not to be punished for their sons sins and vise-versa.

Deuteronomy 24:16

Ezekiel 18:20

The first set of scriptures I believe are talking about the judgement of God and the second are the laws of men (what men should abide by given from God). So is the judgement of God passed down? Yes. Sin is passed down from the father to their sons and daughters hence we are all guilty and only Jesus could ever be found not guilty of sin.

Why the father and not the mother? Well I believe it's biblical that the fathers of a house are the spiritual leaders of that house. And as such if they sin then the lead their house into sin. Mother's are not the leaders, if there is a father present, no matter how much they strive to be because of the curse God placed on Eve found in Genesis 3:16 that she passed down.

As for an exact sin. I don't really think that matters or applies because the wages of any sin is death. There is no punishment for a sin that's worse than another.

The good news (Gospel) is that the son of God came to us, Jesus, and made a way for us to be born again. Born again so now our father is the heavenly Father, God, so our old selves are dead and we live a new life as sons and daughters of God our Father. And since our Father now has no sin in him we are found blameless. That is the redeeming work Jesus did for us.

That is why Jesus is worthy of all honor, praise and worship.

[joi]

Numbers 14:18

The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

As I see it;

For the sake of this demonstration, let us say that my great paternal grandparents were really mean people who lied, stole, cheated and

treated their children in a most mean fashion.

The next generation, my paternal grandparent had been conditioned to this treatment and passed it on down to my parents, who in turn passed on down that treatment to me. This is certainly one way the sins of the father can be passed on to the third and fourth generations. However at any point in this chain, any person involved could have broken that chain by having a change of mind, by becoming saved and asking God to help them to be more like Him.

I know of instances of mean moms who have passed down their traits as well as mean dads.

This is only one way that sins are passed down to the generations. I am sure someone else will have other ideas.

The verse I furnished you should be read in the context of the rest of that chapter, which is found here;

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+14&version=KJV

For further reference:

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=iniquity+of+the+fathers&searchtype=phrase&version1=9&spanbegin=73&spanend=73

[nebula]

Prime examples of generational curses are alcoholism and abuse. Children of such are much more susceptible to following in their parents' footsteps, even if they determined they wouldn't.

There's a Scripture about sin being punished to the 3rd and 4th generation. It is taught/understood that this is how long a generational curse lasts - unless one of them seeks the Lord to break the curse.

There's another scripture, and I forget which, that indicates illegitimacy lasts for 7 generations. (!)

As for your questions:

"Now first I would like to know is this sin that is passed on just to effect one child or all children of their father?"

It affects all; but repentance of the sin and seeking the Lord to break the curse can set one free from it. But it's an individual thing.

"Second is this also to say that the exact sin the father did the children would do?"

Exact or along the same vein.

"is there anything about the sins of the mother?"

Remember that in English we don't have gender neutral words. Just as women can be a part of "mankind," so can a mother's sin be passed down as "sins of the fathers."

[Guest shiloh357]

I personally don't believe in generational curses as they are taught today. Here is an article that can say it better than I can... >>>Generational Curses

[OldShep]

I personally don't believe in generational curses as they are taught today. Here is an article that can say it better than I can... >>>Generational Curses

Conclusion~~~ {from above link}

We need to reject as unbiblical any teaching that says that those who put their hope and trust in Christ are likely cursed. God has pronounced us blessed. Balaam could not curse God’s blessed people, neither can anyone else. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7). That is the simple version. The false teachers are hopelessly confused and give no hope or assurance. They put us back in bondage, and thus the teachings themselves and their perpetrators are accursed (Galatians 1:8) according to God’s Word.

Plus I would like to add the Fact that God would not be giving gifts to people that were cursed.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

ICL Dennis

[OneLight]

From what I understand of the family structure in the days of the Old Covenant compared to today's family structure, the family use to live together and raise the family as a whole unit. Today, when the children turn 18, they, more then likely, leave the family structure and start their own life. When one lives with someone day after day, they are bound to take on the traits of those they live with. If you live with someone from birth until they either die or leave, you are more apt to obtain their bad habits.

[glf]

I was having a conversation with a friend...We were discussing the wrongs of my siblings and her children.

She kept mentioning the sins of the father were passed on to the next generation and so on that it will keep getting passed.

Now I know that Adam would be the first man of sin to pass on to Cain and Abel and so forth...

Now first I would like to know is this sin that is passed on just to effect one child or all children of their father?

Second is this also to say that the exact sin the father did the children would do?

is there anything about the sins of the mother?

Is this just even a saying? I can't imagine any sin that my father had done when he was here That I did or would do.

I guess that is why this is confusing me. My sister it would seem would be carrying on where my dad left off.

Can someone please explain where this all stems from? How should this be taken in the literal sense?

Even when we turn to the Lord and are born of the Spirit, we, like the Jews who entered the promised land have to go in and posses the land. So that we come to the Lord as we are and then the Lord uses his word to; Rom12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." And, Eph5:26 "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." And again, 2Tim3:16, 17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." The Holy Spirit uses the scriptures that we put into our minds to transform us into Jesus' moral image by delivering us from all the junk or the enslavement to the various sins that we had in our lives when we came to him. 2Pet1: 3,4 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."

King David said in Ps 119:9 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." And again in Ps 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Jesus said, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." And again, "The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life."

Rom8:6 "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,"

[Bold Believer]

Context is everything. The idea of visiting the iniquity upon the sons unto the fourth generation isn't talking about traits. It's talking about CONSEQUENCES. The judgment of Jerusalem in 70 AD is a good example. Forty years earlier Jesus warned that Jerusalem would be dealt with for the sins of the forefathers. I am sure that there are probably more examples of the consequences of actions committed by a previous generation being 'visited' on a future generation in Scripture.