Sounds like a paradox doesn’t it for God to show Himself as the merciful forgiving One and then immediately change tone into a God who punishes generations for sins? This is where the infamous preaching on generational curses came forth and this topic still holds the buzz among Christian circles. There are prophecies made on believers showing how they suffer from a generation curse and then there are sermons and books on how to break a generation curse. Fasting (abstain from eating) is one of the ‘popular’ remedies for breaking a generation curse and then there are prayer warriors who fast and pray on your behalf to break generational curse. When something goes wrong with a believer, he/she is immediately branded as the victim of a generational curse. Sadly, this is another bondage that most believers are camped in for years and they spend their lives breaking one generational curse after another. Isn’t it very much like the devil who wants to keep God’s children labouring without rest?
Let me show you what I previously believed reading this verse and perhaps many of you will be able to relate with me. Whenever I read this verse, I used to think it was hard to please God. I can understand God punishing a sinner in the old covenant, but God putting a curse on the future generations of that sinner – that was hard to digest for me. To erase any speck of confusion, God further states that He by no means will clear the guilty. Boy, that’s harsh! Then a couple of years passed and as Jesus revealed His covenant of grace to me, it blew my mind away! I read the Bible with a whole new perspective. At that time, God revealed that Jesus had reversed all of the curses that came from the time of Adam. Then, I knew that generational curses were also reversed by Jesus’ payment on the cross. When I saw believers suffering with this wrong understanding about generational curse, I reminded them about Jesus becoming a curse for all of us and hence, we are no more cursed, but blessed.
But all that I knew until then wasn’t good enough and it didn’t settle well with me. I found it hard to comprehend why God should institute generational curse in the first place? Then Jesus opened my eyes to a couple of stories in the old testament. I was shocked to know that God in fact used the generational curse as a way of escape! When someone did evil and then repented with sackcloth and ashes (an act of faith), God spared the sinner but imputed the curse on his future generation. Imagine the future generation experiencing God’s curse – all they had to do was repent with sackcloth and ashes (again an act of faith) and then they’ll be spared but the curse continued to the next generation and to the one after that. This is beautiful: why did God pass the curse from generation to generation in the old covenant? One, was to spare the sinner and two, Someone was coming in the line of these generations on whom all the curses will be placed! Someone from the seed of Abraham, in the line of David, from the pure stock of Israel. God shifted the curse from generation to generation to bring it to the generation of His own Son, to place it on Him!
There was divine wisdom in instituting the generational curse, so that God could save the sinner through every generation and finally place the all of the generational curses from the time of Adam on Jesus! I am extremely careful in saying this – Jesus became a ‘Scapegoat’ by taking the curse of all generations upon Himself. We see a God who keeps mercy for thousands and forgives the iniquity of all generations! It’s not what religion portrays, that God is so angry that He wants to punish generations for their father’s iniquity but giving generations a way of escape through repentance by faith. God was intent on saving the sinner when He instituted this, because He was going to send His Son into their generation to receive all their curses! Here is a display of God’s amazing grace, even in the old covenant of the law! He delights in mercy and waits for every opportunity to save, not judge, redeem us, not condemn, because He judged His Son, He condemned His Darling Son. Jesus is excited about living with you and in you and deemed it right to die for you! That’s how much He loves you!
3 Responses to 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 34:7)
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Blogs I Follow
Revelation of Grace Ministries 
Please can you send me some of your literature to this address.
Holy Moyo
1704- 1650 Haro Street
Vancouver BC
v6g 2×9
i love you freedom delivering messages.. Blows me away.
What a revelation!!!!
Thank you and I’m glad you’ve been set free to enjoy Jesus for who He is. I’ve received your address by email. I’ll send some material by email. You can also check out Pastor Joseph Prince on http://www.newcreation.org.sg