The generational curse

Scripture:  Exodus 34:6-7  “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.”

​Observations:   I find certain passages confusing as they seem contradictory to me.  In Exodus 33:11 it says that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face. Later in Exodus 34:30 God says “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”  I’m not sure I will understand the difference there until I see heaven.  Moses made two new tablets to replace the first two he threw down in a rage when the people were found in idol worship. He took them up on the mountain where he met with God and renewed the covenant with Him. The chapter closes out with the fact whenever Moses left the glory of God’s presence, his face shown.  Ours would 2 if we would allow God to fill us with His presence.  Psalm 16 was a reassurance that God will not forsake us. In Acts, Paul is struck down by Jesus on his way to Damascus to hunt down follower’s of the Way.  He loses his eyesight and Jesus sends Ananias to lay hands on him so he can regain his eyesight and receive Holy Spirit.  Then he found himself to be the hunted rather than the hunted.

Application:  Today, I find in this passage promises from God.  He is slow to anger.  How many times has he forgiven me?  Countless times!  He is merciful and gracious.  That can be seen by the fact he would save someone like me.  He is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  This was in the Old Testament.  People get the impression he was a God of wrath in the Old Testament, and sometimes he had to be because people continued to sin more and more, ignoring the law.  Because of that, lower generations were affected.  The happens still today.  If the parent is an alcoholic, often the child is unstable, which makes their offspring suffer and it simply spirals until someone decides to break the cycle.  It can be done.  I’ve seen it!

Prayer:  Lord, I know some who are stuck in generational curses brought on by their parents, or grandparents.  I pray for these families Lord, and I beseech you to touch the heart of one or more offspring to break the curse, and to put those families back on the path of righteousness.  I thank you in advance, trusting you to do this because of your steadfast love and faithfulness.  Amen

Tomorrow’s Reading:  Exodus 35-36; Acts 10