Recovering from endless genealogies

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN

The New Testament is bafflingly silent on generational curses. I know that people can be under a curse in the New Testament, but nowhere is it generational. There is a scriptural method by which a believer can walk in a curse and that is by ignoring the complete redemption in Christ Jesus while trying to live by the works of the law. [See Gal 3:10] This is a curse the believer brings on himself and is in no way generational! He can reverse this by holding to Christ alone in whom he is curse-free.

There is no instance in the New Testament where some ancestor brought a curse upon a living person. Neither the Lord Jesus nor the apostles faced any such case. If you think that you are facing such a case you ought to tread softly before rushing ahead. You see, satan draws power from man’s belief in myths and lies. We have to learn to dwell in the full revelation of God.

In all the demonic encounters of Jesus and the myriad of miracles that he did, not once do we find a single acknowledgement of this “generational curse” myth. Surely this is worthy of note. In the New Testament records you do not find a singular instance where these miraculous reversals involved the undoing of something generational. Not a single miracle was done that mentioned anywhere around it the concept of generational curse.

Jesus stands in the presence of a blind man in John 9 and calmly refutes the suggestion that the man’s troubles were due to some parental sins or some personal sin of his own. It is obvious that the dominant thought of that day saw his blindness as due to some “generational curse”. Jesus calmly refutes both suggestions! Jesus had the opportunity to uphold something so entrenched in the Jewish thought, but clearly waves the thought aside.

There are genetic defects that are present in the human gene pool just like there are thought patterns and slants that perpetuate through certain families. This is not some generational curse, but the working of the human. Children will grow up based on the training that they receive whether good or bad. This is not supernatural, but commonplace. There are those who read “generational curse” into certain portions of the Old Testament. For example:

Thou 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; Exo 20:5

Generational curse “experts” use this as a proof text. In reality notice the total absence of the word “curse”. Then consider that even the “curse” stated here is conditional and not automatic. In order for the iniquity of the fathers to be visited upon their generations, there has to be a continuation of the practice of the fathers! Moses in effect tells them - don’t bow down to that which your fathers bowed down to! Therefore this is not talking about an automatic “curse” down passed through generations, but that due to the tendency of children to copy their ancestor’s examples they extend a curse to themselves.

And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Exo 20:6

If some maintain that an idolatrous ancestor passes curses down to fourth generation, we would have to also maintain that an ancestor who loves also passes mercy down to fourth generation. That would mean that Moses is talking to the wrong generation – this is because the ancestors are the ones in control and not the people that were alive and since these ancestors are already dead the people have little or nothing to do to change the situation! Notice that the very next verse disproves this “automatic curse transfer” concept for it actually says that mercy is extended to the multitudes that love the Lord. It is clear then that the love walk provides immunity from the “curse”.

Consider this fact – when God spoke of judgment, he said “third and fourth”, when he spoke of mercy he spoke of thousands! If you will receive it, he impressed upon the mind of the reader the greatness of his mercy! The outworking of his mercy greatly overwhelms his anger.

In other words, even in the Old Testament God extends mercy to a man who loves God even if his fathers were idol worshippers! It is pretty obvious that the text is not a teaching on “generational curses”, but a contrast between the experience of those who love and those who do not.

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth Deu 7:9,10

This gives us insight into the “generational curse” scriptures. In reality God through Moses affirms to the hearers that his mercy is to a thousand generations. Therefore we see that the “third and fourth” of Exodus are a contrast to the “thousands” and that they are both linked by the word “generations”. Moses therefore is contrasting wrath and mercy using the phrases "third and fourth generations" and "thousand generations". He is not giving a census on the number of generations that will be blessed or "cursed". He is showing that the mercy of God greatly supersedes his wrath. The context demands that the Lord is giving a revelation of his great mercy. It further clarifies the "problem" faced by the casual reader of Exodus – that the children will be punished for what the fathers have done. We see clearly that it is the one that hates the Lord that gets his reward of judgment and not his children. This is what is conveyed by “to their face”. We have used these verses to teach the very opposite thought that the wrath seems more potent than the mercy!

And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
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.
Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: Num 14:17-20

Interestingly when Moses was pleading for mercy and pardon for Israel he shows his understanding of the Exodus passage. He quotes the famous verses in Exodus 20, and then concludes that the true intent of God was to showcase the greatness of his mercy! Moses’ draws upon the mercy of God for a people that were in gross violation of the Abrahamic covenant! In other words Moses didn’t take this to teach “generational curses” but the triumph of God’s great mercy. [See Numbers 14:17-20]. Therefore when we read these statements we should keep in mind what Moses understood them to mean.

The context of Moses’ prayers in Numbers presents a profound insight – of a truth the fathers all died in the wilderness while their children possessed the Promised Land. God clearly said that he would undertake taking the little children in. The father’s despised God and affirmed that their children would be prey. God’s mercy triumphed and he took these children into the land. If the truth be told these verses are talking about something God does, and not something done by demons or men!

The teaching is this – Man is worthy of destruction because of his embrace of sin, but in mercy God will personally limit the outflow of judgment. He actually pegs it deliberately in order that his mercy might shine through. The very act of pegging judgment is mercy in itself. The nation was due judgment, but he mercifully stays back judgment so that the children will grow up to an age when they could walk into the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, "God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That's why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness! Jonah 4:1 -2 [The Message]

Jonah was a prophet that knew this about the greatness of God’s mercy. Consider that Jonah ran from preaching to Nineveh, which was a viciously wicked city. He knew how quick God was to show his great mercy! If he was convinced that God’s aim was destruction he would have taken the fastest chariot to Nineveh. Many Christians today have a different concept of God than Jonah had. Folks who are unaware that prophecy of “doom” is actually meant to showcase God’s mercy. They think God is blood thirsty and seeking to wipe out everything. God intended to show Nineveh mercy and Jonah knew it. He said this in the light of the truths uttered by Moses in Exodus. Truly the ancestors of these ninevites were wicked, yet in mercy God spared their children who repented. Judgment was delayed.

If that wasn’t clear enough, God spoke through Jeremiah saying:

In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:29 - 32

The dominant concept of “generational curses” is clearly stated in verse 29. It is clear that Jeremiah had a prophetic word for Israel. The people were familiar with the statements in Moses, but were not aware of the answer. God brings revelation concerning the answer. A change of confession was coming because God will undertake cutting a New Covenant. The New Covenant then is God’s answer and it is amazing that folks are still peddling as “revelation” that which God says should no longer be spoken! The same thought is in Ezekiel 18:1-4, 14-16 & Deut 24:16

There are others that say that sins were dealt with through redemption, but that iniquities were not!! The trouble is that no bible writer supports this.

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 10:17 [See Titus 2:14, Isaiah 53:6]

In clear terms, the redemption in Christ not only handled sin, it also handled iniquity. If I have any other foundation for dealing with the two outside of what Christ has already done, then I bring myself under a curse! While "generational curse" is imaginary, this one isn't. You want to learn to maintain your "bragging rights" in christ alone.

..to be continued