This is my response to Torah Study dated February 24, 2018.
What is being discussed in this Torah Study(which reads from were the group stopped last week, maybe covering one to four verses and discussions) Exodus 11, what is being discussed is the Tenth Plague. Is there a correlation between the Death of the First Born and the their fathers actions?
One source for the first misconception is:
“Exodus 20:4 thou shalt not bow down unto 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;”
Misconceptions abound, in that iniquity is not sin, they are your actions not the results of those actions. So now when we look at the Prophets of the LORD acknowledging this misconception.
Interesting point here, both Jeremiah and Ezekiel are writing at the same time. One from Jerusalem and one from Babylon.
Jeremiah 31:28 In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
29 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
(The saying used declares the children get the sin not the fathers. Hence the result of Verse 29.)
Ezekiel 18:2 ‘What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The first quote above is the source of the misunderstandings about sin and whether or not it is the father’s and/or son’s also. In Ezekiel, the LORD explains how all of this works, if you read the chapter and strive to understand what is being said.
In short, if a man, who is a thief , lives his life as a thief having those values to live by, begets children. Then the children will learn from the father, his values, his way of doing things, and so will also be thieves and suffer the same outcome. The father of the thief, did not teach his son to be a thief, so how could they share in the same outcomes. Or, as stated in Ezekiel 18: “14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins, which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,” In this the son has changed, for he decided not to do as his father did, but went a different path, and will not suffer the same outcome.
W teach our children by our actions, for we are seen, and our children learn to be like us. At some point a child will come that decides this is not right to do and will turn aside from the family path. This is why the first verse sounds as if the sin is being passed on by the LORD, it is not. He is simply declaring that your actions have consequences that do continue after you are gonee.
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;
7 keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, 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 unto the fourth generation.’
So they we have it, Moses is allowed to see the GLORY of the LORD, and we learn: The LORD does “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty”. The consequences for own actions are not stopped because the LORD forgave, the effect of that sin continues.
Let us look back at the thief for a moment. So if the thief decides he has been wrong and repents, changes his actions and even tells his son, “Don’t do what I have done” it will not stop the son. The son must stop the son, and change his own path for the son has his own choices to make. His own sins to sin, and what he does is his responsibility, not his fathers. Both make their own choices to do or not to do a thing.
Are there other things the Thief is to do in this repairing process?
I am glad you have asked that. One example of repair is in the Covenant, “Exodus 22:3 If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.”
In this case the thief was caught not repenting of the crime. Even so, a repayment of double for having taken (stolen) something will help repair the theft. Yes there are more statements about this repairing issue. Just because the LORD forgives He does not take away the consequences of your actions. It is you that needs to repair the consequences of your actions.
That is one of the five main take-away I know in the Written Torah. That of You are responsible for what you do. The Five which you should understand are:
Who is GOD?
What does HE want from you?
How am I to treat others that are near me?
How am I to treat those that are not near me?
That I am responsible for my actions, both words and deeds.
To save your soul, what You must do: “Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” This is just one of the places it is stated “to do”.
This is very important to understand, just receiving forgiveness is not enough, you must be righteous in your actions and deeds.
My prayer is that The LORD grant you eyes that see, ears that hear and an understanding heart, then you return unto HIM soon!(Isaiah 6: 9 And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’)
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Yaakov