…. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Anyone who has grown up in a household with someone who drinks heavily can tell you, there are negative consequences that get passed down through the generations. The same is true with other forms of abuse as well. The negative consequences of those behaviors get transmitted to the kids. It is very hard to grow up in a household where anger changed the rules every day, or where you never know what to expect when dad comes home. This fact can be hard to swallow. It is not fair that the kids get the negative junk of the parents. You are right. It is not fair. Sin takes the fairness out of life. We often get the negative consequences of other people’s actions, not just our own. We live in a world of war. Disease and poverty are rampant. Oppression and hopelessness are almost everywhere. This verse should serve as a warning. Our actions have long lasting consequences, so we should be careful what we do and say.
The Arnold Journey 