Generational Responsibility: The Foundational Principle
The Living Example
The biological children of Abraham’s children, Isaac and Jacob/Israel, hence the Hebrew Israelites, i.e., Jews, as GOD’s Chosen People, they are a Kingdom of prophetic teaching priests, an Example of Light to all the nations-goyim of earth concerning HIS Singular Existence and Majesty.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)
The Example Relationship Between GOD and Humanity
According to the Tora and Tanakh, the Holy Written Word of GOD, whenever HIS chosen people offend HIM, The Supreme Judge of all the earth has graciously and mercifully provided the way by which HE can redeem them back into good favor.
HE says,
“If MY people, which are called by MY Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Not only does El Shadai-Elohim/El Elyon instruct them on how to repent from the self-destructive, sinful behaviors of the present, but also those of the forefathers, i.e., previous generations.
Herein lies the controversial mystery of the proverb, “…The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
(Jeremiah 31:29)
As another proverb questions, “Why do good people suffer”?
A prime example is when there are wars between adult armies, children and innocent noncombatants suffer and die, i.e., another proverb being, “When the elephants fight, the grass gets bruised.”
From Generation To Generation
In the very beginning of The Decalogue, i.e., The Ten Commandments, the foundational base of the Torah, Elohim/El Elyon-El Shadai says,
“For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.”
The Tanakh states that whenever ancient and present, Hebrew-Israelite-Jews violate the laws, principles, and other guidelines of the LORD their GOD, laid out in The Torah, I.E., Leviticus-Vayikra, most notably “The Mountains of Blessings and Cursing”, i.e., Grizim and Ebal.
“Now it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.” (Deuteronomy-Devarim 11:29)
The relationship between El Shadai and HIS people hinged on how they walked before and with HIM, which is made clear in Leviticus 26 of the Torah, saying that if they “walked contrary” to HIM, HE in turn would “walk contrary to them”, and for destructive, evil, sinful behavior, would visit upon them and their descendant children with such retributions in various forms of:
Economic disasters via drought, earthquakes, storms, whirlwinds, fires, violence among themselves, even invasions, oppressions, scatterings, captivity-enslavement by their enemies, those who hate them, etc.
However, in HIS Gracious Mercies, via Moses, the Supreme Judge of all the world provided HIS chosen people a way in which they could be redeemed by HIM, saving them from warranted calamities.
This holy provision is prescribed in the Leviticus (Vayikra) Chapter 26, wherein after describing the horrific calamities that would befall them should they indeed “walk contrary” against HIM, that is, the Word of HIS Laws, HE showed them the remedial-healing path of righteous repentance from such.
The repentance of sins is not just for the present generation, but also for those of their fathers and ancestors of the previous generations.
The sacred Principle is foundational, being in the center of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments of the Torah, saying,
“…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;”
According to Leviticus-Vayikra-L 26:39-42, the way, even the words of repentance, are granted to the repentant.
:39 “And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
:40 And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their (fathers) treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto Me.
:41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
:42 Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham, will I remember; and I will remember the land.” [+ ref. II Chronicles 7:14]