A continuation on the topic of generational blessings and curses…
The word inheritance comes from the root word heritage. The words heritage and legacy are both defined as something that is passed down from generation to generation. It could be:
- property (like money and land), or
- tradition (like celebrating Christmas or Halloween), or
- social status (like a king passing down his crown in a monarchy), or even
- spiritual status (like walking with God or walking away from God).
The truth is that we all die, and everything we have, and all the influence we carry in this life, will be passed on to the next generation. And that doesn’t mean only the things that we include in our will to be handed out after our funeral. It includes the legacy that we will leave behind in our family, our community, our nation, and the world.
I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on the concept of the generational curse, as the Bible defines it. Mostly because that’s been the area of life that I came out of. I embraced my role as a generational curse breaker - and then I started digging in to what that means and looks like at a practical, everyday level.
At first I thought it was this complicated, half-hopeless concept of trying to work my way out of a debt that my parents left me. And, in a way, that’s about right. It’s not all that complicated, but it is a debt, and we do have to put in some work on our part. Now, we have all the hope and assurance in the world that it can be done, and all we need in order to get the ball rolling in the right direction is to put our faith in Jesus, that He paid all our debts, all our sins, and all the sins that we were born into and inherited from our ancestors - not just our parents, but all the way back to Adam and Eve. But we have to walk the walk. We have to stop following in our parents footsteps and start following in Jesus’s footsteps.
When I was young I learned that it is important to leave things better than I found them. If you walk through the kitchen and see that someone made a mess, don’t ask questions, and don’t ignore it - go clean it up. Some people do the opposite - they come through making a mess and leaving it for others to clean up.
That same concept applies to our whole life, our legacy, and our impact on the world around us.
Some people go through life trying to help out, and clean up all the messes they find. Others go through life making a mess everywhere they go. In reality we all do a little of both - some just do more of one than the other.
And this is where we get the concept of the generational curse, and the generational blessing.
A person that goes through life making messes and causing chaos is a curse to the people around them. And their heritage is a curse.
A person that goes through life trying to clean up messes, fix what is broken, and generally leave things better than they found them is a blessing to the people around them. And their heritage is a blessing.
Now think of that on a scale, not just of one person, but of an entire generation of people. What is the impact that a generation has on the world, and on the future of the world? It is enormous.
In studying this topic in the Bible I found that a generational curse is not a final verdict. The idea is certainly there, but there are more verses that say we can get out of it than there are verses that say we are condemned to it.
The main idea of a generational curse can be found in Exodus 20:4-6, which is the second Commandment - “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
If iniquity sounds like a big word you can also call it: sin, evil, wrongdoing, evildoing, immorality, villainy, or crime.
So the curse is pronounced as God visiting the evildoing of the fathers on the children to the 3rd and 4th generations of those who hate Him. And that last detail is of the utmost importance - of those who hate Him.
If you don’t hate God, then you are not under the curse! The curse ultimately is that the father hates God, and teaches his children to also hate God, and they pass that on to their kids, etc… The curse, no matter how it manifests, or what the specific consequences of it are, is ultimately that those people across those generations have turned away from God.
Now I want you to picture something with me.
Think of a long tunnel. It can be a beautiful tunnel, or it can be a vast expanse, that part doesn’t matter. On one end you have complete light - the light of God’s glory. And on the other end you have complete darkness, the realm of Satan.
As you turn toward God you walk into the light of His glory, and as you turn away from God you walk into the darkness. And this is a long tunnel, so you can take a lifelong journey in either direction and still not reach the end you are walking towards. Your whole life is spent walking around in that tunnel. And you, and your family, and your community, and your nation, and the living generation of the whole world, are in that tunnel. Before us was our parent’s generation, and before them was their parents…
You were born in that tunnel at the point wherever your parents were at the time. If they were walking toward the darkness, then you were born in the darkness. If they were walking toward God, then you were born in the light of God’s glory. As you grew up, you followed them in the direction they were going - whether you liked it or not.
When you became an adult, you started walking in your own direction - even if you were still following them - it was up to you now.
And this tunnel is the tunnel of the generational curse or blessing. You inherited a position in the tunnel - whether in darkness or light. That’s where you started. And your children inherited the position in that tunnel of wherever you were at, and they followed you in whatever direction you were going.
Do you get the picture?
Now a generational curse is to lead your family away from God and into the darkness. That curse passes on to the third and fourth generation. If none of the children ever turn back to God they keep walking further into the darkness.
To break the curse, you simply turn around and start walking toward God - and taking as many people with you as you can! It’s not easy, because you will still be in the darkness, and the darkness will pull at you. But God will not resist you coming to Him - in fact, He will help you. Jesus said that we can take His yoke upon us and His burden is light and easy. His yoke is His guidance, and His teaching, and His way.
Many of us were born into the darker side of the tunnel. Most of our parents - especially most of our fathers - were totally absorbed in themselves. They sacrificed us to their own comfort, and convenience, and selfish desires. They were walking directly into the darkness when we arrived, and we were dragged along in that direction for a couple of decades. By God’s grace He turned us around, but we have had to make the intentional effort to stay turned around and walk out of the darkness and toward the light of God’s glory. There’s no way around it - you have to put in the work.
For those of you who were fortunate enough to be born on the light side of the tunnel and walking toward the light, I can only say keep going, and don’t look back! You will be the biggest blessing of all to your family, and all of us, and the whole world! The further you are into the light side of the tunnel the more the rest of us need you! The more the whole world needs you! Keep going!
And for any of us who are walking toward the light of God’s glory, no matter where you are, or how deep into the darkness you are coming from, keep going! Lead your family, and as many others as you can, out of the darkness with you on your way. And teach them to do the same. Walk toward God, every day, every step.
We think of inheritance as what we leave behind when we die. But you’re building that inheritance now. And you are going to leave something behind to your family, and your community, and the world, eventually, so why not ask them to start helping you build it. Get them invested in building their inheritance, and then when they fully receive it they can just keep building it. And teach them to do the same thing with their children.
Let us partner together with our family, and our community, and our nation, and the world, to build a legacy of blessing and to continue building that legacy of blessing on through the generations.
I’m not talking about building bigger and better buildings. I’m talking about building bigger and better faith in God, and trust in God, and hearts surrendered to God. I’m talking about building a legacy of walking toward God - a lifelong journey, generation after generation.
Everything else, every other blessing, will be rooted in that, and will be a fruit of that.
Generational Curse
Exodus 20:4-6 - “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Exodus 34:6-7 - The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”
Leviticus 26:39 - Those of you who survive will waste away in your enemies’ lands because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
Deuteronomy 28:58-59 - “If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God, then the Lord will overwhelm you and your children with indescribable plagues. These plagues will be intense and without relief, making you miserable and unbearably sick.
Hosea 4:6 - My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
Ezekiel 18:20 - The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.
Breaking the Curse
Ephesians 6:12 - For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Matthew 11:28-30 - Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Galatians 3:10-14 - But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
1 John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Romans 8:2 - And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Generational Blessing
Exodus 20:6 - But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Deuteronomy 7:9 - Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
Deuteronomy 30:19 - “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Matthew 6:19-20 - “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
Romans 5:17-19 - For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
Legacy of Faith
2 Timothy 1:5 - I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
1 Timothy 5:8 - But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
Proverbs 22:6 - Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Psalm 103:17 - But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children
1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
Ephesians 4:11-16 - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Psalm 78:1-8 - O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past— stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.