Exodus 20:1-6
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Devotion
In Exodus 20, we have the giving of the Law to Moses. In his commentary on the book of Exodus, J.V. McGee wrote, “The Law is the mirror that reveals our sin.” In the book of Romans, Paul writes, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” The Law was never an end unto itself. Rather, its function was to reveal man’s inability to keep the law and, ultimately, point to his need for a Savior (see Romans 5:20).
In verses five and six, we read, “You shall not bow down to them (idols) or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep my commandments.” It is clear from this text that the consequences of sin from one generation can be passed on to the generations that follow. But it is also clear from this text that God will bless generations that love Him and follow His Word.
Some people believe that the unrest we are experiencing in our society today is the result of the consequences of sin from previous generations and the continuous attitude of prejudging people based on their race or economic status. This may very well be true. So how do we move out from under this generational curse? How does our nation move forward during these difficult times? Like all sin, it begins with recognizing that we have fallen short of God’s righteousness and repenting for our sins personally and for the sins of our nation. This is how Joshua lead the nation of Israel into a time period where they experienced the blessings of God. Before Joshua died, once again he called the people to a sacred assembly and reminded them of their past sins and challenged them to stay the course and remain faithful to God (see Joshua 24:19-24).
The good news is that generational curses can be broken. A good example of this is King Josiah of Judah. His father, Amnon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, were two of the wickedest men that ever ruled Judah. Yet, when Josiah became king, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and tried to pattern his life and reign after his ancestor King David. The generational curse ended with Josiah. Regardless of political affiliation, the time has come to acknowledge our sin, past and present, to repent, and to ask God to heal our land. If we don’t do this, our fate will be no different that that of Israel. This will take leadership in our government and in the churches across our land. I believe churches must take the initiative in this and lead out! Healing deep wounds is going to require sacrifice and hard work. I believe healing must begin with God’s people humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face, and repenting of sins past and present before God will hear and heal this land (see 2 Chronicles 7:14-16). Always remember that “with God all things are possible.”
Questions to Ponder:
Have you seen the concept of generational curses in your own family? How does your past impact your present and your future? What can you do to be part of the healing that is needed in our country right now? What are some practical steps you can take to foster racial reconciliation?
Prayer Points
- Worship the Lord in fear and trembling. Spend time praying through the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father Who are in heaven hallow be Thy Name.” Start saying His name and attributes. Don’t rush, bust instead, stay here awhile and “hallow His Name.”
- “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Say back areas in your life, your family’s life and your church’s life where You are asking Him for His will to be done. Be specific! For example, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in my daughter’s health as it is in heaven”
- “Give us this day our daily bread.” Pray for His will and His provision for you for today. Pray that for your family and our Oak Pointe Family.
- “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Pray a prayer of forgiveness over anyone who has offended, hurt, sinned against you.
- “Lead us out of temptation.” Pray for You and others to be led out of temptation.
- “And deliver us from evil.” Pray for our Savior to deliver you from the evil schemes of the enemy.
- “For Thine is the kingdom, power, glory is Yours now and forever, amen.”
Suggested Prayer
Father in Heaven, You are powerful, strong, faithful, consistent in Your love, forgiving, long suffering, my Good Shepherd, and the soon coming King. You are the one and only true God and I bow down and worship You in Spirit and in truth.
Thank You going to the cross for me. Thank You for taking the punishment that I deserved upon Yourself so that I could be with You where You are now and forever. I cannot thank You enough Lord for my salvation. I will always overflow with thanksgiving to You for rescuing me, adopting me, giving me a new name, blessing me with a robe of righteousness and a garment of salvation. I will sing of Your faithfulness in the evening and wake the dawn with prayers of devotion to You. I will meet You face to face by opening up my bible each day and lean into Your heart to grow, listen and learn.
Empower me to walk in step with Your Spirit all throughout the day, singing and worshiping You. I will tell the people in my life about You but also, I will live for You Lord. Help me to shepherd my children, family and friends so we grow together in You as we sharpen each other.
I ask that You enable me to remain in You and Your Word and to make me like a tree planted by streams of living water, rooted and grounded in You God. Sanctify and protect me. Lead me out of temptation. Grant me strength and endurance to run the race set before me.
Lord, teach me and Your church how to pray with full faith that You listen, hear and respond. I turn to You and depend on You. I ask that You deliver me and Your people, Your church, from the sin of racism. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray all these things. Amen.