And Exodus teaches that any child that goes on sinning like his father will share the father's punishment. When God visits the sins of the fathers on the children he doesn't punish sinless children for the sins of their fathers. He simply lets the effects of the fathers' sins take their natural course, infecting and corrupting the hearts of the children. For parents who love their children this is one of the most sobering texts in all the Bible. The more we let sin get the upper hand in our own lives, the more our children will suffer for it.
Sin is like a contagious disease.
My children don't suffer because I have it. They catch it from me and, then suffer because they have it. Now with those two problems behind us, I hope we can hear the message of God's mercy with fresh appreciation. Let's go back to verse 6 and the declaration of God's name. A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.