MEDITATIONS FROM THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD
"For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me...."
Exodus 20:5
As our Maker and Redeemer, the LORD God has every right to be a jealous God. Since He has made us, He also has every right to punish us when we turn away from Him and disobey His commandments. He created us to live for Him and to do His holy will. How it angers and disappoints the LORD when we are rebellious and sinful creatures!
Our God does not take sin lightly, as some suppose. He visits and punishes the sins of the fathers upon the children even down to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him. This means that, in addition to the eternal punishments of hell which all unbelievers will suffer, God will, during their earthly lives, punish the unbelieving children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren, for the sins of those who hate Him and turn aside from His holy commandments.
This is certainly a warning to us against giving in to the temptations of the devil, the world, and our flesh! If we turn aside from the LORD and live in sin, He will punish us also! Our claims to love the LORD God mean little if we are unwilling to live for Him. Let us rather acknowledge our sins to the LORD and turn to Him for forgiveness and the needed strength to amend our lives and live for Him. For the sake of Christ's innocent sufferings and death in our stead, God will be gracious and merciful to us.
Dear LORD God, for the sake of Christ's bitter sufferings and death, forgive us our sins and renew our hearts that we might live for You in obedience to Your holy Commandments. Amen.
[Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1994 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
The Still Small Voice