Is there truth to the stories of generational curses, still present in our world today? What exactly are these curses, and how do they affect people? Are there references to such curses in the Bible? Let’s take a deeper look into whether generational curses are still an issue today and how they may impact believers and nonbelievers alike.
An inherited curse
Many cite one or two Bible verses to support the notion that generational curses marked ancient times. Some believe that they still exist. One verse they frequently cite is Exodus 34:6-7, which reads, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, 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, but in no way clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third They also cite Lamentations 5:7, which states, “Our fathers sinned and are no longer with us, and we bear their sins.” However, we must ask the following: Do these verses imply that generations of a family are cursed? Are these defenseless families victims of the sins of their fathers and grandfathers?
Context Is Supreme
It is simple to use one or two Bible verses to build a doctrine, including the notion that there are still generational curses in families today. However, we must first consider the context of these verses. Even better, we should examine the entire chapter, if not the whole book. If we remove a text from its original context, it may serve as a false pretext. We must be cautious when we or someone else quotes a Bible verse. Anyone could quote a Bible verse such as “Judas went and hanged himself.” There are better ways to develop a set of beliefs. Otherwise, the following verse could be “Go and do the same!” Do you see my point? In Exodus 34, where God speaks to Moses, God is angry with Israel for its stiff neck and rebellion. He is not addressing anyone else when he mentions this curse. This is never referred to as a generational curse in the Bible or cited in the New Testament. These verses are situated within the context of God’s desire to start over with Moses and destroy the entire nation of Israel. But Moses interceded for Israel, foreshadowing how Jesus serves as our Intercessor or Mediator today. God spoke to a country that consistently disobeyed Him and grumbled about everything. Thus, God informed Moses that He would visit the sins of the forefathers in the fourth generation and beyond. But what was this exactly? Was it a hex? The Bible never uses this term. However, if a family disobeys God and complains about everything He does or does not do, that family is genuinely cursed until they repent of their discontentment and disobedience. God never guarantees to bless such a household. If this family continues to behave sinful and dysfunctionally, they will feel cursed.
Jesus Accepted the Curse
Is this a generational curse, or is it instead the idea that dysfunctional families produce dysfunctional children who sin just as much as their fathers (if not more) because it was a learned pattern of behavior? Children frequently imitate what they observe. They will follow your actions rather than your words because your actions are drowning out your words. Children can detect hypocrisy with relative ease. Suppose they hear their parents say, “Don’t do this,” but see them doing it. They will interpret it as parental approval and conclude that lying and hypocrisy are “normal” family behaviors. That will bring about its curses. It is more of a byproduct than a curse, but it is still a curse. Jesus is the cure for so-called generational curses, even if they exist. The Apostle Paul penned, “All who rely on the works of the law are cursed, for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not observe all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.'” (Galatians 3:10). This implies that we are all cursed because none of us will ever be able to keep the Law perfectly or perform enough good deeds to save ourselves. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in our place; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). True, “the LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression,” but he will never clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation (Numbers 14:18). In this regard, we are all somewhat cursed due to our sinful nature. It is good to acknowledge this, but we must also believe in Christ and proclaim Him to others so that they may be freed from the curse of death. Then they could obtain eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Let’s be clear on this point. According to the Bible, whoever sins will die. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself (Ezekiel 18:20). Yes, there is something akin to a generational curse. Still, it is the result of a family that does not walk with God and instead walks in its flesh. Living in the flesh produces carnal outcomes, eventually leading to eternal death. I hope you’re not concerned about being trapped in a generational curse from which you cannot escape. Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free”; therefore, this statement is false (John 8:36). This indicates that the condemnation has been removed (Romans 8:1) and that you now have peace with God (Romans 5:1) through Jesus Christ, who became a curse for us to remove our curse.
