Psalms 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
This is one of the more important passages of scripture which we would do well to often reflect upon, for it gives us hope and courage to keep on pressing forward, even when situations with our children may have taken a turn for the worse. We often read of generational curses, but God prefers to highlight the generational blessings which fall upon the heads of the offspring of the righteous. In many cases, the real reason why we are not destroyed in our own folly, is because of the mercies of God bestowed from generation to generation, which He remembers as a sacred covenant made to those who have gone before. Let's read:
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
After the children of Israel had multiplied greatly in the land of Egypt, pharaoh decided to enslave them, in order to keep them from proliferating and overspreading the entire country. But the more they afflicted them is the more God caused them to reproduce, until in utter exasperation they were subjected to the most cruel bondage, with buffetings and scourging being a part of their daily experiences. At this time many of them had either forgotten about God, or had such a faint knowledge of Him, that He was to many of them more of a myth than a living reality. This fact is revealed in the questions posed by Moses to God, when speaking of their imminent deliverance. Let's read:
Exodus 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
But God had not forgotten the covenant which He had made to their forefathers, and though several generations had passed, yet they were still under the mantle of God's protective care, on account of the generational blessings He had promised to faithful Abraham. These blessings were now going to be literally translated into the utter discomfiture of their oppressors, and the giving of Canaan into their hands, on condition that they would carry on the precious legacy of godliness and faithfulness, which was manifested in their progenitors who had gone before. It was because of God's covenant of these generational blessings, why He was now going to bring severe judgments on pharaoh for the oppression of His people, while at the same time bringing deliverance to the captives, who had but a faint knowledge of Him. Let's read:
Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
In our day and in our own experiences the same precious legacy continues as generations of the righteous come upon the scene of action, some knowing of the covenant of God on their behalf, and others of their children not having a clue. Yet the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, remembers His solemn oath to the faithful of all ages, and based on this He showers unmerited blessings on the heads of those children who may have just a very faint knowledge of Him. Not only does He grant generational blessings, but He also directly tackles satan to wrest the prey from his blood-stained hands, which in many cases includes our children who may just have an indistinct knowledge of God. Let's read:
Isaiah 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Let us then not focus on the generational curses, but rather on the generational blessings, for God is faithful who has promised, and in due season He will bless and deliver, according to His good and perfect will. God bless!