The people of Jerusalem who were the audience to Ezekiel’s prophetic messages—displayed an unwillingness to engage in introspection and examine their deteriorated relationships with God. Despite the numerous parables and illustrations presented by Ezekiel, they remained resolute in their refusal to change their ways or acknowledge the sin that resided within them. They had long concluded that their struggles stemmed from the transgressions of their ancestors, rather than recognizing the implications of the current state of affairs in Jerusalem. God rebuked those who blamed earlier generations for their own wrongdoing, as well as those who assumed they could rely on the righteousness of a faithful family member instead of responding personally to God’s call.
What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
Ezekiel 18:2 (NIV)
The proverb reflects a belief that emerged in Jeremiah’s time and became common among those living through the exile of 597 BC. It expressed a sense of inherited guilt and self-pity, suggesting that children suffer for the sins of their parents. This saying questioned God’s justice and revealed a flawed mindset, likely arising from a misunderstanding of Exodus 20:5 (…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…) making people believe that their life choices are shaped by circumstances beyond their control.
For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
Ezekiel 18:4 (NIV)
Why do we find it easier to blame things beyond our control for our present condition rather than examine our own faults?
Like the people of Jerusalem, we find it easier to shift responsibility on someone else than to confront what is wrong within us. The people blamed their suffering on their ancestors, repeating proverbs about inherited guilt rather than facing their own sin. By doing so, they avoided repentance and convinced themselves that they were victims of circumstances beyond their control, not participants in their own downfall. During the days of Jesus’ ministry, the same pattern continued as many blamed Roman oppression for their condition. Secure in their heritage and outward religious observance, they saw no need to examine themselves, and so failed to recognise their own sin even when truth stood directly before them. When people are convinced that they are not at fault and that they are being treated unjustly, it becomes impossible for truth to reach them.
The pattern persists in the church today when we often attribute our spiritual dryness to leadership failures, our church culture or our family traditions while overlooking our own disobedience and reluctance to change. By focusing on what lies outside our control, we shield ourselves from self-examination and resist the truth that calls us to repentance. Externalisation allows us to feel justified without being transformed. Scripture consistently shows that restoration does not begin with a change in circumstances, but with a willingness to look at our own shortcomings by responding to God’s call. God directly challenges this belief by declaring that the one who sins is the one who will die, making it clear that people are not ruled by fate but are personally accountable to Him.
Righteousness Is Not Inherited
God presents a clear example to help the people understand. He describes a righteous man who lives justly, rejects idolatry, honours moral boundaries, treats others fairly, and shows compassion to the poor, and God declares that such a man will live. In contrast, the man’s son is violent and chooses injustice and idolatry, oppressing others and exploiting the vulnerable. Despite his father’s righteousness, the son is held accountable for his own actions and will die for his sin, making it clear that righteousness or guilt cannot be inherited.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
Ezekiel 18:13 (NIV)
From the days of the forefathers, through the Pharisees, and even among modern-day Christians, why is the belief still so prevalent that righteousness is passed down from one generation to another?
The Pharisees’ pride in their traditions and lineage became their downfall, blinding them to the Saviour who stood before them. Today, many people, though they have no personal relationship with God and scarcely know who He is, still point to family members who serve in the church or as missionaries in distant places as proof that they come from a righteous family. Even while their hearts remain far from God, they convince themselves that they have attained righteousness through the works of others or by giving alms in support of those ministries. Society also places greater value on associations with righteous people than on inward righteousness itself. In fellowship, church life, social activities, or even marriage, people seek to befriend or associate with those who make such claims. By doing so, this false belief is reinforced, given legitimacy, and gradually normalised until everyone begins to follow it.
Time and again, Scripture shows how this belief is proven false, yet people still refuse to come directly before God. Instead, they hide behind a supposed shield, assuming that the righteousness of their family members will somehow cover them. While every material possession can be handed down through generations, a relationship with God is a personal connection and can never be understood until we experience it for ourselves.
Wickedness Is Not Transferable
But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
Ezekiel 18:14 (NIV)
God declares that not just righteousness but even wickedness is not transferable. God shows this using an example of the son of the wicked father who sees his father’s sin and deliberately chooses a different path. He rejects idolatry and injustice, lives with compassion, and obeys God’s laws. Because of this, he will live and will not bear his father’s guilt. God affirms that each person answers for their own actions, the righteous are credited for their righteousness, and the wicked bear the consequences of their own sin.
Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.
Ezekiel 18:19 (NIV)
Why do people continue to believe in generational curses even after the blood of the Son was shed to cleanse us from every curse?
People continue to believe in generational curses because it feels easier to explain ongoing struggles through inherited spiritual problems than to face the deeper call of personal repentance, faith, and obedience. Even after the blood of the Son was shed to break every curse, many still struggle to trust the completeness of that work. Holding on to the idea of generational curses can subtly reduce the sufficiency of the cross and replace dependence on Christ with fear, rituals, or intermediaries. It also allows people to remain unchanged while believing they are still seeking spiritual solutions.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…
Galatians 3:13 (NIV)
Repent & Find Life
Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Ezekiel 18:30-31 (NIV)
Why are we not able to comprehend the simple message of the Bible that calls us to repent and find life?
The message of the Bible has always centred on imperfect people finding life through grace and repentance. Repentance leads to life, and God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Yet this message is often missed. People read Scripture seeing themselves in its characters and refuse to learn from their failures, choosing instead to treat people like Abraham, Moses and David as heroes of faith rather than as flawed people saved by grace.
God reminds us that anyone who turns away from sin and begins to live rightly will be forgiven, and their past offences will no longer be held against them. At the same time, a righteous person who turns away from righteousness and chooses sin will die for their unfaithfulness. Being driven away from the presence of God is the ultimate punishment, though we often fail to recognise it. The absence of God is death in our lives, yet we still seek God only in moderation—choosing the ways of the world whenever possible and turning to Him only when everything else fails.
God is calling each person to repentance, urging them to turn from sin, receive a new heart and a new spirit, and live. Will we accept His offer, or, like the people of Jerusalem, blame the sins of our fathers for our plight and refuse to change our path and direct our lives to the ways of Christ?
The Jordan Valley 
Reply