UNDERSTANDING GENERATIONAL SINS
Introduction
Sin can be defined as going against God’s ordained laws and ordinances Psalm
51:1-7 while Transgression can be defined as going beyond or outside stated
boundaries Psalm 32:1-5. On the other hand, iniquity is an inner weakness that is
passed on from one generation to another, through the bloodline Romans 4:6- 8
and generational sins are a transfer of sins or tendency to sin from one
generation to another e.g. from father to son. Character traits or habits can be
inherited both physically and spiritually because in the spiritual realm certain
things can be inherited.
Biblical examples of people who experienced Generational Sins
Abraham
God called Abraham His friend and a father of faith and yet in Genesis 12:10-
20 and yet when he sojourned in Egypt after God called him, he lied about his
wife because of the fear of the Egyptians. His wife Sarah also lied that she did
not laugh at God’s prophecy about her due to fear in Genesis 18:9-15. The
kingdom of darkness knew about their weakness of telling lies and so Satan
continued to follow them. This same sin reoccurred in Genesis 20:1-18, when
Abraham moved to Gerar in the kingdom of Abimelech. The king wanted to take
on Sarah as a wife but God intervened and saved Sarah from committing
adultery by warning the king. Satan once again was seeking to corrupt the seed
God promised in Sarah and Abraham. Many times, Satan uses iniquity to steal
our destiny.
Later on, Isaac who came in the second generation as the promised child to
Abraham and Sarah inherited the same weaknesses his parents had. In Genesis
26:1-11, when he sojourned in Egypt, he too because of fear lied about his wife
Rebecca. Once again, the Lord intervened. His wife Rebecca also had the same
weakness Genesis 27:6-29, she taught her son Jacob to steal Esau‘s blessings
from Isaac.
Jacob, whose name meant trickster or deceiver was the third generation from
Abraham and yet inherited the same weaknesses. Note that the curse
aggravates in each generation. Jacob first manipulated his brother Esau to sell
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his birthright to him Genesis 25:29-34. Later on, he tricked his father Isaac and
took Esau’s blessing as a firstborn Genesis 27:19-29. While in Laban’s home
Jacob reaped what he sowed in deception Genesis 29:19-30. Still later on, he
multiplied his flock through manipulation Genesis 30:37-43.
Among the twelve sons of Jacob, we see the same weaknesses. Satan was still
after this family of God even up to this fourth generation. They too lied to their
father about what had happened to their brother Joseph Genesis 37:23-36. Not
only that his children had a lot of other problems; Reuben slept with his father’s
concubine, Levi and Simeon had a problem of anger and Judah committed incest
by sleeping with his daughter in-law Genesis 35, 34 & 38.
David
When Jacob blessed his sons in Genesis 49:8-12, he prophesied that the royal
line would come from the tribe of Judah and the sceptre would not depart from
him. However, Judah was sexually immoral in that he slept with his daughter-in-
law Genesis 38:1-30. Although he was anointed to produce kings as we see in
Matthew 1:2-6 it took ten generations before David could become king because
of God’s requirement in Deuteronomy 23:2. Iniquity delays the purposes of God
in our lives, family, church and in the land.
David came from the lineage of Judah and he finally took over the throne as the
king of Judah and Israel 2Samuel 2:4; 5:3. Although God called him a man after
His own heart 1Samuel 13:14, he still operated under the iniquity of Judah. For
example, one of the reasons why David fought Goliath was to get the prize of a
woman 1Samuel 17:25-30 and when this was not fulfilled, he had to go to war
just to get 100 foreskins but which was planned to end his life 1Samuel 18:17-
30 and he actually took 200. Iniquity destroys not only you as a person but the
purposes of God in your life. It was again manifested in the numerous wives he
married with no official wife for him 1Chronicles 3:1-9.
Again, David was supposed to be commanding war but because of this
generational sin of immorality, he remained behind and slept with Uriah’s wife
Bathsheba and he also had him killed 2 Samuel 11:1-26. This sin earned him and
his children a curse which God pronounced through Nathan 2 Samuel 12:1-14.
Generation sins when they are not dealt with, can lead to more sins even to
curses. Sometimes it brings God’s judgment upon the people, families, land and
the Church. God‘s judgment pronounced over David was all fulfilled in his life
and also in the lives of his children; Amnon raped his sister Tamar 2Samuel 13:1-
22, Absalom conspired to take the kingdom from him and slept with his father‘s
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concubines 2 Samuel 15:1-12; 16:20-23.
The sin of immorality followed David up to his old age for his servants had to
look for a young girl to keep him warm 1 Kings 1:1-4. Generation sins do not
respect man, age or status.
Generational sins are aggravated from one generation to another; this is seen in
Solomon who had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines and by the
end of his life, his wives had led him astray and he even built altars for the gods
worshipped by the wives. God’s anger was upon him therefore the kingdom of
Israel was divided because of Solomon‘s idolatry 1Kings 11:1-13. When a
leader is leaving under generational sin, he causes the people to sin and others
also inherit his sins.
Moses
Because Leah had a problem with rejection, she gave birth to children with
bitterness and anger Genesis 29:31-35. When Jacob was blessing his children in
Genesis 49:5-7, instead of blessing Simeon and Levi he cursed them.
Moses came from the lineage of Levi and he also had a problem with anger,
Exodus2:1-10. He however inherited the weakness of anger and being short
tempered from Levi and was living under the curse Jacob had pronounced. This
manifested in Exodus 32:15-20, when he broke the two tablets of stones
containing the Ten Commandments. In Numbers 20:1-13, he disobeyed God
when he struck the rock twice with his staff yet God told him to speak to the rock.
This is the same Moses who obeyed God in Exodus 17:1-7 when the Israelites
cried for water and he interceded for them. The sin of anger that was operating
in their bloodline could not respect the man God spoke with face to face. Hence
Moses died in the wilderness, not having entered the Promised Land
Deuteronomy 32:48-52. He however interceded for the tribe of Levi and this
curse was lifted Deuteronomy 33:8-11. We can pass on a positive legacy to our
children as in 2 Timothy1:5-6.
Isaiah 53:1-12, Jesus died for our sins, was bruised for our iniquity and bled for
our transgressions. We need to understand the impact of the generational sins,
identify their gates in our lives and learn to deal with them.
Lessons:
• The devil tries to steal or defile God’s promises as in the case of Abraham.
• We need to take God at His word, believing He will fulfil every promise He
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has made Romans 10:17.
• Every sin, if not confessed will be punished. God used Laban, Jacob‘s uncle to
punish him for his lies Genesis 29:23, Genesis 31:7.
• Iniquity and sin if not dealt with can cost us God‘s promises and plans as in the
case of Moses.
• Iniquity delays the promises of God in our lives, families, tribes and nation.
• Iniquity can divert the plans and the purposes of God in our lives
1Chronicles 22:1-8.
• Generational sins can lead to generational curses as was the case with David
and his sons, Eli and Ahab.
• Generational sins operating in a leader can lead to a whole family, tribe and
the nation inheriting the same sins.
• Sins committed in secret, when not dealt with are exposed and aggravated in
our children and their children to the 3rd and 4th generations.
On the other hand positive traits and legacy can also be passed on from one
generation to another as was the case with Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:5-6. Jesus
Christ, the spotless Lamb of God is our atonement for sin, iniquity and
transgression Isaiah 53:1-12. We should confess and repent before the Lord for
all generational sins not only in our lives and family but also intercede for our
tribes and nations. God promises to relent His anger if we turn from our sins
1Chronicles 7:13-17, Ezekiel 22:30.
Understanding Generation Curses
Introduction
The word curse was first mentioned by God when He cursed the serpent and the
earth in Genesis 3:14-19 and it is mentioned 50 times in the Bible.
Blessings produce good results while curses produce destruction and death.
Sources or Roots of curses
• Bringing cursed objects into the home, office or business. Deuteronomy 7:25-26.
• Handling unholy things Leviticus 5:2.
• Giving honour to demonic gods and following demonic fads Exodus 23:2
• Through occultic drawings and gifts Ezekiel 8:9-10
• Performance of demonic rituals to consult the spirits and using personal
effects (e.g. clothing, hair, nail clippings and photographs.) Living in a
defiled house or land.
• Going into battle against Satan without being spiritually prepared.
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• Ridiculing Satan. Jude 1:8-10
• Partaking food sacrificed to idols.
• Circumstances beyond our control, where we visit in people’s homes, land,
hotels etc that is cursed.
• Hatred, jealousy, and an unruly tongue or mis-spoken words.
• Breaking covenants, vows and the commandments of the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-5.
Indication of a curse
Where there are a lot of frustrations, regrets, due to sicknesses and diseases,
death, financial problems and when one begins to question God concerning the
things that are working against his life, family, job, marriage, Church e.t.c. This
becomes an indication that there is some curse operating in the person‘s life.
In Deuteronomy 27:15-26, 28:15-68, Genesis 9:25 shows many curses that are
pronounced over whoever disobeys the requirements of the Lord. And this has
effects on the people, the land, the animals, the finances, the property and the
children to come. And these curses include the past and the present ones. For
instance:
• Having a history of mental illness that may have progressed through
generations.
• Having a history of repeated or chronic sicknesses, especially the ones that are
hereditary.
• Having a history of barrenness, unfruitfulness, a tendency to miscarry or
related female problems.
• Having a history of marriage breakdown and family separations.
• Having a history of continuous financial insufficiency or abject poverty.
• Having a high record of accidents that are unusual in nature, i.e.
being―accident prone.‖
• Having a history of unnatural or untimely deaths and suicides or a large
number of people who have died prematurely.
• Having a pattern of constant failures.
• Having a pattern of broken engagements.
• Exhibiting a high level of anger.
• Having a history of abuse such as physical, emotional or sexual.
• Exhibiting any of the following personality behaviors: high-control,
manipulation, addiction, co-dependency, depression, unforgiveness, humiliation,
defeat, confusion, retrogression, stress or isolation.
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Kinds of curses
• Curses can be from Satan or his agents and these are always done for the sole
purpose of causing injury, loss, or destruction and death.
• Curses from God are normally for the purposes of gaining the person’s
attention and causing him/her to turn from their evil ways, turn toward God and
purify their lives. If the person does not respond, they are destroyed and
eventually put to death. Curses from God come as punishment due to
disobedience to God’s word, laws and His commandments, Leviticus 26:1446.
• Curses can also originate from people suffering from the curse when they
speak negatively about themselves. Therefore we need to learn to speak
positively the word of God over our lives and in every situation we go through.
• Some curses originate from leaders who have authority over us: these can be
spiritual, tribal, community or government leaders.
• Curses from parents Genesis 49:5-7, relatives or friends.
• When sin is committed and is not dealt with, through repentance, it gives birth
to a curse or curses.
Biblical examples of people who bore generational curses
Eli
In 1Samuel 2:21-26 , Eli‘s sons who were the priests in God‘s house, treated the
sacrifices and offerings of God with contempt even after their father Eli had
rebuked them hence the Lord pronounced curses over Eli, his children and the
generation to come 2Samuel 2:27-35.s
The consequences of this curse were:
Early or premature death, continual grief, death at prime of life Poverty.
The curse followed the generations from
(1st generation) Eli 1Samuel 4:12-22
(2nd generation) Phinehas and Hophni 1Samuel 4:12-22
(3rd generation) Ahitub - Ahijah 1Samuel 14:2-3.
(4thgeneration) Ahimelech 1Samuel22:6-23.
(5th generation) Abiathar 1Kings 2:26-27. Abiathar the last male descendant of
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Eli was removed from the priesthood of the Lord by Solomon thus fulfilling the
word the Lord spoke at Shiloh about Eli’s house.
Ahab
The Lord pronounced a curse over King Ahab’s life and his descendants after he
killed Naboth and took over his field illegally 1Kings 21:1-24. When he
humbled himself before the Lord, the curse was transferred to the next
generations. This was fulfilled in 1Kings22:29-37 when King Ahab died in the
war at Ramoth Gilead. His son Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah
were killed by Jehu who been anointed to be the new king of Israel, according
to the word of God in 2Kings 9:14-29.
Later on Jehu went to Jezreel and destroyed the house of Ahab thereby
accomplishing the word of God spoken concerning Jezebel the wife of Ahab
2Kings 9:30-37, and Ahabe’s family 2Kings 10:1-11.
David
In 2 Samuel 12:1-14 God pronounced a curse over the house of David because
of killing Uriah and taking his wife to be his own. The Lord told David that
because he used the sword to kill Uriah, the sword would not depart from his
house and that God would bring calamity upon his house. God said that before
his very eyes he was going to give his wives to the one who is close to him and
he would lie with them in broad daylight. David had sinned in secret, but God
would do punish him in broad daylight before Israel. This was immediately
fulfilled in 2Samuel 12:15-18 when the child David had with Bathsheba died in
spite of pleading with God and fasting.
Absalom killed his brother Amnon because of raping his sister Tamar 2Samuel
13:1-22,23-39. Thereafter, in 2 Samuel 15: 1-12 Absalom conspired to take
away the kingdom from his father David and the sword which the prophet
pronounced that it would not depart from the house of David ended the life of
his son Absalom 2 Sam18:9-18. Apart from that Absalom slept with the father‘s
concubines in the sight of all Israel.
After David and Solomon, most kings in Israel and Judah died by the sword.
Other examples include:
Noah cursed his grandson Canaan for seeing his nakedness Genesis 9:20:25.
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Joshua proclaimed that the Gibeonites would be under a curse because of
deceiving Joshua 9:22-27.
Gehazi and his descendants were cursed with leprosy by Elisha 2Kings 5:19-27.
Joab and his descendants who were cursed with running sore or leprosy or who
lean on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.2Samuel 3:27-39,
and this was fulfilled in 1kings 2:28-34.
Therefore so long as we are still living on earth, we need to deal with the curses
that are affecting our lives, families, church, communities and tribes Revelation
21:1- 4.
