When we think about sin we tend to categorize it in to punishable by death, worst, horrible, bad, not as bad, and so on and so forth. We look at things like sexual immorality, homosexuality, murder, incest, rape, drug addiction, and alcoholism and categorize them. We often forget about anger and malice and gossip, gluttony, greed, lying, speeding, and lusting (in what we consider small ways). We do not realize that our sin has a long lasting effect on future generations. When Eve took a bite out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil sin was generated from there until now and will continue until Christ returns. That sin flowed through them into further generations. But we are going to skip a huge chunk of that history and move to Ishmael and Isaac, for a particular reason.
Abraham and Sarah (formerly Abram and Sarai) were promised a son to be their heir. Abraham had also been promised descendants that were more numerous than the stars in the sky. When things did not happen within his timing, and even within Sarah's biological timing, they took matters into their own hands. Sarah suggested her servant Hagar to Abraham to bear them a child. Abraham, as several men might, took the opportunity and had sexual relations with Hagar. She bore him a son whom they called Ishmael. Later, Sarah bore a son and named him Isaac. When Abraham died Isaac received the inheritance, Ishmael did receive a blessing but not the one he thought he was entitled to. Because he was not the son God had promised Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac's sibling rivalry spun out of control. We now see it as Israel fighting against the Arab countries. (Talk about long lasting sibling rivalry)! Abraham sinned not only against his wife and his family and the poor servant girl, but he sinned against God. Not just any god but the Almighty God.
Our sin does not only effect us but it effects our children, our children's children, and our children's children's children...i think you get it. It goes so much deeper and spreads so much further than we could ever imagine! Our sin is disgusting to God! In Ezekiel 21 God tells Ezekiel to pass on a message to those sinning against Him (no doubt it was His baby, His son...Israel). He told Ezekiel to tell them "say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you and will draw My sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore My sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn My sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again.'" 21:3-5. He was telling the Israelites that because of their sin He was going to not just punish them but cut off righteous and wicked. He was serious, He still is. Sin is no joke, not just because it may make people feel bad or it may make us feel bad. It is us slapping God in the face and saying "Your Son coming to die means nothing!" I do not want my life to show that. I want to live a life honoring and pleasing to God. My petty lies or lack of self-control are not at all worth sinning against the God who created heaven and earth. The bitterness and anger that builds up is not worth pushing others away from knowing just how great our God is. My sin is not worth effecting further generations. If one sin of faithlessness from Abraham can turn into one sin of sexual immorality. Then that sin "bears fruit" quite literally in the form of a child that eventually has led to a war over who gets to own the land which costs so many lives. Is our sin worth it? What are we doing each day in our personal walk with Christ to fight and kill sin so that we may become more like Him? Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Although we may be sinful and our sin is punishable by death, we have hope in our Father. God has given us hope to repent from our sins and run to Him with open arms begging for forgiveness. Our sin truly passes down from generation to generation. That is one thing I do not want my children, grandchildren, and so on to inherit.
God bless!
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