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The Execution of Generational Curses
Exodus 20:5-6 (NASB) says, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Generational curses are also made reference to in Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9. With multiple verses confirming, generational curses are a reality. This was part of the Ten Commandments, which was the covenant between God and Israel. Jesus did not do away with the law, but He fulfilled it by bearing the penalty of our sin (Matthew 5:17). God will forgive the sin, but if the guilt of that sin is not covered in the blood of Jesus, the consequences, repercussions and spirit of that sin will carry on, forming generational curses. You will read of examples of generational curses in the Old Testament, but not in the New Testament. They apply if you choose to live outside of the new covenant.
The opened door for generational curses is rebellion because it is the sin of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23), meaning that rebellion brings a curse, and this cursing spirit attached itself to a home. You can always point out a generational curse by recognizing the specific sin interwoven through a family. It could be such things as divorce, alcohol, adultery, or drugs, but there are common strongholds throughout the family, whether it be parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, children, brothers or sisters. It may not be the same case for every individual within the family, but it is a common struggle.
David’s adulterous sin with Bathsheba led to the murder of her husband and the death of David’s child seven days after his birth. Although David wrote Psalm 51 as a psalm or repentance and was forgiven, the root of the sin was not dealt with and, therefore, formed a curse that needed to be broken. The generational curse is observed through Solomon, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines (women on the side), Amnon who raped Tamar, and Absalom murdering Amnon for their horrific sin. All of these were David’s children. James 1:15 (NASB) says, “Then when lust has conceived (intimate with seed of lust), it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death (curse).” Kill the seed of lust before it initiates sin, finishes you with death and brings forth generational curses!
Another example is Abraham, whose fear of man welcomed the generational curses of deception and thievery. Out of fear of dying, Abraham pretended that Sarai was his sister instead of his wife in order to make it through Egypt alive. So, Pharaoh took Sarai into his house, and a plague came upon them as a result. Instead of defending the love of his life, he went forth in fear (Genesis 12:10-20). Isaac feared that he would die to the hands of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, because of Rebekah, his wife, since she was beautiful. Therefore, just as with Abraham, Isaac claimed her as his sister, but eventually word would get back to Abimelech that she was his wife, and he would command no one to touch her because she belonged to someone else (Genesis 26:6-11). Jacob, deceived his brother, Esau, in selling his birthright for a little pottage of stew and then robbing the fatherly blessing by pretending to be Esau (Genesis 25:29-34; 27). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all walked in deception for their own vain good, but it was the will of the Father for them not operate in generational curses, but generational blessings!
Jacob had an encounter with God on Peniel, he went from a generational curse to a generational blessing because he went from being labeled a deceiver to being labeled a prince of God! He transitioned from having sons of Jacob to tribes of Israel because he had a change in his walk. One moment with God can change you from a generational curse to a generational blessing. Under the new covenant, you will walk under a generational blessing because you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby you cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16, 23; Galatians 4:4-7). You do not have to be in an identity crisis because of a lack of relationship with your parents or because they not be in a relationship with God at this point. You may have prayed to be saved as a belief in Christ, but you must receive the spirit of adoption and know God as your Father to inherit His character and realize who you are in Him! It is the spirit of adoption that eliminates generational curses and produces generational blessings!