According to the Law God gave us by Moses each person should be responsible for his own deeds. "The father shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16). However, when God was angry with Solomon for turning away, he did not punish him in his lifetime, for the sake of David. He tore the whole kingdom except one tribe from Solomon's son Rehoboam's hand (1 King 11:11-13). The same thing happened again in 1 Kings 21:29. The Lord did not bring disaster to Ahab according to his evil doing. But God brought disaster to his son because of what Ahab did wrong. Why did God punish persons for the sins which were not committed by them? We can see the great compassion and mercy God has for Solomon and Ahab. But it is hard to understand things from their sons' points of view. They did nothing wrong, but still had to accept punishment. Can you tell me how to understand it properly? — Grace Guo
In the Old Testament there is indeed a strong sense of corporate accountability. We see it again in Achan's sin (Joshua 7). Yet the law (Deuteronomy 24, which you cited) and prophets like Ezekiel (chapter 18) insist that each person stands before God on his own. (In the case of Achan, it is reasonable to suppose that his family were complicit in his sin, aware that he had dug a hole under the tent.) Yet the sins of the guilty often drag down the innocent. There is a dynamic tension at work.
We see this dynamic often in life. The innocent do suffer for the sins of others. (1) One person sins, (2) others react or imitate or do wrong in response, and (3) are punished. Thus the guilt appears to be transferred to the second party. The middle step may not be explicitly stated, but it is there. The Bible assures us that we suffer for our own sin (it's our responsibility how we decide, act, and react). Yet often the agency of others is part of our own decision-making process. The fact is, Solomon sinned grievously (1 Kings 11) and was chastised, though not completely. Ahab was a sinner with a trace of humility in him. The sons of these men presumably had less righteousness than their fathers.
Moreover, sin, like righteousness, has a certain momentum. A man sins, and messes up his family. Even if he repents, there may be several generations of severe dysfunction as a result. (Think of King David!) His descendants are not being punished directly because of their progenitor's sins, but indirectly. (Their free will has not been compromised.) Or, as in the case of Solomon, the good in that man brought certain blessings to his son and successor, Rehoboam. It can take some time before the momentum of good is arrested completely.
The same is true at the personal level. Galatians 6:7-8 is a propos. Sowing is followed by reaping. I frequently see this in my own life. I may be blessed for things I did years ago, even though I'm not doing right at the present time. Or I may be suffering now for things I did years ago, even though I have made significant changes more recently. So it is with our families.
Corporate sin, corporate accountability. Hard concepts to get our minds around, but they are important to grasp if we are going to be comfortable with God's way of doing things.
May I recommend two books that may help you go further? They are both by Norman Geisler: When Skeptics Ask and When Critics Ask.
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