The Book Of Lamentations – Part 41 – Is A Father Responsible And Punished For A Son’s Sin, And Vise-Versa? – Chapter 5 Lamentations 5:7 Series

THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS – PART 41 – IS A FATHER RESPONSIBLE AND PUNISHED FOR A SON’S SIN, AND VISE-VERSA? – CHAPTER 5 Lamentations 5:7

We are looking at important subjects in this final chapter and I don’t want to rush through the material. What was applicable to the survivors in Jeremiah’s time is just as relevant to our Christian era.

This time we are only going to do one verse because it covers a most important subject, and that is the responsibility for sin, and whether the fathers can be blamed for the judgement that falls on the children. I hope this causes you to think. This whole business is a challenge to fathers in the raising of their families.

[7]. A PROFOUND TRUTH AT LAST REALISED

{{Lamentations 5:7 “OUR FATHERS SINNED, and are no more. It is WE WHO HAVE BORNE THEIR INIQUITIES.”}}

I am afraid if my behaviour may have some influence on my 4 adult children. I guess parents are concerned that they have done the right things in raising the kids. That, I think, is a legitimate concern of all decent parents.

In this verse, it is Jeremiah writing, but I think he expresses the rational conclusions of the people. If only they realised all these outcomes just 6 months back and repented and turned to God from the vain idols, then Lamentations would not have been written. If the people repented in humility and returned to God, Babylon would not have come. The conditions would not have occurred. If this WORLD fully repents, the coming Tribulation would not happen, but prophetically, we know the course this world is steering.

Addressing this verse, it begins with “Our fathers sinned,” and that is so true. It was because of the sins of the fathers that the calamity fell on Judah. BUT there is something missing here. These very same people who claimed that the fathers sinned and that is why they are in this awful state, themselves, were vile sinners.

Revelation 22:12 says {{“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, TO REPAY EACH ONE FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE.”}}. I believe this statement in the closing verses of Revelation is a universal truth for all, and not just addressed to Christians.

[A]. WE LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL SINS AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PENALTY

Constantly in the book of Jeremiah, he revealed the deep idolatrous sin of the nation and its gross iniquities, along with warnings of what was coming if they continued in their sin. They took no notice, and in fact, their sin got worse until finally God shut the door on them. Those people who took no notice, were the same ones now suffering, and it is no good blaming the fathers for their sins while excusing themselves, even worse sinners than their fathers.

They needed to cry out, “WE HAVE SINNED, EACH ONE OF US!” (There is a change when we get to verse 16). There is too much blame in this world. People blame everything and everyone, but themselves. It is of no use in a coming day when each person, unsaved, stands in front of a God of wrath and blames everything but themselves for their sins. Each one will be judged according to their iniquity – {{Revelation 20:12 “and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS.”}}

That Revelation verse is not for Christians. This is not their day of accountability. Those who are at the JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST are the saved who have ALREADY said, “WE have sinned. I AM A SINNER.”

The second part of this verse says, “It is WE who have borne THEIR iniquities.” That is a half-truth. Yes, they are bearing the sins of their fathers but what about their own sins? Are they forgetting about them? They are reaping the results of their own personal sins. Jeremiah pleaded with the people right up to the end to repent and God would have delivered them, but their hearts were like stone. No one will escape personal sins for – {{Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, this he will also reap.”}}

Sin has its own bank and you can cash in there whenever you like. That is where you collect your wages – {{Romans 6:23 “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”}} The only trouble with that bank is that the wages you collect have DEATH stamped on the pay packet.