Is God a Flip-Flopper?

Amazing1914

I have never been able to find a satisfactory answer to these two verses from the Bible:

Exodus 34:7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Deut. 24:16: The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

Can you explain the contradiction? It seems like God may be flip-flopping. Jim W.

Corvin

Deut. 24:16: The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. . . . but in just this instance. the rest of time you are screwed from generation to generation, says Jehovah.

frankiespeakin

I don't think it's God filp floppin,, more likely just a different group of persons who wrote with a different point of view that they attribute to God.

I think in human courts, we are to refrain from punishing individuals for the sins of their relatives. Giving the ultimate sentence (death) is the most severe punishment we can afflict on a person for crime here in a court of justice, and it is not authorized for us to extend to children (or parents) of criminals.

However, God reserves the right to let consequences continue down to further generations. Sometimes he punishes the children for the sins of their fathers (sometimes not).

I think it is not the contradiction it appears on the surface because (and this is obviously not a JW view!) these individuals are not dead to God at all, though they are to us. Their eternal destinies of death or life are not decided by the actions of the relatives. In the ultimate sentence from God--eternal life or death--He judges individually, too.

bebu

gumby

Yes.	No.
Gen.9:21-25 "And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father .... And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan [Ham's son]; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." Ex.20:5 , Dt.5:9 "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation." Ex.34:7 "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation." Num.14:18 "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation." Dt.28:18 "Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body." 2 Sam.12:14 "The child also that is born unto thee shall surely die." 2 Sam.21:6-9 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD .... And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD." 1 Kg.2:33 "Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever." 1 Kg.21:29 "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house." 2 Kg.5:27 "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever." Is.14:21 "Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers." Jer.16:10-11 "Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? ... Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord." Jer.29:32 "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed." Jer.32:18 "Thou ... recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them."	Dt.24:16 "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." Jer.31:29-30 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity." Ezek.18:20 "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

Yes.

No.

Gen.9:21-25: "And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father .... And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan [Ham's son]; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
Ex.20:5 , Dt.5:9: "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation."
Ex.34:7: "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation."
Num.14:18: "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation."
Dt.28:18: "Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body."
2 Sam.12:14: "The child also that is born unto thee shall surely die."
2 Sam.21:6-9: Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD .... And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD."
1 Kg.2:33: "Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever."
1 Kg.21:29: "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house."
2 Kg.5:27: "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever."
Is.14:21: "Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers."
Jer.16:10-11: "Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? ... Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord."
Jer.29:32: "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed."
Jer.32:18: "Thou ... recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them."

Dt.24:16: "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."
Jer.31:29-30: In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity."
Ezek.18:20: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

Gumby

bebu

Gumbaby,

Haven't we been over this before?

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/70071/1.ashx

bebu

gumby

Bebubaby......this isn't my thread

G

And gee wiz, can't I ever repreat my self?

*sticks tongue out at Bebu*

Gumby

StinkyPantz

If there is a God.. I seriously doubt that the Bible represents his thoughts and feelings.

rocky220

I agree with Stinky-pantz.....How can we hold Big "J" responsible for the way men have shamefully altered the Bible to suit their political and religious power agendas over the centuries. Then comes the Borg, with truly flip-flop prophecies and policies....and it doesn't stop!!!!!.......rocky220

Is God a Flip-Flopper?

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