Sadly, there are many people throughout the religious world, and some who are not so religious, that continually take verses out of context. A recent discussion on Facebook pointed out this glaring fact. If we are to keep the words of God in their context, we must answer a few simple questions. First, to whom was this written? Second, what was it written about? Third, why was it written? Once these questions are answered, then one must be sure to read the entire context, sometimes meaning that one must read the preceding and following verses, maybe even the entire chapter, or even the entire book. If the context suggests prophecy, then we must also look to see where that prophecy was fulfilled. Then and only then will we be able to keep the Bible in context in its entirety.
Let’s take a few moments and see the context of some verses that were grossly misused over the course of a Facebook discussion. First, it was said that the Bible “endorses punishing children for their parents sins;” the verse used was Numbers 14:33-34 which states, “And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.” Let’s now determine the context in which this statement was actually made, rather than being drawn out to just prove one’s point. To whom was this written? The Israelites. What was this written about? The Israelites had just refused to go into the land of Canaan even though God had promised them the land. Why was it written? It was written to pronounce the punishment of the children of Israel for not believing that God would keep His promise. What was God’s purpose of doing this? Why should the children have to bear the “whoredoms” which the parents committed? Let’s notice some previous verses. Notice Numbers 14:29-30: “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” Notice the problem here? None of the children of Israel were going to be allowed into the land of Canaan that were of the age of accountability (which, under the Old Law meant 20 years old). The problem for those now that were under the age of 20 is that they were not old enough to assume the responsibility of entering the promised land and doing what needed to be done. Not only that, but think of the sorrow that parents that had refused to believe God would now feel since their children must also bear consequences of their (the parents’) sins? Those conse-quences were for the parents, not the children. Additionally, the wandering served as a teaching tool to the children because they were taught to believe in the promises of God. Also notice Ezekiel 18:19-20: “Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. 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.” The Bible clearly teaches that the person that sins will be responsible for his own sins, not the sins of his parents neither the parents for the sins of the child. This principle is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. And above all, were not these children ultimately rewarded with the land of Canaan?
-Josh Romo
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