Father's Day: What kind of Legacy will you leave?

A passage of Scripture that is confusing to some and troubling to others is actually a tremendous warning and promise when seen in its entirety. Near the beginning of the ten commandments is an admonition to worship God alone.  Love Him, Obey Him and there is an associated promise…   “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the 

punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,  but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Exodus 20:5-6 NASB.  For some the admonition that God inflicts the punishment of a father’s sin on His children to the third and fourth generation seems unfair and capricious.   Why should a child be punished for his father’s sin?  But in reality this should be seen as a warning not a threat.  A father’s sin affects his children….just as surely as a father’s righteousness has an affect on the children.  Parents pass their Biblical values (or lack of them) on to the succeeding generations.  The story of the generational legacy of two men tells this story.  Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s.  He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton college. He married his wife Sara in 1727 and they were blessed with eleven children. Every night when Mr. Edwards was home, he would spend an hour conversing with his family and then praying a blessing over each child. Jonathan and his wife Sarah passed on a great, godly legacy to their eleven children.

An American educator, A.E. Winship decided to trace the descendants of Jonathan Edwards almost 150 years after his death.  His findings are remarkable, especially when compared to another man from the same time period known as Max Jukes. Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates. How may this be explained? Edwards was a godly man, but he was also hard working, intelligent and moral. Furthermore, Winship states, “Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the more than 1,400 of Edwards’ family is due to both Mr. and  Mrs. Edwards.  They were a Godly team”. Another man who lived at approximately the same time, Max Jukes’ had a different legacy. His story came to people’s attention when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him. He lived in New York at about the same period as Edwards.   Jukes’ descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely. (Edward’s and Jukes’ story copied)

These contrasting legacies provide an example of what Exodus 20:5-6 is talking about. “How a parent raises their child — the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide — influences not only their children but the four generations to follow, either for good or evil.” What a challenging thought! If someone studied your descendants four generations later, what would you want them to discover? Do you want an Edwards’ legacy or a Jukes’ legacy? The life you live will determine the legacy you leave!