Both faithfulness and sinfulness have generational consequences. Read Exodus 20:4-6. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the people were in the valley worshiping the Golden Calf that they had made. The second of the Ten Commandments includes a commandment and a promise. The Commandment forbids the creation of graven images or idols. The Hebrew people had just been freed from Egyptian slavery, where idol worship was prominent. Each God was portrayed with the head of an animal; for example, Sobek, the God of the Nile, had the head of a crocodile. We don’t know if the Hebrew people worshiped any of the Egyptian Gods or participated in their worship practices. What we do know is that when they were in the wilderness, they turned to idol worship. The promise embedded in the Second Commandment is that the faithfulness of this generation will shape the next 1,000 generations. There is also a warning that the sin of this generation will shape the next three to four generations. That is quite a contrast. While the negative consequence of sin is great, the positive consequence of faithfulness is far greater. What we do in this generation matters to future generations. Moses will later instruct the people to teach these commandments to their children and to teach them to their children. As followers of Jesus, we include the teaching of Jesus as important. Love God. Love people. Serve people. Forgive people. Show hospitality to people. We use our words and our example to teach the next generation what it means to follow Jesus. Our faithfulness will be received by the next generation and continue for 1,000 generations. May it be so.

Prayer: Holy God, you have called us to faithfulness and fruitfulness. May our faithfulness lead to fruitfulness in the next generation, and may faithfulness continue to each generation. Amen.