Under the Law of God each person is responsible for his or her own conduct, and alone is to bear the judgment against sin. Guilt by association, even as close relatives, was not considered a form of justice, even though it may have been commonly practiced in other societies.

Especially encouraging in this statute is the idea that parents are not responsible for the transgressions of their children. This did not give parents leave to raise their children to be hellions; at the same time, it relieved faithful parents of any sense of culpability in their children’s wrongdoing.

Here is a word of comfort to many Christian parents today, whose children are in rebellion against their upbringing, the Church, and the Lord.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.