The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

.... And the children’s teeth are set on edge. What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel? .... The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:2, 3d). In God's dealing with ancient Israel, rewards and punishments often came in the here and now. The Babylonian exile (1:2; 12:13) was punishment for Israel embracing the abominations of the nations (7:8). The proverb was about blaming the fathers for the exile, that and accusing God of being unjust.  “We are innocent, and yet we are being punished along with the guilty.” Verse 3d above essentially summarizes God's answer “No I am just, each one will bear his own punishment.” He goes on to tell of His mercy when we repent (verse 21ff).

There would be ample evidence to doubt God's justice if the here and now was all there is!  The Psalmist had almost stumbled when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. It was too painful for him, that is until he understood their end (Psalm 73:2, 17). And it is certainly true that in the here and now we often suffer for the sins of the fathers.   But this is not punishment, it is “sins visited” on us (Exodus 20:5 NKJV). Some translations of this verse have “I punish the children for the father's sins,” but while the Hebrew would allow for this translation, it would contradict Ezekiel 18:20, and the NKJV is therefore to be preferred.  What “sins visited” means, is that the father's sins have consequences for the children. If a man is sent to prison, his children will likely have a hard time at school. There will also be much shame. In addition,  the children are more likely to follow in the footsteps of the fathers,  than in the general population. Many children of alcoholics become alcoholics for example. Not all of them certainly, but it does tend to be the default!

But the main application of this morning's verses is that we need to take responsibility for the things we have done. We need to stop blaming God and others for our sins. Sins and poor choices have negative consequences, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). We might not like it, but this is the nature of reality since the fall (Genesis 3:17).  Of course we will be forgiven if we repent (1 John 1:9), though it is worth pointing out,  that the Lord will not automatically remove the consequences of our sin (Galatians 6:7 again).  If we stole, we may have to go to jail! So we suffer as a result of our own poor choices, and we need to take responsibility for that. But there is also some responsibility that we need to take when we are suffering when the fault is not ours.  Certainly we are not responsible for other people's choices, but we are responsible for our response to those choices. When Jesus was reviled He did not retaliate (1 Peter 2:23), and He is our example to follow!

Father, Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery ordeals that  come on us to test us. But to rejoice inasmuch as we participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that we may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:12, 13). Give us grace Father to respond to life's suffering Your way,  and to take responsibility for our side of the street. We need Your help Lord,  and we are asking for it in Jesus Name Amen