2 Kings 5:27; Ezek. 18:20

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JS1789

New member
Jan 11, 2025
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#1
In 2 Kings 5:27, Elisha says to Gehazi “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.”

Gehazi's descendants would have leprosy for his actions.

How do I harmonize that with Ezekiel 18:20, which states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father?
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
16,928
626
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#2
In 2 Kings 5:27, Elisha says to Gehazi “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.”

Gehazi's descendants would have leprosy for his actions.

How do I harmonize that with Ezekiel 18:20, which states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father?
Ghazi, was not a believer in the Lord. Ghazi was out for self, Elisha knew this and even saw it in Spirit and Truth, even said that to Ghazi, and then said this curse is brought on you for doing what you have done selfishly. read the whole Chapter
The is man's doings, it is not God doing this to Ghazi, it is Ghazi that did this to himself and his descendants, yet his descendants can turn to God and believe God and be let go of this curse of their Father given them over his wrong doings. So walk new and stop trying to walk new, just by Faith of it, for no one can but God, who did it for you by Son to you as risen after he first took away all sin for you to believe God in the risen Son given you to stand in belief to it
Son came to fulfill the Law and prophecies of himself to take away sin, once for us all, in his Father's sight. That paved the way for new life to get given us and be new in trust to God above self and anyone else, this is done in the risen life, not the death, that death was for reconciliation to all first, then risen where new life is at for you and all others to believe it too See it
Matthew 5:17, John 19:30, Hebrews 9:14-17 Hebrews 7:11-12
Came to fulfill, did it, now is risen where new life for you is given you to be new in trust to it is done for you to just love all in the same mercy and truth given you from God for you, that just loves you too, respond to that please
thanks
 

JS1789

New member
Jan 11, 2025
28
11
3
#3
The is man's doings, it is not God doing this to Ghazi, it is Ghazi that did this to himself and his descendants
Great point. Had not thought of that before. Thanks. I believe the answer is that the son doesn’t receive the spiritual punishment of the father’s sins, while 2 Kings 5:27 is referring to physical diseases that children or descendants sadly suffer from their parents sins.

It was brought out to me that children often suffer consequences in this life for their parents sins, but they never suffer the guilt of sins: that is, they are not considered to be guilty before God and therefore subject to eternal punishment because of the sins of their parents.
 
Nov 1, 2024
1,816
578
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#4
Ezekiel said the soul that sins dies, but sons are not to be put to death for their father's sins. Ghazi's descendants weren't cursed with death. God said he visits the iniquities of the father unto the 3rd and 4th generations. Obviously in Ghazi's case it extended for much longer

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exodus 20:4-5
 

Beckworth

Well-known member
May 15, 2019
738
270
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#5
In 2 Kings 5:27, Elisha says to Gehazi “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.”

Gehazi's descendants would have leprosy for his actions.

How do I harmonize that with Ezekiel 18:20, which states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father?


Inheriting sin is a spiritual condition that will cause you to lose your soul. Inheriting a physical disease is just a consequence of living in a cursed world. It’s like inheriting heart disease from one of your parents. It will not cause you to lose your soul. You really can’t compare 2 Kings 5 with Ezekiel 18. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. One is physical and the other is spiritual.

God often used physical disease as a punishment: Miriam in Numbers 12, uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26. Gehazi’s disease was physical punishment for sin. The child of Gehazi might inherit the physical disease of his father but not the “sins” of his father. The child did not lie and steal, and he will not be charged with those sins. He will suffer the CONSEQUENCES of his fathers sins, but not the guilt. This does not in any way contradict Ezekiel 18.

We see this everyday in this life here on earth. An alcoholic father may abuse his children; spend his money on alcohol to the extent that his children don’t have the necessities of life. Are these children guilty of alcoholism because their father is an alcoholic? No! But they DO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES of their fathers alcoholism. THey are mistreated and go hungry and don’t have proper clothes or medicine and lots of other things because of their father’s sin. We see people everyday who suffer because of the sins of others. A family that loses a child or a mate because of a drunk driver, an abused wife, etc. These are CONSEQUENCES OF SIN , not inherited sin.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,856
6,004
113
#6
In 2 Kings 5:27, Elisha says to Gehazi “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.”

Gehazi's descendants would have leprosy for his actions.

How do I harmonize that with Ezekiel 18:20, which states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father?
Ezekiel was writing about conditions under the new covenant under the old covenant israel was punished sometimes for generations based on tbier fathers sins that wouldn’t be the case in the new covenant but every man wouod answerr for thier own sins not the sins of others by association

under the ot

“The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭14:18‬ ‭

foretelling the new you probably should read the entire section but you can see how the principle is different

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.


…But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.


If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, ……shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, that hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18:4-5, 9-17‬ ‭

this was huge news for Israel at the time they had been suffering for generations based on tbe idolatry of thier ancestors

now each person could repent and only be held accountable for thier own deeds and actions rather than being lumped in with thier ancestors like many Christian’s still try to do linking us to Adams transgression and punishment under the ot

“thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The old covenant was about a particular people called to be holy as the lord is holy and so the people were looked at as one people of thier leaders became wicked everyone was considered wicked . If thier qncestors we’re wicked they also were caught up in tbe judgement by association

the new covenant is about the individual believer and faith in Jesus Christ the one approved hier of God