But God is not a vengeful and angry Father who intentionally punishes great-grandchildren for the sins committed generations earlier by others.ДЄ better way to understand this scripture is to realize that family dysfunctions and their consequences are passed down from parents to children and from generation to generation. It's easy to believe from this scripture that God simply punishes those who disrespect Him and blesses those who love Him. And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. The Scriptures often remind us that it's important to think generationally.Д¬onsider God's instruction in the Ten Commandments that 'I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments' ( Exodus 20:5-6 Exodus 20:5-6 You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me They don't understand or appreciate how one member of a family can impact other members. Many people selfishly live only for today. When God calls us and opens our minds to follow His way of life, we may not be fully aware of how our new relationship with Him will not only change us individually, but can also have a wonderful influence on our descendants, impacting future generations. However, negative and destructive behavior is also passed down within families. Some of these traits may be positive and beneficial-like nurturing skills, valuing hard work or education. Family traits are often passed down from parents to children, and this cycle has been repeated for thousands of years. This song reminds us of the universal influence one generation has on another.

The last verse concludes with this sad line: ' And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, he'd grown up just like me-my boy was just like me.'

Sadly, the father comes to realize that his son is absorbed with the same materialistic priorities he had, and so a close relationship will never happen. As the father grows old and finally has time to look back on his life, he deeply desires to get to know his adult son and have a meaningful relationship with him.

In time, the boy grows up to become a man very much like his father, focused on career and other personal pursuits at the expense of family relations. In 1974 American singer and songwriter Harry Chapin recorded a song titled 'Cat's in the Cradle.' The song is about a father who is too busy to spend time with his son, instead offering vague promises to spend time with him in the future.

Breaking the sins of the father