To The Seventh Generation

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Posted by Karen Kinnaird, June 5, 2024

The tunnel was pitch black. The water rushing over my legs was ice cold. Our team of four crouched through the narrow space while holding the flashlights of our cell phones above our heads to give some light in the darkness. The water tunnel, two feet wide and 5-6 feet high, showed ancient pick marks surrounded by green algae. I was grateful for my water shoes since the surface of the passageway was smooth, but quite uneven. The echo of the rushing water and people’s voices reverberated off the stone walls. I was overwhelmed thinking of the 2700 years of history in this remarkable 1,750-foot carved, snaking bedrock channel. The tunnel was originally excavated by two teams, one starting at each end of the tunnel and then meeting in the middle. Where are we?

The Siloam Tunnel in eastern Jerusalem in the ancient City of David. It was dug during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah so he could fortify the city against the invading Assyrian armies without compromising its main water source. Today, it is considered an extraordinary feat of engineering. A miracle!

I’ve always admired Hezekiah. The book of 2 Kings describes him as a very good king; a reformer. He destroyed idols and pagan temples. He trusted and obeyed God and was very prosperous. The Bible says there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, both before and after him. But...he wasn’t perfect.   

At one point in Hezekiah’s reign, he became deathly sick, and the prophet Isaiah warned him to put his affairs in order. Hezekiah begged for healing and God gave him 15 more years to live and a miraculous sign to prove it. Meanwhile, the son of the King of the idolatrous Babylon, heard about this and sent messengers with a get-well card and a gift, inquiring about the miracle. Pridefully, Hezekiah gave these messengers a private behind-the-scenes tour of his palace, armory, treasury, and storehouses showing them everything in his palace and Kingdom. What was he thinking?

When the prophet Isaiah learned about this, he in essence, said to Hezekiah, “You've been tricked, and the condition of your heart revealed. A day will come when everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon. Worse yet, some of your own descendants will be taken away and will be servants in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Hezekiah responds with relief that the consequences of his actions would not happen until after this death.

Hezekiah’s pride, selfishness, and lack of foresight in his present affected future generations to come.

How often do we make hasty decisions without considering the long-term effects on us, those around us and those to come? 

It could be a job or schedule change, an out-of-town move, a marriage, a change in church membership, a decision impacting health and illness, the choice to share our faith, and the list goes on and on. 

I recently learned about the Iroquois Indians’ seventh-generation principle. This dictates that decisions that are made today should be fair and meet the needs of seven generations into the future. How wise!

The Life Application Bible states: “The past affects our decisions and actions today, and these, in turn, affect the future. There are lessons to learn and errors to avoid repeating. Part of the success of your past will be measured by what you do with it now and how well you use it to prepare for the future.”

We don’t have to walk blindly through dark, narrow tunnels. Neither should we make hasty, short-sighted decisions. If we slow down, seek God through His word and prayer, and live humbly, He will light the way. He gives sure-footed wisdom, and the foresight needed so our actions and decisions today leave a positive and godly legacy for generations to come.

Karen Kinnaird brings the vast experience of having served as a ministry wife for nearly 38 years. Her husband has served as a church planter, senior pastor, state denominational leader, agency specialist at NAMB, and Associational Missionary Strategist. Karen currently serves as the Executive Assistant for Forgiving Forward, a ministry dedicated to helping people experience the freedom of the Gospel through the power of forgiveness. Karen and Jimmy, also known as Gigi and Poppy, have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.