Why does Jeremiah say that the Lord shows steadfast love to thousands, but repays the guilt of the fathers to their children and rewards each one according to his ways?

Jeremiah continues to wrestle with the reality of the Lord’s steadfast love to thousands and his judgment, you repay the guilt of the fathers to their children after them. This is the same language used at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 20:5–6; Exodus 34:6–7) and it has been the pattern of Israel’s experience of the Lord. From their human perspective they have experienced how the failures of the forefathers have had lasting consequences for future generations. The idolatry and rebellion of one generation have a way of spreading to the next bringing with it the Lord’s judgment. And yet they have also experienced the faithful love and mercy of the Lord as he has persevered with a hard-hearted people. The Lord is indeed great and mighty, whose name is the Lord of hosts; he is the sovereign God who has all the power and resources at his disposal to fight his cause. He is great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. The Lord who is able to act in powerful ways, also always does the right thing. He sees everything as it really is. He sees the ways of every person and always deals with each one in a right way. The human experience of the Lord’s steadfast love and judgment (Jeremiah 32:18a) must always be understood from the Lord’s perspective; he deals with every person according to the fruit of his deeds. No innocent person faces the Lord’s judgment.