Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel 18BASIC In chs 18-19 Ezekiel brings to a close the long section of his book that began in ch 12. Two important doctrines are discussed in this chapter. In Ezekiel 18:1-20 Ezekiel develops at length the doctrine of individual responsibility, and in Ezekiel 18:21-29 he implicitly affirms the doctrine of freedom of the will or self­determination. OF Eze_18:1-20 In Ezekiel 18:1-20 Ezekiel develops his teaching that every individual is responsible for his own conduct before God. A person’ s fate is not determined by the goodness or wickedness of others, even his nearest of kin. The righteous are blessed by God. The wicked live under His curse. The General Principle(Ezekiel 18:1-4) An inapplicable proverb (Ezekiel 18:1-3): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 18:2) What do you [pl] mean by making this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the teeth of the children have been set on edge? (Ezekiel 18:3) As I live (oracle of the Lord GOD) you will not make use of this parable any more in Israel. The sinners in Israel countered Ezekiel’s parable (masal) by making (lit., proverbing) a proverb (masal) of their own. Sinful men always tend to underestimate their own wickedness. They blame their tribulations on others. So it was with the men of Israel. They attributed their suffering to the sins of their fathers. The proverb that was once current in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:28) was now being heard in Babylon: The fathers have eaten sour grapes (i.e., have sinned), but the teeth of the children are set on edge (i.e., they were being punished).

Where did such an idea arise? Possibly from a misunderstanding of passages in the law of Moses such as Exodus 20:5 where God is said to visit the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. Or possibly the proverb arose out of the prophetic teaching that because of the sins of Manasseh, the nation will be destroyed (2 Kings 21:10-12). The former passage actually teaches that sin, even though forgiven, often has unavoidable repercussions in the lives of one’ s children. The latter passage indicates that the origin of Judah’ s sin was Manasseh. The following generation will be destroyed because it still practiced the grotesque idolatry introduced during Manasseh’ s reign. The perverse proverb that in effect challenged the justice of God will no longer be employed in the future, Experiences will prove it to be untrue (Ezekiel 18:3).

A valid principle (Ezekiel 18:4): Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul that sins, it will die. God is the creator of all individuals. Though physically related, the father and son are separate entities in His sight. Each must give account of himself to his Creator. The individual who sins, he will die. More than premature death is intended here. The sinner is dead in sin during his physical life. Eventually he experiences the second death. A Righteous Man (Ezekiel 18:5-9) The man who practices justice and righteousness lives under the blessing of God. This person is described in some detail in Ezekiel 18:5-9. The characteristics of a righteous person fall into four legal areas. Cultic purity (Ezekiel 18:5-6 a): But if a man is righteous, and practices justice and righteousness, (Ezekiel 18:6) then he has not eaten upon the mountains, or lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. The righteous man has not participated in the pagan rituals at the “ high places.” These rites normally involved eating of sacrificial meals (cf. Deuteronomy 12:2-4). He has not lifted up his eyes to idols, i.e., offered prayer to them in expectation of aid. Baal is particularly in mind.

Sexual ethics (Ezekiel 18:6 b): He has not defiled the wife of his neighbor, or come near unto a menstruous woman. The righteous man has not committed adultery in violation of the seventh commandment. He has not approached, i.e., sexually, a menstruous woman; He has observed the sexual taboos of the law of Moses (cf. Leviticus 18:19; Leviticus 20:18; Deuteronomy 22:22). Social ethics (18:7): He has not wronged any man, but has restored his pledge for a debt. He has seized nothing by robbery, and has given his bread to the hungry. He has covered the naked with a garment. The righteous man has not engaged in any fraudulent dealings with his fellowman. He has complied with the law of Exo 22:25 f. This law compelled creditors to return to borrowers any item of collateral that might be necessary to their well-being (cf. Deuteronomy 24:6; Amos 2:8). He has never resorted to violent robbery in order to enhance his wealth (cf. Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:13). He has fed the hungry and clothed the naked (cf. Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Isaiah 58:7). Business ethics (Ezekiel 18:8): He has not given on interest, or taken increase. He has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and executed true justice between man and man. The righteous man has not lent money on the express condition of receiving interest, nor has he accepted interest offered to him voluntarily by the debtor. The laws on money lending are found in Exodus 22:24; Leviticus 25:35 ff.; Deuteronomy 23:20. He has withdrawn his handfrom iniquity. The sin probably intended here is giving false weight or measure (cf. Leviticus 19:35). As an arbiter of disputes, he has been scrupulously fair.

Summary (Ezekiel 18:9): He has walked in my statutes, and kept my judgments to deal truly. He is righteous. He will surely live (oracle of the Lord GOD). In summary, the righteous person has walked in the my statutes, rather than in his own way, or in the ordinances of the nations. To the best of his ability, he has observed the divine laws. He deals truly, i.e., his observance of God’ s law is motivated by love for the truth, not by any personal motive. A Wicked Son (18:10-13) Depiction of the wicked son (Ezekiel 18:10-13 a): If he begets a son who is a man of violence, who sheds blood, and who does to a brother any of these things (Ezekiel 18:11)(whereas he himself had not done any of these things)— for he has even eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’ s wife. (Ezekiel 18:12) He has wronged the poor and needy, and seized things by robbery. He has failed to return objects taken in pledge, lifted up his eyes to idols, and committed abomination. (Ezekiel 18:13) He has made loans on interest, and has taken increase. The prophet describes a son who is the exact opposite of the just man described above. He is a man of violence who even commits murder. He is not beneath practicing any of the sins that his father so carefully avoided.

Death of the wicked son (Ezekiel 18:13 b): Will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations. He will surely die. His blood will be on him. Should such a wicked man escape divine retribution? Certainly not! The law required the death penalty for such crimes as murder, idolatry, and adultery. The righteousness of his father could not save him. His blood will be on him, i.e., he alone bears responsibility for his life of sin. The executioner (Nebuchadnezzar?) will not be held guilty (Ezekiel 18:13 b). The Penitent Son (18:14-19) The choice of the son (18:14): Then, behold, he begets a son who sees all the sins his father has done. He considers, and does not do any such thing. The third specific case cited by Ezekiel is that of a son who reflects upon the consequences of his father’ s sin. He resolves to abandon that sort of behavior (v 14)

What the son chooses not to do (Ezekiel 18:15-16 a): He does not eat upon the mountains, or lift up his eyes unto the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’ s wife, (Ezekiel 18:16) or wrong a man. He does not he take a pledge, or seize by robbery. The son does not participate in any of the activities that brought his father under civil and divine judgment. What the son chooses to do (Ezekiel 18:16-17 a): He gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment. (Ezekiel 18:17) He has withdrawn his hand from the poor, and has not taken interest or increase. He has executed my judgments, and walked in my statutes. The son shows positive good will toward the less fortunate. Contrasting fates (Ezekiel 18:17-18): He will not die in the iniquity of his father. He will surely live. (Ezekiel 18:18) As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, committed robbery against a brother, and did that which is not good in the midst of his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity. The son is not executed because of his father’ s sin. The father dies for his blatant iniquity, but the son is spared. An explanation (Ezekiel 18:19): But you say, Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done what is just and righteous, has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. This teaching absolutely refutes the notion current in Ezekiel’ s day that innocent children were punished for the sins of their fathers. Conclusion (Ezekiel 18:20): The soul that sins it will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him.

The lengthy treatise on personal responsibility reaches its climax in the crystal clear assertion of Eze 18:20. Wicked men bear the responsibility for themselves. They suffer the consequences of their wickedness. Neither iniquity nor righteousness is inherited. The individual’ s righteousness or wickedness will be upon himself, i.e., he will bear the responsibility of his own conduct. OF Ezekiel 18:21-32 Ezekiel carries his subject one step further. Men are not locked in, either genetically or environmentally, to a life of sin. By the grace of God, and the assertion of their own free will, men can change their character, conduct and destiny. In these verses the basic thesis is that men are not punished for sins after they repent of them. A Penitent Sinner (Ezekiel 18:21-23) The promise (Ezekiel 18:21): But if the wicked one turns from all his sins that he has done, and keeps all my statutes, and deals justly and righteously, he will surely live. He will not die. In genuine repentance there are two clearly defined steps, viz., turning from sin, and keeping the law of God. The Jewish rabbis speak of the essential elements of repentance being remorse and amendment. If a wicked man genuinely repents he will escape the divine death sentence.

The explanation (Ezekiel 18:22): All of his transgressions that he has done will not be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done he will live. Why does the penitent sinner escape judgment? The answer is simple: None of his former transgressions will be remembered against him. Sins not remembered are forgiven. Because of his present righteousness, he will live, i.e., in communion with God and as a member of the Lord’s people.

The implication (Ezekiel 18:23): Do I have delight in the death of the wicked? (oracle of the Lord GOD); Is it not when he turns from his way and lives? God takes no delight in the fact that sinners must die for their sins. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The repentance of the wicked causes no change in the will of God, since his will is that all men should have life eternal. A Backslider (Ezekiel 18:24) Backsliding is possible (Ezekiel 18:24 a): But when a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and does iniquity according to all the abominations that the wicked have done, will he live? A righteous man is one who is in the right relationship with God. Such a person can backslide to the point of being lost. He can choose to follow in the path of iniquity, and become involved in all the abominations of the wicked. He will die in his transgressions. One must be faithful until death in order to receive the crown of life.

Backsliding is punished (Ezekiel 18:24 b): All his righteousness that he has done will not be remembered for his trespass that he committed, and for his sin that he has sinned; in them he will die. The former righteous acts of the backslider are not credited to his account. Such a backslider has committed a trespass and a sin. He has rebelled against God in casting aside his former way of life. He willfully has adopted a sinful life. For this twofold transgression he must die the death of a sinner. An Objection Answered(Ezekiel 18:25-29) The brief answer (Ezekiel 18:25): And you say, The way of the Lord is not even! Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not even? Is it not your ways that are not even? The justice of God is frequently called into question by perverse and ignorant men. The Jews in Jerusalem and Babylon were saying (or at least thinking) that God’ s manner of ruling the universe was inconsistent. God is unchanging in his nature.

He is absolutely righteous. He must therefore punish sin. At the same time, he is merciful and gracious. He is, therefore, inclined to recognize the feeble efforts of his children to walk in his way. God does not change; but men constantly change in relationship to God. The rays of the sun are constant; but in the course of the earth’ s rotation darkness falls upon a portion of the planet.

First illustration (Ezekiel 18:26): When a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and does iniquity, he will die because of them; for his iniquity that he has done he will die. The righteous man who turns away from the warmth of God’ s love faces inevitably the darkness of death.

Second illustration (Ezekiel 18:27-28): And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness that he has done, and executes justice and righteousness, he will cause his soul to live. (Ezekiel 18:28) Because he considers, and turns from all his transgressions that he has done, he will surely live, he will not die. By the same token, the wicked man, by an act of his own free will, may decide to walk in the light of God’ s word. He will do those things that are lawful in the eyes of men and right in the sight of God. Thus he will save his life (Ezekiel 18:27). His consideration of the fate of the wicked causes him to make this about face (Ezekiel 18:28). Concluding answer (Ezekiel 18:29): Yet the house of Israel has said, The way of the Lord is not even. Is it my ways that are uneven, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are uneven? In view of the facts presented above, how can the house of Israel continue perversely to charge God with inconsistency? If they have experienced the wrath of God, it is because they have changed in relationship to him. Warning and Exhortation (Ezekiel 18:30-32) The warning (Ezekiel 18:30 a): Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel (oracle of the Lord GOD), each according to his ways. God judges each individual separately on the basis of his current standing with the Lord. The appeal (Ezekiel 18:30-31)

The negative aspect (Ezekiel 18:30-31) Sin a stumbling block to be avoided (Ezekiel 18:30 b): Return, and cause others to turn, from your transgressions, that iniquity might not be a stumbling block to you. Ezekiel pleads with his hearers to repent and to seek to get others to repent. Otherwise, iniquity will be a stumbling block that will ultimately mean their doom. Sin a loathsome thing to be cast away (Ezekiel 18:31 a): Cast away from all your transgressions that you have committed. Like an unclean and loathsome thing, all transgression must be cast away. The idea is once again of distancing oneself from sin. The positive aspect (Ezekiel 18:31 b): Make for yourself a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die, O house of Israel? The sinners must make for themselves a new heart and a new spirit, i.e., they must have a firm resolve to be faithful and obedient. Failing to make the negative and positive adjustments for which Ezekiel pleads exposes one to God’s wrath.

Those who do not repent will die a tragic and unnecessary death .

Basis of the appeal (Ezekiel 18:32): For I do not delight in the death of the one who dies (oracle of the Lord GOD). Wherefore, turn yourselves and live. God does not desire to punish sinners. Therefore, repentance is urgent. Wise men will avail themselves of his grace.Ezekiel Chapter EighteenVerse 1 This chapter is rather brief, but it is artificially expanded in length by the many repetitions of the points of identification which differentiate between the wicked man and the righteous man. The Israelites to whom this chapter was addressed were using a false proverb in the vain hope of justifying themselves, namely, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'! "The Captivity generation, overlooking the fact that they were even worse than their fathers, were now trying to lay the blame for their woes on the sins of their fathers. The burden of this chapter is that God judges every man upon the basis of his individual and personal conduct. It ends with a passionate appeal for the wicked to repent (vv. 30-32)."[1]This is not the only chapter in which Ezekiel deals with this same subject. "He also did so in <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/3/16" class="green-link">Ezekiel 3:16-21</a>; <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/14/12" class="green-link">Ezekiel 14:12-20</a>; <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/33/1" class="green-link">Ezekiel 33:1-20</a>."[2] Of course it was not a new idea at all; see <a href="/bible/parallel/DEU/24/16" class="green-link">Deuteronomy 24:16</a>, and <a href="/bible/parallel/2KI/14/6" class="green-link">2 Kings 14:6</a>. "Also, this chapter is an enlargement upon <a href="/bible/parallel/JER/31/29" class="green-link">Jeremiah 31:29</a>, and sets forth fully the doctrine of individual responsibility."[3]<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/18/1" class="green-link">Ezekiel 18:1-4</a>"The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 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.""This false proverb, untrue on the face of it, was singularly inapplicable by Israel in their situation, because they were by no means innocent of wrong doing, being, in fact, actually worse than their fathers."[4]In response to Israel's use of this evil proverb, God swore with a mighty oath, that he would stop their use of it at once, because it reflected against the justice of God Himself. "Evidently, the people thought that they were paying for sins of Manasseh, because nearly everyone in that generation believed that the sins of the fathers could actually be visited upon their children. There was a note of self-acquittal here, also, fatalism, despair, and a what's the use? attitude, what avails the moral struggle? Deeper still, there was a question of God's justice."[5]"The soul that sinneth, it shall die ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/18/4" class="green-link">Ezekiel 18:4</a>). A number of scholars like to emphasize their allegation that, "eternal death" is not mentioned here, only physical death; but we believe more is intended. As Leath put it, "What is meant here is the separation of the soul from its life-source, the Spirit of God (Deuteronomy 30; <a href="/bible/parallel/JER/21/8" class="green-link">Jeremiah 21:8</a>; and <a href="/bible/parallel/PRO/11/19" class="green-link">Proverbs 11:19</a>)."[6] Pearson also agreed in this, saying, "The word die’ is used in both a literal and an eschatological sense. ‘To live’ is to enter into the perfect kingdom of the Lord (which was at that time in the future); and `to die,’ is to have no share in it."[7]Verse 5 “But if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes unto the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity, and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken naught by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity; hath executed true justice between man and man, hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.“The distinctions between the righteous and the wicked which are listed here are repeated over and over again in this chapter, with only very slight variations. The critical bias that God cares only for the observance of God’s law, and that ceremonial considerations are unimportant was succinctly stated thus by Cooke. “The sins enumerated are moral rather than ceremonial offenses”;[8] However, the reference to the righteous man’s keeping “all my statutes” in such passages as Ezekiel 18:6; Ezekiel 18:9; Ezekiel 18:11; Ezekiel 18:17; Ezekiel 18:21, cannot possibly support such an error. Beginning with this paragraph and running through Ezekiel 18:18, “Ezekiel gives a concrete example of the truth announced in Ezekiel 18:4, above. Three generations are presented: (1) a just grandfather; (2) an ungodly son; and (3) a righteous grandson. The three kings of Judah, namely, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah fit the descriptions given here."[9]“And hath not eaten upon the mountains …” (Ezekiel 18:6). Such scholars as May and Eichrodt agree that this passage should be translated, “If he doth not eat flesh with the blood."[10] The importance of this lies in the fact that the very first identification mark of the righteous man is that he respects the ceremonial requirements of the Law of Moses. Since the “eating upon the mountains” where the idol worship took place almost certainly involved the use of food improperly prepared, the emended text, as proposed, would appear to be correct. A Biblical mention of the sin of eating flesh with the blood is found in 1 Samuel 14:32-34. “He that hath not given forth upon interest …” (Ezekiel 18:8). “The embargo against interest, found here and in passages such as Psalms 15:5 is primarily a reference to charitable loans to persons in distress. (Deuteronomy 23:19 f) permitted the charging of interest on loans to non-Israelites."[11]Verse 10 “If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth any one of these things, and that doeth not any of those duties, but hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife, hath wronged the poor and needy, hath taken by robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.“THE UNGODLY SON OF A JUST FATHERIf, as a number of scholars have suggested, there is a reference in these verses to Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah, then the place of murder first in this list that pertained to Manasseh would be appropriate; because that monarch is said to have filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The variations in the list are not important. Verse 14 “Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins, which he hath done, and feareth, 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 neighbor’s wife, neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed mine ordinances, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.“THE CASE OF THE GODLY “That hath withdrawn his hand from the poor …” (Ezekiel 18:17). “This is to be understood in a good sense, to withhold his hand from oppressing the poor. He withdraws the hand that was tempted to exact the full legal claim against the poor."[12]Verse 19 “Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.“Here it is stated both positively and negatively that God’s government and God’s justice are eternally equitable and fair. Again, if the example here has any reference to Josiah, there is a special significance that, “he hath kept all my statutes.” This sheds light upon the false notion that only the moral considerations, not the ceremonial commandments, were involved in determining who was, or was not, righteous. Josiah, it will be recalled, brought Israel once more to their duty of observing the passover! Verse 21 “But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he hath done, he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.““Keep all my statutes …” (Ezekiel 18:21). Note the word all. Again, we see the truth that God is not merely concerned with moral requirements of the holy Law, but with the strict human observance of all of it. The strong inference here that the passage may indirectly refer to Manasseh occurs in the fact that despite his being such an evil monarch, at the end of his days, Manasseh turned from his sins and returned to the true God. Regarding Ezekiel 18:21, here, Beasley-Murray stated that, “A man is not only free from the sins of his father, but he may also be free from his own sins, if he so wishes; he can repent and turn away from them."[13]This passage regarding the possibility of a man becoming free from his own sins has been called, “the most precious word in the whole Book of Ezekiel."[14]What is God’s ultimate objective for human life? It certainly is not the destruction of the wicked. As an apostle said, “God is longsuffering to you-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “God’s pleasure is that the wicked should turn from his evil way, and live."[15]The Calvinistic nonsense that a person “once saved is always saved” encounters here a shocking refutation in the behavior of the righteous man, “who turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and all the abominations that the wicked man doeth (Ezekiel 18:24).” Could such a thing occur? Is the Word of God true? Verse 25 “Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth therein; in his iniquity that he hath done, shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions, he shall surely live, he shall not die.““The earnestness with which Ezekiel here pleads with Israel concerning the righteousness and justice of God’s ways shows that he is addressing people who simply do not want to believe it, as witness Ezekiel 18:25; Ezekiel 18:29."[16]Verse 29 “Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah: wherefore turn yourselves and live.““The way of the Lord is not equal …” (Ezekiel 18:29).

This was an unqualified slander on the part of apostate Israel. We cannot agree with Howie who said, “This kind of an outcry against the Lord is understandable when we remember how great was the suffering of the people."[17] The people were well aware of their consummate wickedness, but the national pride and arrogant conceit of ancient Israel knew no restrictions nor boundaries. They thought that God owed them the world with a ribbon on it, no matter how morally corrupt they became. They were not only totally wrong in this slander, God’s response to it was prompt and positive. “Therefore, I will judge you!” (Ezekiel 18:30). “Make you a new heart and a new spirit …” (Ezekiel 18:31). O no, a man cannot create in himself a new heart; but he can so order his behavior that God will indeed create in him a new heart. God commands men to “Save yourselves from this wicked generation” (Acts 2:40); but men cannot “save themselves,” except in the sense that they can comply with the conditions that will enable God to save them! Men cannot “create” a new heart in themselves, but they can repent of their wickedness and turn to God who will then “give them” a new heart. As Leal put it: “Man cannot indeed create either a new heart or a new spirit; God only can give them to anyone. But a man can and should come to God to receive them; he can repent and turn to God and thus allow both heart and spirit to be renewed by the Spirit of God."[18]

Ezekiel 18:1

Ezekiel 18:1-2. There was no basis for the saying about the fathers’ eating sour grapes and setting the children’ s teeth on edge. But it was a convenient way of shifting personal responsibility lo blame the wrong on inherit-ance from the fathers. Such a theory never was true, but the falsity of it had not been exposed as cleaTly as the Lord threatened to do next.

Ezekiel 18:3

Verse 3. The Lord declared he was going to take away all occasion for such a saying. As I live means the thing predicted was to be as sure as the fact that the Lord was a living Being.

Ezekiel 18:4

Ezekiel 18:4. All souls are mine signifies that God would have no reason to punish one soul on behalf of another since one of His beloved servants would be as precious as the other. The force of the last clause will be realized if the pronoun is emphasized and made to read, the soul that sinneth it shall die; that is, one soul will not have to die for the sins of another.

Ezekiel 18:5

Ezekiel 18:5. Justice is described in this verse as consisting of doing that which is lawful and right in one’ s conduct Loward his fellow man.

Ezekiel 18:6

Ezekiel 18:6. Eaten upon the mountains. The connection indicates this means the eating in the feasts instituted in the idolatrous services. The idolaters often selected mountains or other “high places’’ as points for setting up their idofs. The last clause of the verse would have been a violation of Lev 18:19.

Ezekiel 18:7

Ezekiel 18:7. It was lawful to accept a pledge from another to secure an obligation but it was wrong to retain it overnight (Exodus 22:26).

Ezekiel 18:8

Ezekiel 18:8. The general meaning of this verse is to take advantage of the misfortunes of another and make a gain thereby.

Ezekiel 18:9

Ezekiel 18:9. The statutes and judgments of the Lord means the divine laws enacted for the conduct of His people. The man who does them has the promise that he will live, while the one who disregards all of such regulations will he Ihe soul lhat sins and IT was condemned to die.

Ezekiel 18:10

Ezekiel 18:10. A man who begets a son who goes wrong will not have to answer for the sins of that son; provided, of course, he does what he can to instruct his son aright.

Ezekiel 18:11

Ezekiel 18:11, Many of the wrongs previously mentioned are repeated because of the importance of the subject. Eaten upon the mountains is a reference to the idolatrous feasts that were performed on the various “high places.”

Ezekiel 18:12

Ezekiel 18:12. Spoiled by violence means to use force in taking from another his property. Not restored the pledge refers to the law which required a lender to return a pledge at the end of the day.

Ezekiel 18:13

Ezekiel 18:13. It was unlawful under the law of Moses to exact usury (interest) of a Jewish brother. Instead, if a loan was made to him, the lender could require a pledge in the form of some article of value, but even that must be returned at sundown.

Ezekiel 18:14

Ezekiel 18:14. A father was not made to answer for the sins of his son. By the same token, if a father was a doer of wrong deeds, it did not furnish the son any excuse for doing the like. The son should consider the bad example set by t.be father and profit by it instead of following in the same line of conduct.

Ezekiel 18:15

Ezekiel 18:15. This verse is the same in thought as verse 6,

Ezekiel 18:16

Ezekiel 18:16. To oppress in the sense that is condemned means to take undue advantage of another. One way in which that could be done was to retain a pledge beyond the legal hour which was stipulated by the law to be at sundown.

Ezekiel 18:17

Ezekiel 18:17. Taken his hand from the poor denotes he has refrained from oppressing the poor, such as charging him usury or interest on money loaned to him. If a son follows these righteous principles in life he will not be punished because of his father.

Ezekiel 18:18

Ezekiel 18:18. It was likewise true that the good deeds of a son would not benefit an unworthy father. The son would ‘‘ live” in the favor of God, but the father would have to die on the ground of his own responsibility.

Ezekiel 18:19

Ezekiel 18:19. The first part of this verse is a protest from the people because of the old notion that a son should bear the blame for his father’ s evil deeds. The last part is God’ s reply, and it is a restatement, of what has been already declared.

Ezekiel 18:20

Ezekiel 18:20. The first sentence is an identical repetition of the closing clause of verse 4. This verse as a whole is a summing up of the several verses on a most, important subject, that of individual responsibility.

Ezekiel 18:21

Ezekiel 18:21. This verse introduces another phase of one’ s responsibility as regards his personal conduct, but it still leaves the individual item where it was. No man will need to die for the sins of another, it is only the soul that sinneth that shall die. Yet even such a person needs not die, notwithstanding his past sins. Repentance or reformation of life is always open to ail men and if such a course will be adopted the sinner may be forgiven his evil conduct and live in the favor of God.

Ezekiel 18:22

Ezekiel 18:22. When God forgives a man the matter is dropped. There is a popular saytng uttered in prayers where the petitioner asks God to forgive our sins “and remember them against us no more.” Such a statement is an insult to the Almighty, for it implies that God will promise to forgive and yet might remember our sins against us after declaring they had been forgiven. It puts God on a level with hypocritical man who agrees to “ bury the hatchet,” but who leaves the handle in sight.

Ezekiel 18:23

Ezekiel 18:23. The primary object in all scriptural discipline is the possibility of reforming the sinner (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 7:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 12; 6-11; 13; 17). God does not obtain any pleasure out of the punishment of his creatures (2 Peter 3:9), but inflicts it solely for their good.

Ezekiel 18:24

Ezekiel 18:24. This verse is akin to verse 22 at one very important point. When a wicked man repents and is forgiven, one of his former sins are mentioned against him. Likewise, if a righteous man backslides and deserts his life of righteousness, he will he dealt with according to his sins just the same as if he had never been a righteous man. It is one of the weaknesses of mankind to overlook the evil doing of a person for the sake of his previous record. It will be heard say, “We know he is not doing just right now. but we still remember the good he has done.” Such persons are pretending to have a better memory or know better how to deal with a sinner than does the Lord. He declares he will not consider the former good deeds of the backslider after he takes up a life of sin but that he shall die in his sins.

Ezekiel 18:25

Ezekiel 18:25. Any accusation made against the Lord would be false, but this one was especially foolish in view of the declarations just made about the dealing meted out toward man. It shows that He treated all persons in an impartial manner in that a man’s past conduct, whether good or bad, was not used as a basis for the treatment of him at present. In spite of this, the people of Israel accused God of using ways that were not equal, which means that he was partial in his dealings.

Ezekiel 18:26

Ezekiel 18:26. The conclusion that is in this verse is that when a man dies IN his iniquities, they are to be regarded as the cause for the penalty of death imposed.

Ezekiel 18:27

Ezekiel 18:27. Much repetition may be observed in this chapter, but human beings are so forgetful they need to be reminded frequently of the same truth. It should be seen that throughout this long passage one principle is out in front, and that is that man’ s fate is largely In his own hands, he will be dealt with according to his deeds.

Ezekiel 18:28

Ezekiel 18:28. Repentance is not something a man does unthinkingly or on the spur of the moment, but it is because he considereih. It is true that repentance must start in the mind (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), but if it is sincere it will manifest itself by a life of reformation and turning from the ways of unrighteousness.

Ezekiel 18:29

Ezekiel 18:29. In spite of the fairness of this principle in Cod’ s dealings, his people charged him with unequal or partial treatment of them.

Ezekiel 18:30

Ezekiel 18:30. God determined to proceed in the manner decreed and judge each man according to HIS ways, and not in consideration’of the conduct of others. The fairness of this principle is evident in that it gives each individual an opportunity to avoid personal disaster by turning from his sins.

Ezekiel 18:31

Ezekiel 18:31. Repentance is an active and practical something. A sinner must accomplish it himself by putting away the evil things of his life: no one can do it for him. The New Testament teaches the same principle in 2 Timothy 2:19-21 and many other passages. After man has purged his manner of life by sincere reformation, God will purge him from the guilt thereof by forgiveness.

Ezekiel 18:32

Ezekiel 18:32. The primary object of discipline is discussed at verse 23.