There was a parable or claim that was passed on through generations in Israel. The saying is found in Jeremiah 31:29 it says:
“The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
What this means is that no one will suffer for the sins of others. It was also a way for the blame to be passed on to those who are no longer present (meaning they have died). Children often blame what they did on the sins of their fathers, saying they are not responsible for what they did.
Don’t we do that today? Often people blame their actions on the sins of their father.
“Well that was how I was raised.”
“I did that because of the way my parents treated me, or husband or friend, etc..”
We all like to pass the buck.
Ezekiel here in Chapter 18 states that each man is responsible for their own lives. This chapter reminds us that we have individual moral accountability.
Every man will be judged according to his own sin.
But the primary context of this chapter is one of community. In this chapter when Ezekiel says “you” he is addressing the exiles in the plural form. So the main focus is not individual responsibility but the fact that justice is afresh on each generation. Each generation is judged according to what that generation deserves.
Ezekiel goes on and gives us some examples:
The father who sins will die; the son who sins will die also.
The father who sins and the son does not, the son will live.
God says everyone will be judged individually. But what happens to a righteous man who turns away (remember this is under the old covenant, this is not a salvation issue).
- Ezekiel 18:24 states:
But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
Here Ezekiel is saying if a father or son is righteous and then turns sinful, each one will die. What is ironic is the exiles Ezekiel was speaking to cried out how unjust God is.
They liked the idea that God forgives them of their sin when they turn to God, but they cry foul when God says he will forget their righteousness if they turn away from Him.
They cry out saying it is not worth it to serve God:
- 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ Malachi 3:13-15
God is trying to communicate that it is not that we do more wrong but that we persevere in doing right. He knows we are going to sin, he knows we will fail that is why in Ezekiel 18:29 he is crying out for repentance. At this point the destruction of Israel (of their home) is a given. But God is crying out telling them to take personal responsibility for their moral lives.
He is telling them through repentance create a new heart and a new spirit. God does not find pleasure in anyone’s death, so TURN AND LIVE.
Past Posts on Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 1-3
Ezekiel 4-7
Ezekiel 8-10
Ezekiel 11
Ezekiel 12-13
Ezekiel 14-15
Ezekiel 16
Ezekiel 17