Ezekiel 18: 1 – 32
Dentist Appointment
“ 1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:‘ The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. 4 “ Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. 5 But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right; 6 If he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor approached a woman during her impurity; 7 If he has not oppressed anyone, but has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing; 8 If he has not exacted usury nor taken any increase, but has withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed true judgment between man and man; 9 If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord GOD. 10 “ If he begets a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 And does none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbor’s wife; 12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy, robbed by violence, not restored the pledge, lifted his eyes to the idols, or committed abomination; 13 If he has exacted usury or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. 14 “ If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise; 15 Who has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; 16 Has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor robbed by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing; 17 Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor and not received usury or increase, but has executed My judgments and walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! 18 “ As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother by violence, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity. 19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? 24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. 25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? 30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”
Our Holy Father Yahweh in chapter 18 Is going to teach us by using examples of good and bad behavior. He will talk about these characteristics developed through three generations. His point is to stress that every man is responsible for his own sin. Each person will be judged in accordance with his response to God’s revealed will through the Scriptures. If anyone turns away from God they face many dangers. However, our Loving Creator also stresses that He offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn back to Him.
Our Holy God teaches this upcoming lesson on individual responsibility by referring to a popular proverb and correcting its interpretation. All proverbs contained a truth when interpreted correctly and can be misleading if understood incorrectly. This fact is a great warning to teachers of the Word of God in that the Great Shepherd for misinterpretation of His Word holds them accountable.
“ 1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:‘ The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.
The remaining citizens of the Southern kingdom incorporated into their reasoning that they were being punished for the sins caused by their ancestors. In the book of Exodus chapter 20 we read, “5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For 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,” The people felt that this scripture taught this rational. This reasoning is called ‘corporate sin’.
The meaning of ‘set on edge’ is to ‘make dull’. The main idea of the proverb is that children are affected by their parents behaviors and choices just as eating sour grapes produce a bitter taste. The prophet Ezekiel did say that the destruction of Jerusalem was due to the spiritual decay of the people over time, but thinking this was the fault of the parents [past generations] led to fatalism and irresponsibility. Lamentations chapter 5 says this, “7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.”
There is a truth in which we are responsible for the actions of our families, if we adopt the same sinful lifestyles. If we participate in the same sinful acts then it is natural for us to share in the same judgment. God created us as individuals and will judge us as individuals. He will not allow sins committed by other as an excuse for our own sins.
We will also see shortly that our Everlasting Creator and Master, gives an answer to the flip side of reasoning to the ‘corporate’ position. They felt God’s Blessing was an opportunity to disobey the Holy One of Israel. We will see in verse 5 through 9 how our Supreme Judge interprets against this reasoning because a parent was righteous then it was taken for granted that the son’s righteousness was passed along. You know that today many people think this,, because someone’s parent’s are Christians, then it assumes so are the kids. In fact, many think our country is a Christian nation because our ancestor’s were mostly Christians.
The apostle Paul had to battle this irrational thinking as he taught in the book of Romans chapter 6, “1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
We see a similar yet different statement from the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31, “29 In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Here Jeremiah was looking ahead to the coming age when the new covenant created by the precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ would be established. Salvation is an individual act. Our parents will not be responsible whether we live eternally with our Blessed Lord and Savior.
Ezekiel is saying that the people did not have to wait for the future covenant. What would be true in the future could be true for the people living during this age that we are reading about. So much for some individuals thoughts that the Old and New Testaments are so different.
God’s Gracious way of deliverance through faith in His Mercy and Forgiveness has not changed. Ephesians 2 says, ““8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” Salvation has always been and will always be by faith through grace.
4 “ Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.”
In the book of Genesis Chapter 2 we read, ““7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Our Creator Father had breathed on man and he became a living person. Have you ever heard a parent say to his kid, ‘ I brought you into the world and I can take you out of it! ‘ Our God brought man into the world as a living being and He alone has the right to take a person out.
The emphasis of verse 4 is that the physical consequences of sinful behavior will be death as Deuteronomy chapter 30 informs us, “15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Man has life because God has given him it. Romans 6 points out the accountability and end result, ““23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“5 But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right; 6 If he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, nor approached a woman during her impurity; 7 If he has not oppressed anyone, but has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing; 8 If he has not exacted usury nor taken any increase, but has withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed true judgment between man and man; 9 If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully— He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord GOD.”
A person is described here as one who lives his life pleasing to God. As a result he is acceptable to God and is rewarded by life and not judged. This is not talking about eternal life but life in this world.
Our Holy Father lists for us some of the things taken from His covenant that men refrain from.
.Idolatrous ceremonial meals – ‘If he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,’ In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 2 we find, ““2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.” The eating on the mountain was part of a person’s participation in festivals connected with demonic idols.
.Sexual misconduct – In the book of Deuteronomy 22 we read, 9 “You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.” These festivals were orgies of sexual perversion. A man who is following the ways of our Holy Yahweh will not mess with another man’s wife – adultery. In addition we see our Lord mention for man not to have sex during a woman’s menstruation. Our Wonderful Great Physician created woman and His purpose was to love and protect her. Of course there is a health issue and secondly there is an intention toward the sacredness of the blood.
. Mistreatment of the poor – ‘And has not wronged any’ Our Lord has told us ‘do unto others as you would have done unto you’ The righteous person behaves as he/she wishes others would treat them. He does no do anything to harm another person.
‘But has restored to the debtor his pledge’ – People at this time would wear their blanket rolled up around their shoulders. Such a poor person would hand over the blanket, which was his only source of protection from the elements as a pledge. Some never gave back the blanket to the poor person. Our Great and Merciful God put it down in writing on how much He would not tolerate this type of mistreatment of another person
‘He spoiled more by violence.’ – You remember the bully in school who extorted your lunch money only this action was being done then and continues today on a much grandeur scale.
‘Has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with clothing.’ Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ expanded His teaching of this fact as listed in the Gospel of Luke 16, ‘19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 4 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” The righteous man displays by his actions consideration of those in need.
. Charging interest- ‘He who has not lent at interest to the needy nor has taken any increase.’ This rule was intended to apply only to members of the Jewish nation. A Jew should not charge interest to another Jew, just as his father should not charge a son interest.
“but has withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed true judgment between man and man” – summarizes the righteous man’s life. He tries to avoid doing wrong. He is noted for being fair and upright in the things he does. He is a trustworthy witness and he follows the rules of God as revealed in the Scriptures.
10 “ If he begets a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 And does none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbor’s wife; 12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy, robbed by violence, not restored the pledge, lifted his eyes to the idols, or committed abomination; 13 If he has exacted usury or taken increase— Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him.”
Our Holy Creator Supreme Majesty picked a man to establish a royal line. This man was David. I am also sure that youknow that his lineage were not good and faithful kings like David eas. Yet, in His Mercy and Goodness as you read about the successors, God did not end the Davidic line. The people during Ezekiel’s time had developed the reasoning that no matter how bad you were toward God and man, family connections weuld continue to rule and reign in Israel. Boy were they in for a rude awakening.
Anyone may benefit temporarily here because of which family they were born into but you and I both know God will deal them with. As the saying goes, ‘all the money in the world can’t help them.’
A son may bear his father’s name and sometimes-even look exactly like his dad, but he can turn out to be totally unlike his father. As verses 10 through 13 highlight to us, the son of a good father can turn out to be a thief and he can use his wealth to bully or extort additional wealth through violence.
‘the son who does these things’ refers to the things the Holy Spirit will continue to list while the phrase ‘and does not any of those’ is talking about what was described in the paragraph above.
The list our Wonderful Judge and Master lists are;
1. Actively participates in idol worship
2. Commits adultery
3. Has wronged the poor
4. Participates in crime – extortion
5. Cheats workers and debtors
6. Enslaves others by high interest
7. So- God say’s there are more charges that can be added to the list.
Our Blessed Ruler guarantees that this evil will not go unpunished.
We who are believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob do not fully comprehend how Blessed we are to belong to Him. He IS A God Who IS concerned with and demands proper dealings with Him and with our fellow mankind. Our God died for us. He does everything for us from the beginning of our lives to the end and then He so wonderfully has prepared a place where we will experience joy beyond understanding. All these phony imitators offer nothing. Some religions require people to kill in order to somehow please them. Is this nuts or what? We can’t stop and think how fallen and depraved sinners we really are. We forsake the True, Living, Great, Holy, Pure, Majestic, and Merciful God for temporary pleasures. Oh Lord, please forgive us.
Another description of the term, ‘eating on the mountains and defiling the neighbor’s wife’ could be called today, the nightclub routine – eating, drinking, and sex.
So, party on because soon judgment will come quickly.
14 “ If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise; 15 Who has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; 16 Has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor robbed by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing; 17 Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor and not received usury or increase, but has executed My judgments and walked in My statutes— He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live!”
We can now see our Holy Teacher discuss a third generation. In this case the grandson turns out to be a good guy.
Leviticus 18: 4, “4 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 26: 16 – 19, 16 “This day the LORD your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice. 18 Also today the LORD has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken.”
Deuteronomy 30: 15 – 20, 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
This son somehow turned out wanting to follow God. Do you think he just developed this good and proper way on his own? I doubt it. I believe the grandson turned out to be a follower of the Holy Yahweh is because of the influence of his grandfather. While his dad is out and about doing evil away from the family. I believe the grandfather stepped in and influenced the boy to love the Lord.
The lesson for the people living during this time was a positive one. The message was that the nation started out [1st generation] fully in obedience to the ways of God. Then over time [2nd generation] the people forsook Him. Ezekiel was promising the people that in the future [3rd generation] the opportunity to repent will be available and they will be fully restored with their God Who Loves them.
18 “ As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother by violence, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.”
Here our Lord eliminates the idea of fatalism. People had also come to believe that because my father was an alcoholic, I would become one. Sometimes the sin will be passed along but the sin itself is not hereditary. Everyone is individually accountable for his own actions. The old saying, ‘much more is caught than taught’ applies here. If I grow up around alcohol and all its problems, most likely I come to understand this sinful lifestyle as a normal way of life. But when a person repents and comes to God fully, he can set a new path for the repent ant’s family.
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. “
Our Precious Sovereign Lord knows us completely. He knows everything that we say and do. In Awesome Magnificence He even knows what we are thinking. He knows the whining and complaining that goes on in our minds. He knew what the people of Israel were thinking, ‘How come the son does not bear the righteousness or in this verse the sins of his father?’
Mankind then and today have a hard time reasoning as to God’s rules. The funny thing is why man would think his opinion on matters would count at all. The Israelites judged people on the basis of corporate responsibility. They determined that God’s Ways were unreasonable and unfair. Isaiah chapter 55 informs us, 8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.”
A good analogy was John Wilkes Booth who we all know was the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Many people do not know that he came from a family of well known and admired actors. His one brother was an even more famous actor than he was. Like the viewpoint taken by the Jews, the people of America held the Booth family responsible for the sins of John Wilkes Booth. They were outcasts from the stage. I find an amazing fact in that one of the Booths’s saved Lincoln’s son, from being run over by a train after he had accidentally fallen from a train platform. One Booth took the life of a Lincoln while another saved the life of a Lincoln.
“20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
Our Lord answers their question for them. Each person is to be judged individually on his own actions. Simple – do what is right and live. Choose the way of a sinful life and die.
21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.”
There is Beauty and Mercy of our Maker shown here. The black or white decision set by God does not leave man without hope. For our Holy Lord gives man another chance, a way out. He says to all his wicked people. ‘Hey, if you repent and come to Me, I will forgive you and I will not remember all the horrible things you have done against Me! Because man came back to the One Who IS Loving and full of Forgiveness, this wicked person would be thought of from that point onward as though he had never done anything wrong at all.
A key point to remember is to come back to God through God’s prescribed way – by recognizing his depravity and seeking God’s forgiveness. Some people feel bad at some of the things they have done, yet they come up with their own ways of trying to get right with God by doing good works, or giving to charity. Our God IS interested in how our hearts change not by buying our way out of trouble.
“23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
Here is an answer that every believer should have down pat in his arsenal of answers for the unbelievers. – Our God desires that no one should perish. He has died for all, yet not all will be saved. For many have chosen to reject His open arms of loving forgiveness and acceptance, but they will not come to Him.
24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”
Again, this is not talking about Salvation. For if a person has truly come to put his belief in the Son of God as his own personal Lord and Savior, he is ‘saved’ from the wrath of God eternally. Once saved always saved. Our Great God is not an ‘Indian Giver’. He IS Faithful and Trustworthy.
John 10: 28, “28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
Romans 5: 8 – 9, “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him”.
Romans 8: 38 – 39, “38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This example our Lord uses I have witnessed sadly many times. A person who has become ‘born again’ drifts away from prayer, reading his Bible, and Fellowship with other believers. Since we still carry about the ‘old man’ we can easily start up doing the same wicked lifestyles. Our Holy Father Is telling us here to watch out. Just because we are forgiven [Saved] will not shield us from the consequence of an evil lifestyle if we so choose to return to them.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’
Our Precious Holy One knows our next complaint. Reverting to a spoiled childish response, we say in effect, ‘God Is not fair’. Everyone needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Truth is! God Is Fair! We have broken the rules. He Is the One Who made us and lets us exist. We do not call any of the shots. He doesn’t have to answer to us – we need to answer to Him Alone! There are no loopholes. Our Supreme Creator sets His standards and that’s it. Go along with His program and live, don’t and face the consequences. It is as simple as that.
“Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”
It seems like this point is on overkill. We might say, ‘Okay, okay, alright already, we get the point.’ In reality, we do not. Our Living Holy Yahweh Is repeating every possible variation here so we do clearly understand that He Is Serious in this position. He answers all potential reasons of getting out of our responsibility of obedience. If man acts right with God, that alone determines his present well being in this life.
“ 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?”
Will we ever just shut up. Our Lord knows that we still keep pushing the envelope. If we have done wrong we cry out that we weren’t treated fairly or equally by God. Look at the Gospel of John chapter 21,” “20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Peter was worried about how John would be treated. Peter would go the route of dying like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died – on a cross. John would live to an old age. He did however under go much trials and hurts.
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.”
Wait a minute! Isn’t God putting His Judgment on a corporate level? No! The house of Israel [all the people] would be judged by each individual not as a whole nation.
“31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”
Have you ever received a speeding ticket and went to court. In many cases, collectively the judge will announce that if you plead guilty, you will just have to pay the fine and not receive any points that will raise your insurance rates and possibly lead to the revoking of your drivers license.
Our Wonderful God Is opening His arms to His people one last time. He is saying, ‘come back to Me and all will be forgiven’ The way out is through His pathway. We cannot do it alone. He has provided a helper – the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit helps us change our lives. He works in us and it is not something we can do ourselves as Psalm 51 points out, “10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”
If we repent [renounce] our sinful ways, the Holy Ghost will give us a new heart that loves; the power to change; and a new direction for our lives.
Ephesians 4: 22 – 24, ”22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
‘Cast away your rebellion’ sums up our sinfulness. All our transgressions are in reality a rebellion from the One Righteous Ruler. We have broken away and think we can suffice on our own. It will not work for us. For that path leads to death. Our only true lifeboat in the sea of existence is the arc of the Living God.
So, you would now think, ‘okay, okay, you are right Lord.’ I do want to be saved. I will come back to you – your way. Think so? Israel didn’t and perished. Now we who have to face the same question, what is your final answer?
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