Ezekiel 18

Introduction

Last week I mentioned the pattern which we see in these chapters of Ezekiel, because in these chapters the Lord not only speaks of judgment, but he also speaks of hope and salvation. Last week, we had the strange story of the vine which turned away from the eagle which planted it and it turned towards another eagle. And we learned that the vine represented King Zedekiah and the first eagle represented Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had planted Zedekiah in Jerusalem. In other words, he made Zedekiah king in Jerusalem. But instead of remaining loyal to Nebuchadnezzar and true to the oath he made in the name of the Lord, Zedekiah turned away from Nebuchadnezzar and he turned to Egypt. And so, the second eagle in the story represented the king of Egypt. And the Lord announced that he will bring Babylon against Zedekiah and will execute judgment upon him, because he despised the oath he had made in the name of the Lord and in this way he dishonoured his God.

And everything happened as the Lord foretold, because Zedekiah did turn to Egypt and the Lord did send the Babylonians against him. They captured Jerusalem and destroyed it. They killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes. They then blinded him and took him away to Babylon as their prisoner, where he presumably died.

And so, last week’s passage was about God’s judgment on Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem. But the chapter ended with a message of hope and salvation, because the chapter ended with the announcement that the Lord will one day plant a shoot which will take root and will grow and grow and grow until it becomes a splendid cedar and the birds will nest in it. And the Lord was referring to the coming of Christ our King whose kingdom will grow and grow and grow throughout the earth. Whereas Zedekiah dishonoured the name of the Lord, Christ the King brought glory and honour to God while he was on the earth, because he did all things well and he was obedient to his heavenly Father and he accomplished everything he came to do in order to deliver his people from our sin and misery and to give us everlasting life in the new heavens and earth where we’ll be with God for ever.

So, last week’s chapter began with judgment, but it ended with hope and salvation. We saw the same pattern in chapter 16, where Jerusalem was depicted as an ungrateful and unfaithful wife, because the people of Jerusalem had turned from the Lord to worship false gods and to trust in pagan nations. And so, the Lord announced that he was going to destroy Jerusalem. But at the end of the chapter, he spoke about restoration and a new covenant and atonement. In other words, the chapter ended with a message of hope and salvation.

Chapters 13 to 15 were the same. The Lord condemned the false prophets and he condemned the people for their idolatry and he announced that judgment was inevitable and that Jerusalem was like the wood of a vine which is not fit for anything except for the fire. God was going to destroy Jerusalem because of the sins of his people. And yet the Lord also announced a message of hope and salvation, because a time was coming when the people will no longer stray from him and they will no longer defile themselves with their sins. They will be his people and he will be their God. In other words, he will restore their relationship and establish peace between them. And God has established peace for all his people through the death of Christ on the cross, when he gave up his life to pay for our sins and to satisfy the justice of God which was against us. And through faith in Christ, we have peace with God.

And so, Ezekiel contains these messages of judgment, but they also contains messages of hope and salvation. And as I’ve said before, this is because the Lord is merciful and gracious and he’s slow to anger and he’s abounding in steadfast love. He does not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever. He doesn’t deal with us according to our sins and he doesn’t repay us according to our iniquities. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. He removes them from us, because Christ our Saviour has paid for them with his life. And so, even though we deserve to be condemned and punished for a lifetime of disobedience, we are not condemned, but pardoned. And because the Lord is merciful and gracious, he gave us Ezekiel 18, which we’re studying today and which contains a message of judgment: ‘the soul who sins is the one who will die’. But then it also contains a message of hope and salvation: ‘if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed… he will surely live. He will not die.’ ‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’ ‘Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!’

And we can imagine Ezekiel speaking on the Lord’s behalf as his prophet, pleading with the people and saying to them: Why will you die? Turn from your wicked ways and return to the Lord and you will live. And when John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus came to the people, they proclaimed the same message, because they commanded the people to repent. And the Lord’s message to every person in every generation is the same: Why will you die? Turn from your wicked ways and turn to me. Repent and live! And whoever turns from their wicked ways and turns to God through faith in Christ is pardoned and accepted; and they’re filled with the Spirit who renews us inwardly and enables us to walk in the ways of the Lord; and we receive the hope of everlasting life in the new heavens and earth where we will see the Lord our God and where we’ll be perfectly holy and perfectly happy for ever and for ever. Why will you die? Repent and live.

Today’s chapter can be divided into three parts: verses 1 to 18; verses 19 to 24; and verses 25 to 32. In the first part, the Lord responds to a proverb which the people were quoting. In the second part, he responds to the question which appears in verse 19. And in the third part, he responds to the statement which appears in verse 25.

Verses 1 to 19

And so, in verse 1 Ezekiel tells us that the word of the Lord came to him once again. And the Lord asks what do the people mean when they quote this proverb about the land of Israel:

The fathers eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

The proverb, of course, is not really about eating grapes. It’s about children suffering for the sins of their parents. According to the proverb, the parents do something: they eat sour grapes. And according to the proverb, the children suffer for what their parents have done: the children’s teeth are set on edge. That is to say, the sourness of the grapes affects them. And so, the proverb means that children suffer for what their parents have done.

And it seems that this proverb has been going around among the exiles and they’ve been quoting it to one another. And it’s possible that the people were using this proverb to complain about the Lord. It’s possible they were saying that the Lord’s judgment on them is unfair. So, they may have been saying: Why are we paying for the sins of our forefathers? Our forefathers are the guilty ones, because they went astray and worshipped false gods and they were wicked in the eyes of the Lord. And yet, instead of exiling our forefathers, God has exiled us even though we’re guiltless.

So, it’s possible that this is what they meant when they quoted the proverb to one another: we’re paying for the sins of our forefathers. However, it’s perhaps more likely that their complaint is slightly different than that. It’s possible that they were complaining that they’re victims of an unchangeable law of the universe which is that the fate of one generation is determined by the actions of the previous generation. So, this is just the way things are and there’s no way around it and there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s fate and there’s no way to change it. The present generation is suffering because of the sins of the previous generation. It’s not fair. It’s not right. But that’s the way the universe works and God won’t change it and we can’t change it. The reason we’re suffering now is because of what our parents did in the past. That’s the way it’s always been and that’s the way it will always be.

And, of course, there’s some truth in that, because children do suffer if their parents abandon them or if their parents are put in prison and the children end up in care homes. Children suffer if their parents spend their money foolishly or if they’re abusive. Children do suffer because of their parents. But that’s not really what the proverb is about. The proverb is not about the effect which the behaviour of one generation has on the next generation. It’s about how children are actually punished for what their parents have done. They are held liable for what their parents have done. According to the proverb, that’s the way the universe works. And in that case, there’s no hope for us. There’s no hope for us, because it’s inevitably the case that children are punished for the sins of their parents.

And the Lord responds to the proverb from verse 3 onwards. He swears an oath that people will no longer quote that proverb, because he will make it clear to them that every soul — that is, every person — belongs to God. Parents as well as their children belong to God. And that means we don’t belong to blind fate. We’re not in the hands of chance. We’re in the hands of the Lord our God who sees us and who knows us and who knows what we’re like and what we have done. He knows us personally and perfectly. And according to the Lord — who is the Sovereign God who rules over the whole of his creation — the soul who sins is the one who will die. The person who sins is liable for his or her own sins.

And that means parents will suffer for their own sins; and children will suffer for their own sins. God has so ordered the universe that a person who is guilty is liable for his or her own sins and not for the sins of another person. God will not judge my children for my sins. He’ll judge my children for their own sins; and he’ll judge me for my own sins. And that’s why every one of us must individually and personally turn from our sins in repentance and turn to God for mercy through faith in his Son who died for sinners. The soul — or the person — who sins is the one who is liable before God. And therefore the person who sins is the one who must turn to Christ for salvation.

The exiles thought that they were victims of an unchangeable law of the universe which is that the fate of one generation is determined by the actions of the previous generation. But the Lord makes clear to them that each person is liable for his or her own sins. But the Lord will also make clear in the course of this chapter that the person who repents and turns to the Lord will not die, but will live. The person who sins is liable for his or her own sins. But the person who repents will be saved.

That’s what the Lord will reveal later in this chapter. But for now, he presents three cases for us to consider. The first is the case of a righteous man. So, this is verses 5 to 9. Before going any further, please notice that Ezekiel doesn’t say how this man became righteous. He’s simply describing for us what this righteous man is like. We have to go to other places in the Bible to learn that we become righteous through faith in the Saviour, because whoever believes is declared to be righteous in God’s sight and receives the Holy Spirit to enable us to do what is right. This was true for God’s people in Old Testament times and it’s still true today.

Ezekiel isn’t saying how we become righteous. He’s simply describing for us what this righteous man is like. So, he does what is just and right and he shuns what is evil. So, he doesn’t eat at the mountain shrines or look to idols for help. So, he’s not an idolater. Instead of worshipping idols, he worships the Lord. And he doesn’t defile his neighbour’s wife by committing adultery with her. Nor does he defile his own wife by having sexual relations with her when she’s having her period. That was forbidden in Leviticus 18 and it was connected to the Old Testament laws about ceremonial purity. Nor does he oppress anyone. On the contrary, he always returned what he took in pledge for a loan. So, if you owed me money, you might give me something as a guarantee that one day you’ll repay the loan. Well, if I were a wicked man, I might keep what you gave me even after you repaid the loan. But this righteous man doesn’t do that.

Nor does this righteous man commit robbery. On the contrary, he gives his food to the hungry and provides clothes for the one who has nothing. He’s good and kind and generous. Nor does he commit usury, which means he doesn’t charge unreasonable rates of interest on a loan. In fact, according to Leviticus 25, the Lord’s people weren’t to charge any interest in those days and they weren’t to profit from the poverty of their fellow Jews. And this righteous man withholds his hand from doing wrong and he judges fairly. So, he’s honest and fair in legal matters.

All in all, he follows the decrees of the Lord and keeps his laws faithfully. He’s a righteous man. And therefore he will surely live. He has done nothing to deserve the death penalty as a lawbreaker. And indeed, he will enjoy life in the presence of God in this world and in the next.

That’s the man who is righteous. Now suppose he has a son who is very different. And we’re now looking at verses 10 to 13 and this is the second case for us to consider. This man is violent. He sheds blood and he does all the wicked things his father did not do. So, he commits idolatry and adultery and he oppresses the poor and commits robbery and so on. Will such a man live? The Lord says very emphatically in verse 13 that he will not live. He will be put to death as a lawbreaker for the wicked things he has done and his blood will be on his own head. So, he will be responsible for what happens to him; and no one else is to blame. In particular, his father is not to blame for what happens to the son.

And then the Lord presents us with a third case to consider. And it’s the case of the wicked man’s son. We’re now looking at verses 14 to 18. The wicked man’s son sees all the sins of his father. And though he sees them, he does not do them. He does not copy his father’s wicked example. Instead he shuns evil and he does what is right. He keeps the laws of the Lord and follows God’s decrees.

And so, will he die for the sins of his father? Will he be put to death as a lawbreaker? No. He will live. His wicked father will die for his own sins, but his son, who did what was right, will not die. He will live.

According to the proverb, it was an unchangeable law of the universe that children will suffer for the sins of their parents. But no, says the Lord. The soul who sins will die. The righteous son will not die for the sins of his wicked father, but the wicked father will die because of his own sins. He has no one to blame but himself.

Verses 19 to 24

In the second part of the passage — verses 19 to 24 — the people ask why doesn’t the son share the guilt of his father? And this question makes clear that the original proverb was not so much a complaint that God was being unfair, but that they’re victims of this unchangeable law of the universe which is that the fate of one generation is determined by the actions of the previous generation. If that’s the way things are, if everyone is bound by that law of the universe, then why doesn’t the righteous son share the guilt of his wicked father? Isn’t that the way the universe works? Children suffer because of their parents. That’s what the people believed and so they’re puzzled by what the Lord has said in verses 5 to 17.

And the Lord responds by saying that the righteous son will live. And he’ll live because it’s the person who sins who will die. In other words, his wicked father will die. His wicked father is liable for what he has done wrong. But his righteous son will not be condemned. He will live.

And so, the Lord is saying that the guilt of one generation will not be passed on to another generation: parents will not be punished for the sins of their children; and children will not be punished for the sins of their parents. God will deal with a righteous person according to his or her righteousness and no-one else’s; and God will deal with a wicked person according to his or her wickedness and no-one else’s.

However, look at verse 21. If a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed, so that he begins to keep God’s decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live. None of the offences he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.

So, when sinners repent — when they turn from their wicked ways and turn to the Lord for mercy — the Lord is faithful and just and he will forgive their sins and he will cleanse them from all that is not right. And God is able to forgive them and accept them as righteous in his sight for the sake of the righteousness of Christ which covers over God’s believing people. Believers today believe in the Christ who has already come into the world to die for us. In the days of the Old Testament, believers believed in the Christ who was to come into the world to die for us. And whoever believes in Christ receives forgiveness for all that they have done wrong. And then, they also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us to keep God’s decrees and to do what is just and right. And so, what the Lord is describing for us in verses 21 to 23 is what happens when God sends his Spirit into the hearts of sinners to enable them to give up their sins in repentance and to trust in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness. And the Spirit, living inside us, changes us so that we begin to do what is just and right.

And is the Lord annoyed when someone turns from their sins so that they live and don’t die? Is he annoyed because a sinner has been snatched from his fire? No, the Lord is not annoyed when this happens, because God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He doesn’t take joy in seeing the wicked being punished in the fires of hell. Instead he is pleased when the wicked turn from their wicked ways and find life. There is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents.

On the other hand — and this is now verse 24 — if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, will he live? And I think we’re to take it that the Lord is referring to someone who abandons the faith and who turns away from the Lord completely. And this person persists in his unbelief. Will that person live? No, that person will not live, because he has sinned by turning away from the Lord.

So, the person who turns from the Lord will be held liable for what he has done. And whatever good he may have done in the past will be forgotten, because he has turned away from the Lord to do evil. But on the other hand, the person who turns from his wickedness will be pardoned for what he has done. And whatever evil he may have done in the past will be forgotten, because he has turned to the Lord for mercy. This is the wonderful good news of the gospel.

And it’s good news for all of us, because all of us are sinners by birth. And everyday we sin against the Lord in thought and word and deed. And therefore we are all justly liable to God’s wrath and curse for a lifetime of disobedience. But because God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, he sends his Spirit into the lives of sinners to enable them to repent and believe. And all who believe are pardoned and accepted as righteous in God’s sight. Though we may have done everything wrong, God treats us as if we’ve done everything right, because of Christ who paid for our sins with his life; and who shed his blood to cleanse us; and who covers us with his perfect righteousness. And God fills us with his Spirit to renew us inwardly and to enable us to follow his decrees and to do what is just and right. He enables us to live, not for ourselves, but for Christ our Saviour. And he promises us everlasting life and joy and peace and happiness in his presence where there is no more sorrow or sadness or disease or death or sin or wickedness, but only perfect peace and rest and life. And there, we’ll behold the glory of God and we’ll be perfectly happy for ever. And the way to receive all of these wonderful things is by turning from our sins in repentance and turning with faith to Christ, who is the only Saviour of the world.

Verses 25 to 32

It’s wonderful. And yet someone says in verse 25 that the way of the Lord is not just. It’s hard to understand why they should think the way of the Lord is unjust, unless they believe that God should not pardon the wicked person who repents. But this is the glory of the gospel. This is the wonder of salvation: that God is willing to pardon us because of Christ who died for sinners. And so, the Lord repeats that if a righteous person turns away from the Lord, he will die, but if a wicked person turns away from his or her wickedness, that person will be saved. That sinner will surely live. Instead of treating us as our sins deserve, God pardons us. And he’s able to pardon us, because Christ has paid for our sins with his life and has therefore satisfied the justice of God which was against us.

The wages of sin is death. And so, someone had to die to pay for our sins. And someone has died to pay for our sins. And the one who died is Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, who laid down his life as the ransom to pay for all that we have done wrong.

The Lord announces in verse 30 that he will judge the house of Israel. And the day is coming when Christ the King will judge the whole world: everyone who has ever lived. We’ll have to stand before his throne to give an account of our lives and of the things we have said and done and thought and desired. And when you stand before his judgment seat, you’ll not be judged for the sins of your parents; or for the sins of your children; or for the sins of anyone else. You’ll be judged for your own sins which are too many to number. But the good news of the gospel is that whoever trusts in Christ will not be condemned, even though we deserve to be condemned. We will not be condemned, but pardoned and treated as righteous in God’s sight, because Christ paid for our sins with his life and he covers us with his perfect obedience.

And since this is true, the Lord’s message to people in every generation is repent. Turn away from all your offences. Rid yourselves of all your sins. Get a new heart, he says. And get a new spirit. He means we should get a new heart to love the Lord and a willing spirit to obey him. But we cannot give ourselves a new heart. We cannot give ourselves a willing spirit. We don’t have the power to create in ourselves a new heart or spirit. But thanks be to God, because the God who does not take any pleasure in the death of anyone gives his people a new heart to love him like never before and a willing spirit to obey him like never before. He gives us a new heart and spirit to love the Lord and to trust in him and to live for him. He gives us these things freely, because of Christ; and he gives us these things so that we can live with him for ever.

And so, thanks be to God for his kindness to us in Christ Jesus, because he does not treat us as our sins deserve and he does not repay us according to our iniquity. Instead, he pardons and accept us because of Christ and he gives us the gift of his Spirit and the hope of everlasting life in his presence.

Conclusion

The Lord God Almighty came to his exiled people through the preaching of Ezekiel to announce the good news that whoever turns from their wicked ways and turns to God shall live. And God comes to you in the preaching of his word today to announce the good news that whoever turns from their wicked ways and turns to God shall live.

And so, thanks be to God for his kindness to us in Christ, who died so that we might live. And we should look to the Lord every day for the help of his Spirit to do what is right and to shun all that is evil, because this is the will of God for his people in every generation.