by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton
But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. Ezekiel 18:21
Life is not fair and it’s all God’s fault!
You can do everything right, live a good life and still wind up paying for the sins of others.
You can be a good person, go to church every Sunday, and keep the Ten Commandments and still wind up with cancer.
The children of Israel were in exile because of the sins of their fathers. They blamed their fathers and they blamed God. They were fond of saying, “The father eats sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” and in Ezekiel chapter 18 God said “ENOUGH!”
Sour Grapes
God is a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers on the sons for three or four generations. (Exodus 20:5) It just ain’t fair, or so the exiles in Babylon thought. Their fathers had been warned. Their fathers ignored the warnings and the Kingdom of Israel eroded from within. The Kingdom divided. Then the Kingdom fell, first the North to Asryia, then the South to Babylon.
Then God sends Ezekiel to tell the people in exile that there would be no early release. Jerusalem itself would fall, make peace with God in exile. And the people responded by griping about the unfairness of it all.
Life Ain’t Fair!
The exiles blamed their father’s for eating the sour grapes that set their own teeth on edge. They pointed to the 2nd Commandment “…punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” Exodus 20:5. And, honestly, this sounds pretty extreme to me, but then I do not live in ancient times where a household would be three or four generations. Remember The Waltons where Grandma and Grandpa lived with John and Olivia, and their children, three generations in one household.
The Waltons lived just a few generations ago. In ancient times a household would have fathers, sons, grandsons and possibly great-grandchildren, four generations. So the sins of the father would naturally affect the entire household – four generations.
Just ask anyone who has had to live in the shadow of a parent’s bad behavior, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” no matter how hard we work at not being the apple, we are branded by our parents, for good or ill.
God designed families for mutual support. We need that support but because of the innate nature of families, bad behavior is supported by the same structure that is designed to support good behavior.
So, okay, we are affected by the families that we are born into, does that mean that we must suffer for their mistakes? Yes, and no.
Enough!
God has heard the children of Israel blame their predicament on their fathers for years. In Ezekiel chapter 18 He says, “Enough”
Yes we are affected and therefore suffer through that connection, but no we do not suffer death for their sins.
For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son – both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. Ezekiel 18:4
God knows that we will be affected by the sins of our fathers but he does not blame us for those sins. The 2nd Commandment wasn’t a “Kids you’re screwed” commandment it was a warning, “Fathers you are responsible.”
God knew that we would be affected by and suffer from the decisions of our fathers and so He warned our fathers. That is what laws are - warnings. Bad behavior has consequences. Here is the bad behavior - don't do this. Sometimes the consequences are listed, sometimes not. The consequence of all sin is death. Physical death, emotional death, or spiritual death.
Clearing up the Confusion
God made it very clear in Ezekiel 18 that everyone is responsible for his own walk in life – despite the circumstances that may be caused by others.
The righteous will earn credit and the wicked will be charged (Ezekiel 18:20), whether they are the father or the son. The sins of one do not condemn the other. Affect – yes. Condemn – No.
Is my way unjust?
Turn to me and live. Turn to sin and die. Your circumstances are irrelevant. For 24 chapters God spoke to the children of Israel and told them to make peace with Him in spite of their circumstances. And not just the children of Israel but us as well for “every living soul belongs to me!” Ezekiel 18:4 not just some of them but every one of them.
Turn to sin and die!
We do not live in a vacuum. We will always be affected by the sins of others. They have received the same warnings that we have. They exercise the same free will that we do. Blaming God for the effects of their bad behavior is ludicrous. If He took away their free will He would have to take ours away as well. Only with free will can we choose our own behavior, and our own behavior is all that we can choose. It is our choice that matters to God.
Turn away from sin and live!
Choose God in spite of your circumstances. Acknowledge that your living soul belongs to him, no matter where you are no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
Consider yourself
Consider your ways – not your father’s ways – yours! What you do matters, how you live in the worst of circumstances is the very definition of the kind of man you are. It is easy to trust God in the best of times. It is the worst of times that test our faith. Ezekiel was sent to tell the exiles that their circumstances weren’t going to change any time soon. Jerusalem would fall – but God was with them where they were. Make peace with God in exile.
Check your direction
Consider all the offenses you have committed and turn away from them. Ezekiel 18:28
Turn from sin.
Turn to God.
Repent! And live.
This is the definition of Repentance: Turn away from all your offences then sin will not be your downfall Ezekiel 18:30
Be sorry for your own bad behavior and turn from it. Stop doing it, never do it again. Make a 180 degree change of direction. Turn away from evil. Turn to God in the midst of the storm and you will find Him for He is there.
When the prodigal son turned for home his father saw him coming in the distance and ran to meet him. When we turn for home the Father sees the very first step that we take and runs to meet us.
After Jerusalem fell and all hope of returning to the holy city was gone Ezekiel’s message turned from hope crushing “What you want to happen is not going to happen” to one of hope filled restoration, revival, and a glorious future. Turn to God and live!
I take no pleasure in death
The day that Jesus was born the angels in heaven could not contain their joy. They celebration burst out on a hillside where the shepherds were watching their sheep. The Father runs to meet every soul that turns to Him. Heaven celebrates and joy pours out into the soul that returns. This is the pleasure that God takes; the return of the redeemed.
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Ezekiel 18:32
Anyone includes everyone.
God takes no pleasure in the miseries that we suffer at the hands of others. He knows that we will suffer, in this life, he has warned us that our choices affect others. Our suffering isn’t a punishment from God. There is only life – and death – and which direction we choose to face.
I tell you no!
Jesus answered the same question in his time. When Israel was under Roman rule. Jerusalem was restored but it was not the governing authority. It was not the glorious kingdom of God on earth, the shinning light of righteousness that it was meant to be.
Some Galileans had suffered a horrible death and then a greater indignity in death. “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners because they suffered this way? I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:2-3
Then he gave another example: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:4-5
Repent and live! Unless you repent you too will perish!
I take no pleasure in death
The day that Jesus was born the angels in heaven could not contain their joy. They celebration burst out on a hillside where the shepherds were watching their sheep. The Father runs to meet every soul that turns to Him. Heaven celebrates and joy pours out into the soul that returns. This is the pleasure that God takes; the return of the redeemed.
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Ezekiel 18:32
Anyone includes everyone.
God takes no pleasure in the miseries that we suffer at the hands of others. He knows that we will suffer, in this life, he has warned us that our choices affect others. Our suffering isn’t a punishment from God. There is only life – and death – and which direction we choose to face.
I tell you no!
Jesus answered the same question in his time. When Israel was under Roman rule. Jerusalem was restored but it was not the governing authority. It was not the glorious kingdom of God on earth, the shinning light of righteousness that it was meant to be.
Some Galileans had suffered a horrible death and then a greater indignity in death. “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners because they suffered this way? I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:2-3
Then he gave another example: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:4-5
Repent and live! Unless you repent you too will perish!
This is the great I AM speaking. When God say something once, pay attention. When He says something twice, pay close attention. When he devotes a whole chapter to the message, listen, learn and obey.
Simple – Ain’t – Easy
Circumstances are rarely our fault and often unpleasant
Turn to God in spite of them
Turn to God and live!
- Wendy
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