Ezekiel 18

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ezekiel Chapter 18

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Ezekiel
Date Penned: (571 BC)
Overview: To Announce God's Judgement and Salvation (c 1-5)
Theme: Messages of Doom (c 1-24)
Message: Each Person is Responsible for His Own Sin (v 1-32)

Ezekiel 18 Commentary

(18:1) The people of Judah believed they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors, not their own. They thought this way because of the language used in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:5). But that had been referring to the consequences of sin, which do indeed affect innocent people, not the punishment for sin, which God directs only to the individual who sinned. The people's mistaken viewpoint on this had led to fatalism and irresponsibility. Instead, Ezekiel taught that the destruction of Jerusalem was not due to the spiritual decay in previous generations. God judges each person individually. Although we often suffer from the effects of sins committed by those who came before us, those effects are not punishments for our sins. In his mercy, God does not punish us for someone else's sins, and we can't use their mistakes as an excuse for our sins. Each person must answer to God for his or her actions. In addition, some people of Judah used the corporate umbrella of God's blessing as an excuse for disobeying God. They thought that because of their righteous ancestors (Ezekiel 18:5-9), they would live. God told them that they would not; they were the evil children of righteous parents and, as such, would die (18:10-13). If, however, anyone returned to God, he or she would live (18:14-18).

(18:8) The Law of Moses - The law of Moses had rules about charging usury, or interest (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36; Deuteronomy 23:19-20), to prevent God's people from taking advantage of the poor among them. As God's people today, we have the responsibility to speak against all the ways people who are poor are exploited.

(18:12) The Pledge - Returning what one took in "pledge" refers to a lender letting a debtor continue to use whatever they had pledged (often a cloak) as collateral for a loan. Without a cloak, the debtor would be cold at night. (See Exodus 22:26 and Deuteronomy 24:10-13 for the giving of this law.) We may not think we are oppressing those who are poor, but by ignoring unfair laws and practices, we are silently agreeing to oppress them.

(18:23) Mercy and Compassion - This powerful statement confirms God's true desire to show mercy and compassion to all. God loves people perfectly, but he also dispenses justice perfectly. His perfect love causes him to be merciful to those who recognize their sin and turn back to him, but he cannot overlook those who willfully sin. Wicked people die both physically and spiritually. God takes no joy in their deaths; he would prefer that they turn to him and have eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). Likewise, we should not rejoice in the misfortunes of nonbelievers. Instead, we should do all that is in our power to bring them to faith.

(18:25) God's Standards - A typical childish response to punishment is to say, "That isn't fair!" In reality, God is fair, but we have broken his rules. It is not God who must live up to our ideas of fairness; instead, we must live up to his. Don't spend your time looking for the loopholes in God's commandments. Instead, do all you can to live up to his standards.

(18:30-32) A Changed Life - Ezekiel's solution to the problem of inherited guilt is for each person to have a changed life. God does this work in us; we cannot do it for ourselves. We don't need to go looking for a new heart and new spirit (see 36:27). The Holy Spirit gives these to us (Psalm.51:10-12). If you renounce your life's direction of sin and rebellion and turn to God, he will give you a new direction, a new understanding of his Word, a new love, and a new power to change. You can begin by faith, trusting in God's power to change your heart and mind. Then determine to live each day with him in control (Ephesians 4:22-24).

David Burnette's Life Application

Sins Destructive Nature

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the Book of Ezekiel with Chapter 18. In our text today we see how each person is responsible for his or her own sin. We see how sin complicates life and how we will face death as a result of our sin. In making application we see the destructive nature of sin and how we are all sinners but we are accountable and responsible for our own sin. This sin separate's us from a Holy God and is the reason why we must all be saved. How about you? Do you see the destructive nature of sin? Let us learn from our text today and the example in Ezekiel to see that we are responsible for our own sin and our sin separates us from a Holy God showing us that we must be saved.

Ezekiel 18

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Ezekiel 18

¹The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

²What 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?

³As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴Behold, 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.

⁵But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

⁶And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

⁷And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

⁸He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

⁹Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁰If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

¹¹And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,

¹²Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

¹³Hath given forth upon usury, 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.

¹⁴Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,

¹⁵That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,

¹⁶Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

¹⁷That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

¹⁸As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

¹⁹Yet say ye, Why? 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.

²⁰The 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.

²¹But if the wicked will 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.

²²All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

²³Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

²⁴But 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? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵Yet 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?

²⁶When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

²⁷Again, 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.

²⁸Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²⁹Yet 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?

³⁰Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

³¹Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

³²For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

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