EZEKIEL LESSON 19
We will begin this lesson in Ezekiel 18:1 "The word of the LORD
came unto me again, saying,"
Again, we have a totally new prophecy beginning here.
Ezekiel 18:2 "What 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?"
It seems, some of the younger men had been complaining that they
had not sinned, and yet, they were suffering for the sins of their
fathers. The fathers had "eaten the sour grapes" {committed the sin}.
Their "teeth were set on edge" {they were being punished}.
Ezekiel 18:3 "[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have
[occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel."
This statement they had been making about God visiting the sins
of the father on the son was misunderstood. God would no longer let
them make this statement. From now on, each person would be judged
separately. Even today, in a sense, the bad reputation of the father
will bring hardships on his children. This cannot be helped. In God's
sight, however, each person is responsible for his own sin.
Ezekiel 18:4 "Behold, 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."
The penalty for sin is death. That is why it was necessary for
the body of Jesus to die on the cross. He paid our penalty of death
for us. He became our substitute. Our bill for our sin is marked paid
in full {if we are Christians}. Each person is responsible for his own
sin. The penalty for sin, under the law, was death of the sinner.
We all belong to God, in the fact that He created us. We are saved, or
condemned, one at a time, not in a group. God may save the multitude,
but He saves them one at a time.
Ezekiel 18:5 "But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful
and right,"
This is the beginning of the explanation of the character of a
just man.
Ezekiel 18:6 "[And] 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,"
These were all forbidden in the law of God. "Eating on the
mountain" is speaking of breaking bread in the presence of a false
god. The remnant of Jews that God saved, were made up of those who had
not bowed their knees to a false god. We see, also, that there must be
great respect shown for the neighbor and his wife. Adultery is spoken
of in all instances here. The man spoken of had not committed physical
adultery, or spiritual adultery.
Ezekiel 18:7 "And 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;"
Jesus covered this, when He said in Luke 6:31 "And as ye would
that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." This person
is good to his fellow man, knowing that it was as if he had done these
things unto the Lord.
Ezekiel 18:8 "He [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,"
This man does not take advantage of his brother in trouble. He
tells the truth at all times, and is no respecter of persons.
Ezekiel 18:9 "Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my
judgments, to deal truly; he [is] just, he shall surely live, saith
the Lord GOD."
He is obedient to God. He is fair with God and man. He has kept
the two commandments Jesus would speak of as covering them all.
Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
Matthew 22:38 "This is the first and great commandment." Matthew
22:39 "And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself." Keeping these two commandments bring life, not death.
God said it, it is so.
Ezekiel 18:10 "If he beget a son [that is] a robber, a shedder
of blood, and [that] doeth the like to [any] one of these [things],"
It would be hard to believe that such a righteous man would have
a son who was a robber, or a shedder of blood, but sometimes it
happens.
Ezekiel 18:11 "And that doeth not any of those [duties], but even
hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,"
We see an evil son who worships false gods in the high places,
and commits adultery with the neighbor's wife.
Ezekiel 18:12 "Hath 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,"
This evil son has no regard for the needs of others, and takes
advantage of them every time he can.
Ezekiel 18:13 "Hath 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."
When those in need come to him to borrow money, he gets them in
even more trouble by charging them double on the interest.
"Abominations" are revolting sins in the sight of God. All of the sins
mentioned of the son, are from someone who is living in death. He will
not live. He has sinned unto death. His blood is not upon his father,
but on himself.
Ezekiel 18:14 "Now, lo, [if] he beget a son, that seeth all his
father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such
like,"
Now, we see the reverse. The father is a sinful man in this
parable. In this case, the son sees the sins of the father, and
decides not to live like the father. He decides to do what is right in
the sight of God.
Ezekiel 18:15 "[That] 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,"
This son has not committed spiritual, or physical adultery.
Ezekiel 18:16 "Neither 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,"
Jesus would be able to say unto him, Inasmuch as ye have done it
to the least of these, ye have done it unto me.
Ezekiel 18:17 "[That] 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."
This person is not worthy of death. He shall live.
Ezekiel 18:18 "[As 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."
The father, who had committed these sins, had been judged of God
and found guilty. He will die.
Ezekiel 18:19 "Yet 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."
Again, this is showing that judgement from God is individual.
Each person will stand before God to be judged. Each will pay for
his own sin, not for someone else's sin.
Ezekiel 18:20 "The 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."
A person is responsible for his own sins, and no one else's.
A person who is righteous cannot pass that on to his children anymore
than he could pass on his sins.
Ezekiel 18:21 "But 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."
This is just saying, that even someone, who has sinned, can
repent of those sins, and be saved. To "repent" means to turn
completely away from your sin, and begin again a clean new life.
Ezekiel 18:22 "All his transgressions that he hath committed,
they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he
hath done he shall live."
This is speaking of the fact, that sins that are forgiven, are
not remembered anymore by God. They are as if they had never happened.
This speaks strongly of the righteousness we receive, when we receive
Jesus as our Saviour. We actually give Him our sin, and receive His
righteousness in exchange.
Ezekiel 18:23 "Have 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?"
From Genesis to Revelation in the Bible, God wants man to repent
of his sins, and be saved. In Jesus, God has given mankind a perfect
plan, whereby he can be saved. Every time God poured His wrath out on
the people, it was to cause them to repent and turn to God. God is not
willing that even one would be lost.
Ezekiel 18:24 "But 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."
We find a similar Scripture in Hebrews 6:4 "For [it is]
impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost," Hebrews
6:5 "And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world
to come," Hebrews 6:6 "If they shall fall away, to renew them again
unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put [him] to an open shame." This is not speaking of a
person falling and committing one sin. This is a person who has lived
for God, changing his lifestyle back to the sinful way. We find in the
following Scripture just how bad this is. II Peter 2:21 "For it had
been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than,
after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment
delivered unto them." We see, then, it is a very serious thing to
turn away from God back into the world.
Ezekiel 18:25 "Yet 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?"
What a terrible thing it is to question whether God is fair, or
not. How could they say this? God is just in all His dealings with
mankind. We all want His mercy, but few of us want His justice.
Ezekiel 18:26 "When 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."
The main thing to see in this is "and dieth in them". As long as
he is alive, he can repent, and God will forgive him. It is unrepented
sins that condemn a man to death.
Ezekiel 18:27 "Again, 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."
True repentance brings forgiveness and life to the sinner.
Ezekiel 18:28 "Because he considereth, and turneth away from all
his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he
shall not die."
Notice, in this, a person must walk in the saved condition to
inherit eternal life. Salvation is a day to day walk.
Ezekiel 18:29 "Yet 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?"
Their guilty conscience of their sins have caused them to think
God unequal. They want to go ahead, and sin, and still be saved. That
is not the way to get to heaven.
Ezekiel 18:30 "Therefore 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."
All of the chastisement that came upon Israel, was for the
purpose of causing them to repent. God will not force a person to be
saved. He wants everyone to be saved. He loves each of us. We are His
creation. God is love and peace, but He is, also, Judge. God does not
cause their ruin. He gives them every chance to repent. Their
unrepented sins are what bring their ruin.
Ezekiel 18:31 "Cast 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?"
God is trying to say something that will cause them to repent,
and start all over again with Him. This verse, above, is speaking
strongly of the brand new life we receive from Jesus, when we repent,
and are washed in His blood. Some people call it being born again of
the Spirit. John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God." John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." This brand
new heart is washed in the blood of the Lamb. We are what our heart
is. When our heart is pure, we are pure. It is each person's choice.
We live with God, or we die in sin.
Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that
dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye."
God created us for eternal life. We are His creation. We can be
His sons. Ezekiel has preached a beautiful message of repentance and
salvation. Each person must decide for himself. We must choose. We
can have life, or death. It is our choice. II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance."
Ezekiel 19 Questions
1. What Question does Ezekiel ask them in verse 2?
2. What did the "eaten the sour grapes" symbolize?
3. What did their teeth "were set on edge" symbolize?
4. What would be different about their sins from now on?
5. The penalty for sin is _________.
6. Jesus became our ___________ on the cross.
7. Whose bill for their sins is marked paid in full?
8. God may save the multitude, but he saves them ______ __ __ _____.
9. What is verse 5 the beginning of an explanation of?
10. Verse 6 is speaking of what sins?
11. How did Jesus express the same thing as in verse 7?
12. Verse 9 says, the man is __________ to God.
13. What two commandments cover everything?
14. Describe the evil son.
15. What happens to the evil son, if he does not repent?
16. Describe the son who lives righteous before God.
17. The father, who is judged of God and found guilty, will _____.
18. Whose sins are you responsible for?
19. What does "repent" mean?
20. What happens to sins that are repented of?
21. Which books of the Bible call for repentance?
22. Why did God pour out His wrath upon them?
23. Where do we find another Scripture similar to Ezekiel chapter 18
verse 24?
24. Quote 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 21.
25. We all want God's mercy, and not His __________.
26. What are the key words in verse 26?
27. True repentance brings what?
28. What caused them to believe God's ways were not equal?
29. What brings their ruin?
30. Quote John chapter 3 verses 5 and 6.
31. God created us for _______ ____.
32. What has Ezekiel done in this chapter?
33. Quote 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9.
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