Ezekiel 18:10

The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:10-17, “If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,[11] And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,[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,[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.[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,[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,[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,[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.” There are two different paths in which a son can go in life. A parent never knows. That is one of the risks of parenting. It says about one possible direction in verse 10, “If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood…”And then the other possible direction that a child might go in is stated in verse 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.” It is the mystery of iniquity. It is the power of individual choice. Some people go the right way, and some go the wrong way; and that will be true of your children too. Adam and Eve had two sons. One of them did God’s will, and one of them became a murderer. The reason that it can happen is because God has made every person a free moral agent. God gives every child a free choice to go one way or another. Some choose evil, selfishness, and no faith in Jesus. But if they choose the wrong way, they will have to pay. When God said in verse 17 concerning the son who chose the right way, “he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live,” God was again stating the fact that every person makes their own choice. God will hold you responsible for the choices that you make: not the choice that someone else makes, not even your parents’ choices.

Verse 17 mentions something that is interesting to take note of: “usury.” Usury is interest on a loan. The Jewish people were forbidden is take any interest at all from their brethren: their fellow-citizens in the nation of Israel. The concept is this: only those in desperate need borrow. If you take interest from them, you are profiting from their misfortune. That is sin. If this pattern had been followed by the human race throughout the centuries, we would not be in the mess we are in now. The banking system is in the mess that it is in now because of all the loans that were made in the hopes of earning interest, but when there are a great number of defaults on those loans, not only is the principal not repaid, neither is the interest (the usury). Not to worry: they always have Quantitative Easing (printing money) to throw at the problem. But of course, his will eventually lead to massive inflation and the impoverishment of everyone.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:18-22, “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.[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.[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.[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.[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.” In verse 20 God said, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” This is in the context of individual responsibility. Every person is individually responsible to God. No matter what is your background or what is your upbringing, you are responsible for the choices that you make. Also, you do not get any benefit from what your parents or grandparents have done in regards to their belief in the Lord. How have you responded to the Spirit drawing you to Jesus? How greatly do you want to do the right thing after you turn to the Lord? You are faced with life or death, spiritually speaking and you will get what you have chosen.

The Bible says in 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?” God will punish those who have rejected Him and chosen evil. He will send them to hell who reject Christ. But that is not the result that God was hoping would happen. Of course, this shows once again that God has given a free will to every person. He even allows you to reject Him and go to hell if that is what you choose. But careful what you choose concerning Jesus Christ. It will be a decision that will last for eternity.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:24-30, “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.[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?[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.[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.[28] Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.[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?[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.” There will be surprises in heaven. Some people will not be there that everyone thought would be. They looked like they were righteous, but God saw their sins, and God said in verse 24, “in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” On the hand is someone who has never done the right thing and so has no good works, but only has sins that people see and that God has seen. But if that person repents of his sins, it says in verse 28, “Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” We have all sinned, whether we are considered to be good or evil people. God simply wants us to repent of our sins: to admit that we have done wrong, to ask for forgiveness, and to start doing the right thing the best that we can. Jesus said, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” As bad as Israel had become and as close as they were to judgment, yet God still gave them the chance to repent. He said to them in 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.” That is the message of the Gospel. Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus before your judgment falls on you.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 18:31-32, “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?[32] For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” When you repent of your sins and turn to the Lord, you will get a new heart and a new spirit. That is one reason that Jesus called it being “born again.” It is a wonderful thing after you have messed everything up through sin to be able to have a new start and a new life. That is one of the benefits of turning to Jesus. God is the God of second chances, and the greatest second chance takes place when you turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

God asks a very simple question in Ezekiel 18:31 of those who have not yet repented, “for why will ye die?” It does not make any sense that someone would refuse the love of God and reject eternal life. It does not make any sense that someone would choose hell when they can have heaven. And yet some people make that choice. But when someone rejects Christ and goes the wrong way, God has no pleasure in it. As a matter of fact God loves every soul immensely and has a plan so that everyone can be saved if only they will turn to Him. God says in verse 32, “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.” This heart of God is also shown when Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem before His crucifixion. It says in Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Of course, this also shows that God has given to every person a free choice. As much as God wants everyone to be saved, He still gives to everyone a free choice.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 19:1-12, “Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,[2] And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.[3] And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.[4] The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.[5] Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.[6] And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.[7] And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.[8] Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.[9] And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.[10] Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.[11] And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.[12] But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.” This is a story of what might have been. Israel could have and should have been the greatest nation on earth throughout all the course of human history. Their leaders should have been lions, stronger and smarter than all other leaders. But alas, because of sin, it did not happen. As it says in verse 12, “But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.” O, what might have been! Such a sad story, and it is a story that has been repeated so many times in the lives of so many people. Turn to Jesus while you have time. The judgment is coming.

___________________________________________________