I enjoyed watching snow fall as I wrote this, a nice change of pace from cold rain. The weather portrayed a visual picture of God’s message to Ezekiel. Rain, then snow, then gray damp again. In the second half of chapter 18 (next week), we’ll read God’s description of a wicked person who turned from unrighteousness to righteousness and so saved his life. Then the Lord explained that if a righteous person turned away from God’s law to a path of unrighteousness, he would surely die. First, though, we read how God reckons righteousness or unrighteousness to each person based on his or her individual actions.
The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel” (Ezekiel 18:1-3).
- God asked His people why they quoted a certain proverb and what meaning they ascribed to the saying.
- The proverb was one of comparison and relationship, referring to the effect of the father’s sins on the children.
- God declared in this case that was an incorrect meaning.1
- He declared they would no longer say such a thing.
“In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge” (Jeremiah 31:29-30).
*Why do you think God declared in Ezekiel’s message the proverb’s traditional meaning was incorrect?
*What proverbs do we have in our culture that describe or compare relationships between people and their actions?
For those who didn’t know or chose not to dwell on the meaning, God explained it in detail.
“For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:4).
- God is the Lord of both father and son.
- The soul who sins is the one who will die.
- God spoke of individual responsibility for sin.1
- The soul included the whole person, their inner being, thoughts, and emotions.2
- The relationship between father and son isn’t what leads to death, but each person’s sinful actions.
- Sin here has the concept of missing God’s mark, or intended way of living, to do wrong.3
What is the relevance of individual responsibility for sin for us?
In what ways do we miss God’s intended way of life and take the wrong path? 
“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.
He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties.
He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 18:5-9).
God then described a righteous man, someone who
- did what is morally just and right
- didn’t worship idols
- didn’t defile women
- didn’t oppress others
- didn’t steal
- provided for the needy
- was honest in financial dealings
- did things the right way
- executed fair judgments
- followed God’s decrees, which make God’s will known and give divine directions to people.4
- The word for “robbery” is the same word Malachi used to describe how Israel’s priests took what had been plundered to offer it as an unacceptable sacrifice, perhaps hinting at a deeper meaning that the righteous man fulfills the law concerning acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.5
- Judgments refer to God’s goal for His people, to execute justice, which is righteousness.6
- Micah used the same word to define God’s idea of righteousness.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
- The righteous will surely live, declares the Lord.
*How would you describe a “righteous man” in your own words according to these verses?
*How can we live according to God’s concept of righteousness here?
“Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (though the father has done none of them):
“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head” (Ezekiel 18:10-13).
- What about the man’s sinful, wayward son?
- God restated a condensed list of sins for emphasis.
- The unrighteous man would not live, even though his father was righteous.
*Why did God separate the unrighteous son’s actions from the father’s?
“But suppose this man has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:
“He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.
He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.
But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live” (Ezekiel 18:14-19).
- What about the next generation?
- Why didn’t the son receive consequences for his father’s sin?
- The son observed that his father violated God’s law and commandments.
- God declared the father guilty of evil.
- He considered, and sought to learn and know how he should then live.7
- The son chose not to sin, lived a righteous life, kept God’s decrees and would live.
- This third list slightly changed the wording once again for emphasis.
- We know from the context God spoke of the wicked man’s son, the grandson of the righteous man.
- This righteous son walked in the ways of his grandfather.
- He lived a blameless life of integrity.8
- He would not perish because of his father’s sin, but would live.
*What can we learn from reading about or observing how unrighteous people live?
*What do we learn about God’s character from this passage?
*What hope do we glean from these verses?
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., General Editor. The Complete Word Study Old Testament (King James Version). (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994) 2003
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003) 746
- Ibid., 328
- Ibid., 371
- Ibid., 196-197, Malachi 1:13
- Ibid., 688
- Ibid., 1023
- Ibid., 939