Reasoning Through the Bible
Taking a cue from Paul, Reasoning Through the Bible is an expository style walk through the Scriptures that tells you what the Bible says. Reviewing both Old and New Testament books, as well as topical subjects, we methodically teach verse by verse, even phrase by phrase.
We have completed many books of the Bible and offer free lesson plans for teachers. If you want to browse our entire library by book or topic, see our website www.ReasoningThroughTheBible.com.
We primarily do expository teaching but also include a good bit of theology and apologetics. Just like Paul on Mars Hill, Christianity must address both the ancient truths and the questions of the people today. Join Glenn and Steve every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as they reason with you through the Bible.
Reasoning Through the Bible
S19 || Understanding Personal Responsibility Before God || Ezekiel 18:1-32 || Session 19
Are children guilty for the sins of their parents? This age-old question has challenged believers for centuries, and Ezekiel 18 provides a fascinating window into God's perspective on personal responsibility, generational consequences, and divine justice.
The exiled Israelites had adopted a fatalistic proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." They were essentially claiming their suffering in Babylon resulted from their ancestors' sins rather than their own disobedience. God directly confronts this excuse, systematically dismantling it through a series of powerful examples involving three generations.
What makes this passage particularly intriguing is how it seems to contradict other biblical teachings about generational consequences and original sin. However, when we understand the proper context—that Ezekiel is specifically addressing Israel's physical presence in the Promised Land rather than eternal salvation—the apparent contradiction dissolves. The life and death mentioned throughout the chapter refer to prosperity in the land, not spiritual salvation.
God's message through Ezekiel reveals His consistent character—He judges each person according to their own actions while maintaining His covenant promises. The chapter builds to a beautiful crescendo with God's heartfelt appeal: "I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies...therefore, repent and live." This invitation culminates in the promise of "a new heart and a new spirit," foreshadowing the new covenant that would later be fulfilled through Christ.
Through our verse-by-verse analysis, we explore how this theological question impacts our understanding of divine justice, personal accountability, and God's redemptive plan. Whether you're wrestling with questions about generational patterns, divine fairness, or the path to restoration, this episode offers biblical clarity on one of scripture's most profound teachings about God's character and our relationship with Him.
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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve
Welcome to Reasoning Through the Bible. We do verse-by-verse Bible study through the Word of God. As we go along, we spend quite a bit of time explaining the text and then occasionally, we have theological questions that we slow down and talk about. Well, today there's going to be one of those. If you have your Bible, turn to Ezekiel, chapter 18. We're going to start there, of course, if you've been with us as we've been reading along.
Speaker 1:We've seen that God appeared to the prophet Ezekiel, and he is in Babylon with some of the captives that have been removed from Israel, but there's still some of the Jewish people that are back in the land. Many, if not most, of Ezekiel's messages had to do with the disobedience of the Jewish people that were in Israel and why God was sending judgment. There's been passage after passage where God was quite clear about how Israel had been worshiping idols. Mosaic law prevented that they were doing child sacrifice and that was prevented in the Mosaic law. They had idol worship, sex worship and gross immorality that they had been practicing even after God had sent many prophets. Well, that is the context of the book of Ezekiel, which brings us to chapter 18. In chapter 18, the first thing we're introduced to is the word of the Lord came to me in verse 1, and he mentions this proverb in verse 2. What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel? He quotes the proverb the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge. What he's talking about there is do the sins of the father affect the son? And this same idea has been brought up throughout time of whether people are punished for their ancestors' sin. The same idea was in the Gospels Over in John, chapter 9, verse 2, the disciples had basically the same question. They walked up and saw a blind man and they turned to Jesus and said who sinned this man or his parents?
Speaker 1:The idea that children would be punished for an ancestral sin is a question that has appeared to people throughout time, which brings us to really the big theological question that God is going to answer in Ezekiel 18, of whether children are guilty of the sins of the fathers. And the question really falls like this and this is what God is answering in this chapter when children are born, are they born innocent or good? And they remain innocent or good until they commit a sin, a conscious, known sin, volitional sin and at that point they become a sinner. Or are people born sinners and inherit guilt from Adam and their parents? That's basically the theological question. And the reason it's a theological question is because the natural man would say look, it would seem like unfair for us to inherit guilt all the way back to Adam. So therefore they would hold to.
Speaker 1:And there are some people that are called Pelagian and Pelagianism would hold that people are born still today, innocent or good, that people do not inherit sin or iniquity or guilt from their parents, that people are born morally neutral at least, or possibly morally good, and that they are not guilty of sin until they commit a volitional sin. And people that hold that position turn to Ezekiel 18, verse 20, says this the person whose sins will die this is God speaking the person whose sins will die, the son, will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. So that passage is related to this question. There's been some large theological controversies over the centuries simply because there's other passages that would bring this to be not such a clear answer. For example, there's at least four places in the Bible that say the iniquity of the fathers are going to be visited on the sons to the third and fourth generation. It mentions that in Exodus 25, exodus 34-7, numbers 14-18, and Deuteronomy 5.9, the sins of the fathers we visited on the sons to the third and fourth generations. It also brings in this concept over in the New Testament.
Speaker 1:In the New Testament it becomes an issue with salvation. 1 Corinthians 15.22 says quote in Adam all die. In Romans, chapter 5, makes a very clear connection between the idea that all people died when Adam sinned and all people can have life through Christ. Romans 5 is the primary passage for explaining our salvation. There are these people, as I said, that are called Pelagians, that deny the idea of original sin, that they would deny that in Adam all die and say that people are not sinners until they commit a known volitional sin.
Speaker 1:The reasons why Pelagianism is denied and let me add that this question came up in the early years of the church and Pelagianism was declared a gets imputed to all people. That Jesus' death can be given to all people and counts all people that's called imputed, that his death can count for all people. If we accept that idea that his righteousness is credited to us and his payment for sin is credited to all people, then we have to accept the idea that Adam's sin can be imputed to all people. We cannot deny the idea of imputation and then accept the imputation of Jesus' righteousness, and the New Testament brings this out, quote. So then, as though one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so, through one act of righteousness there resulted in justification of life to all men, unquote, that's Romans 5.18. And in 1 Corinthians 15.22, we must accept, quote in Adam all die If we want to accept the second half of the same sentence even so, in Christ all shall be made alive. So if we want to accept that in Christ all shall be made alive, we have to accept in Adam, all die.
Speaker 1:That brings us to this question is how do we reconcile this problem? Because we have these places that clearly teach us that in Adam, all die, but yet we have here Ezekiel 18.20, the person whose sins will die. And if we read the rest of the chapter, he's making a very, very clear statement that the guilt of the person is on his own head and he does not inherit guilt from his father and the sons are not guilty of the father's sin. Steve, that brings us to the question and how do we reconcile it? On one hand, we have these verses that make a very clear connection between Adam's sin and our guilt, and then Christ's righteousness and our righteousness, very clearly connected in the New Testament. But yet here in Ezekiel 18, we have also a very clear passage that says the person whose sins will die and it's not passed on from generation to generation. How do we reconcile?
Speaker 2:this question, glenn, as we often talk about, we need to keep the context of Scripture. As to understand Scripture, I want to give some context to this chapter in Ezekiel of what they're talking about and what we're going to discuss a little bit further when it talks about living in the land and that you'll have life. Let me do that by going to Deuteronomy and just reading five verses. Go to Deuteronomy, chapter 30. I want to start in verse 15. This is Moses speaking to the children of Israel as they're preparing to go into the promised land. See, I have set before you today life and prosperity and death and adversity. In that I command you today to love the Lord, your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that you may live and multiply and that the Lord, your God, may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord, your God, by obeying his voice and by holding fast to him, for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, isaac and Jacob, to give them Glenn. This is the background of this part of Ezekiel where he is talking about living in the land and whether a person is going to die or not, the illustrations that he gives in the first part of 18 of the father and the son and the grandson. This is the context of Ezekiel 18.20. It's not talking about salvation when it talks about living or dying, or perishing. It's talking about this context of Deuteronomy where Moses says I've set before you today life or death, blessings or curses, and that if you obey God, then you'll have a long life in the land.
Speaker 2:Well, what are the people Ezekiel is talking to? People that have been exiled. They're not in the land. They're using this excuse that says well, we're here because of what our forefathers have done Through this talking here in chapter 18. No, you're here because of what you've done. You disobeyed God and you disobeyed his ordinances, as you open this session off with. They were doing child sacrifice, worshiping idols. They were doing the things exactly opposite of what God had commanded them to do, so they're paying the punishment for that by being exiled. So as we go back now into chapter 18 to discuss it further and finish out the chapter, keep in mind that the life and death that's being talked about here in 18 is not talking about eternal salvation. It's talking about the nation of Israel and the Israelites living in the land and being prosperous in the land.
Speaker 1:As you well pointed out, steve, that passage in Deuteronomy 30 is talking about whether you're going to be blessed to live in the land. If you remember Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments obey your mother and father, so your days will be long in the land or on the land. It's very much talking about whether you're going to prosper in the land. When we turn to the book of Ezekiel, what we can't do is just turn it to chapter 18 and pick out a verse and draw a salvation question. That's really different than the context of the book. What is the book of Ezekiel talking about over and over again, which is taking Israel out of Jerusalem, scattering them amongst the nations. That's what the previous whole chapter was talking about with the eagles and the cedar trees. It's talking about pulling the best of Israel out of the land, and why? Because he promised in Exodus and Deuteronomy that if you disobey you're not going to stay in the land. What he's talking about here in Ezekiel 18 is in that context of being dispossessed from the land during the Babylonian captivity. Think of it this way In 2 Kings 4, there's a passage in there about a man who borrows money and he dies before he can pay it back In the account. The creditor is coming to take the widow's sons as slaves to pay back the father's debt. What Ezekiel 18 is talking about is you can't do that. If the father had a debt, you can't throw the son in prison. If the father robs a bank, you can't throw the son in prison. For the bank robbery it was because the father did it. It's talking about earthly things. Are you going to be able to stay in the land? That's what it's talking about.
Speaker 1:It's not a New Testament salvation question. In the end, we would all agree that we all sin and that we're all responsible for our own rebellion against God. Deuteronomy 24.16 says quote Every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Unquote. Romans 6.23 says the wages of sin is death. So none of us can stand before God and say it's not my fault, somebody else's fault, I'm this way because of my parents. No, no, we all stand before God because of our own sin.
Speaker 1:Ezekiel 18 is talking about the people being dispossessed from Jerusalem by Babylon during the Babylonian captivity. That's the context of the book, it's the context of the chapter and it's the context of these passages. What we can't do, it's illicit to take a New Testament salvation doctrinal question and turn back here to pull out these passages. It's really talking about something else. Now, in this chapter, verses 1 through 9 start to give an example of his point that he's trying to make.
Speaker 1:He says in verses 1 through 9 that if you have a man that does what God says, then that man will surely live. He says that in verse 9. If he walks in my statutes and my ordinances so as to deal faithfully, he is righteous and will surely live. The next several verses, 10 through 13, speak of a violent son. The first righteous man has a violent son who commits murder, adultery, worship idols and it says there he will then not live and his blood will be on his own head, says in verse 13.
Speaker 1:The next verses, 14 to 17, speak of now that violent son has a son. This is the grandson of the first man who in turn, obeys the commands of the Lord, and it says quote he will not die for his father's iniquity. He will surely live, verse 17. In these three passages, from verses 1 to 17, you have a righteous man that has an evil son. That evil son then has a righteous grandson, and it's saying that each man will be held responsible for their own sin and not the actions of their father. That's really what it's saying, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And God is taking away their argument that we're here in exile because of what our forefathers did. No, you're here because of what you've done. You committed the acts of iniquity and did not follow after me. That's why you're here.
Speaker 1:So again, not a New Testament doctoral thing at all. That's why church is always held to original sin is because we can't take away the imputation of guilt without taking away the ability to impute Christ's righteousness to us. That's why it was declared a heresy three different times in the early years of the church. Let's go ahead and read the next section. Steve, can you start at verses 18 and read through 20?
Speaker 2:As for his father? Because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people. Behold, he will die for his iniquity. Yet you say why should the son not bear the punishment of the father's iniquity? When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live. The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Speaker 1:We can strongly infer from the statements God had made earlier in the book that the Jews had taken up the practices of the pagan peoples around them. In ancient days some societies would hold the extended family responsible for people's debts and their crimes. Again, if the father robs a bank, throw the son in prison. Apparently, the Jews had taken up some of these pagan practices and were punishing people for their ancestors' crimes. God in the book again, had been going through the book of Ezekiel, had been going through systematically refuting some of these horrible practices. Steve, don't you think this is pretty clear once we get the context of the book?
Speaker 2:correct Steve McLaughlin. It's made really clear in verse 19, because there's a rhetorical question that's there. That says yet you say, why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity? That was the question they were asking. And God's response is I'm being consistent. Their question was that doesn't seem right. Their question was that doesn't seem right. It seems like the son should also be guilty of what the father is doing. And God is saying no, I'm being consistent. The consistency is in what each individual does. If the individual sins, there's going to be punishment. If the individual is righteous, then there's going to be not life, there's not going to be punishment. If the individual is righteous, then there's going to be not life, there's not going to be punishment. The way he says it, there he shall surely live. Now again, this righteousness that's talked about is in concordance with the law, the Mosaic law of keeping all the ordinances and statutes. So again, this is talking about life in the land, not talking about eternal salvation.
Speaker 1:So again the theme of the book of Ezekiel at least one of the themes is God describing to the Jewish people why he was condemning them and why he was sending in evil Babylon to take them out of the land. God again, in this next passage that we're about to read, turns to some positive things and in this case he brings up repentance. So we now learn what happens to the soul that repents Verse 21,. But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all my statutes and practices, justice and righteousness, he shall surely live. He shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him. Because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord. God rather, that he should turn from his ways and live. But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed. For them, he will die. Yet you say the way of the Lord is not right. Hear now, o house of Israel. Is my way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, or his iniquity which he has committed, he will die Again.
Speaker 1:When a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed, and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed. He shall surely live, he shall not die. But the house of Israel says the way of the Lord is not right. Are my ways not right, o house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? Therefore, I will judge you, o house of Israel, each according to his conduct, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, o house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live. Well, steve, according to these passages, does God want people to perish?
Speaker 2:No, he doesn't. And he's telling them look, whenever you go back into the land, you're going to be exiled here for a period of time it's going to be 70 years. He tells them through Jeremiah. Of course, jeremiah is back in the land itself, but nevertheless, they're going to be here. You need to settle down. You're not going to go back anytime soon that's something else that we see in Ezekiel. But when you go back, you'll be able to live in the land and have a life in the land if you repent and follow me. He's giving them a picture, number one you're here because of what you did. You've been exiled here, but, just like Moses told the Israelites going into the land back in Deuteronomy, if you choose to follow God and the statutes and ordinances, you'll have a long life in the land.
Speaker 2:Their arguments was that doesn't sound fair. What you're saying God is not. Was that doesn't sound fair. What you're saying God is not fair, it doesn't sound right. He turns it right back on them. Oh no, you mean tell me your ways are right, your ways of disobeying me and not doing what I have commanded you to do and not following me. You're trying to tell me that your ways are right and my ways are wrong. My way is that whoever lives righteously will live long in the land and whoever doesn't is going to perish. They're not going to live long in the land. This is the message through chapter 18. God is fair and God is just, and he's giving the people instruction for when they go back into the land. First of all, he's telling them here's the reason you're here, but second of all, he's giving them instruction for whenever they go back into the land.
Speaker 1:He says in here quite clearly that he takes no pleasure in people being condemned. That concept is brought out also very clearly over in the New Testament. The Lord is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance, it says in 2 Peter 3.9. So we have a God that is long-suffering, patient, but he will get to a point where he has to, because of his justice, deal with sin. If we ask the question, what do these verses here in Ezekiel tell us about the character of God? What do they say about the character of God?
Speaker 1:Well, we can find these passages where he talks about repentance and he talks about people living and he also, steve, and you mentioned this a couple of times in here says and he also, steve, and you mentioned this a couple of times in here says you think that your ways are right and you're accusing me of my ways not being right. What's interesting, he said that twice in there, two different times. It seems to be especially egregious to God when puny mankind says oh, I think I've decided what's right, god, you're not doing what's right here. Well, that seems to raise his anger especially. We're told some things here about the nature of God and the character of God when he talks about here who's going to live and who's going to die. Steve, what can we learn about God's character from these passages about repentance, steve?
Speaker 2:what can we learn about God's character from these passages about repentance? He's consistent in his judgment and he's clear in his judgment, very clear as to what constitutes life and death. Here it's, in the land. Whenever we get to actual eternal salvation, it's clear that the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ and that the only way for eternal salvation is through Jesus Christ. His character is consistency, merciful, gracious, but also fair judgment and clear as to what constitutes obeying him and following him.
Speaker 1:It says some things in here that I find interesting. It says in verse 27, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness, which he has committed, and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions. He shall surely live, he shall not die. That tells us that repentance is really what God is looking for. It's a love relationship. If there's a wicked man that turns and repents, then he will be forgiven. It also says in here that all you really have to do is keep God's laws. So, steve, can we get right with God by simply obeying? We had talked earlier about the heresy of Pelagianism. Well, that's really what the Pelagianism says. Is there's really no influence needed here of the Holy Spirit? All we have to do is just obey? Is it possible for us to just obey God throughout all our life and be right with Him?
Speaker 2:In regards to this context of Ezekiel, for them to live long in the land? Yes, the answer to that is yes. If they obeyed Him, followed His statutes, they would live long in the land. In regards to us and salvation, and whether or not we have eternal life with Jesus Christ no, because we can't obey everything. That's what Paul talks about. That the law was an actual tutor for us, he says in Galatians, to show us that we can't obey everything that God has given to us. So, for an eternal life situation is no. We need to have somebody as a mediator. We need to have somebody as a satisfactory sacrifice. We need to have somebody that has paid our debt, and we have that through Jesus Christ. For these people here to live long in the land? Yes, obey God and his statutes. For a person talking about eternal life, no. We need to believe in Jesus Christ and take upon us the righteousness that he gives by believing in him and believing what he has done and trusting on him as far as his death, burial and resurrection.
Speaker 1:Verse 31 talks about needing a new heart and a new spirit. How can we get a new?
Speaker 2:heart. We get a new heart through the new covenant. We've talked about that in our earlier sessions, that in the new covenant there's going to be taking a heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh. Now again, that covenant is directly to Israel, but it's connected to the church through Hebrews. You've talked about that before. But that's what happens is we're given a new heart, a heart of flesh, and that's what happens whenever we become a believer in Jesus Christ to trust on him.
Speaker 1:At least three times in Ezekiel it talks about people getting a new heart and a new spirit. One of them is right here at the end of Ezekiel 18, and another one we've already covered Ezekiel 11, 19, says I will give them this is God speaking I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. The other one is in chapter 36, verse 26,. Quote I will give you a new heart and put we have to do is the last line in chapter 18, therefore repent and live. And, steve, it's so comforting to know that if someone repents, the message of Ezekiel 18 is that all of us have disobeyed God's laws, but all we have to do is repent and then live, and he will give us a new heart with a new spirit.
Speaker 1:That is such a great message and it's such a simple message, very simple but it's so profound and we'll be reasoning through that again, plus more as we continue to work through the book of Ezekiel next time, thank, you so much for watching and listening, as always.
Speaker 2:may God bless you.
