September 1: Ezekiel 18-19

September 1, Ezekiel 18-19

Ezekiel continued…

Ezekiel 18 Again, God’s Word came to Ezekiel clarifying that the sins of the father does not necessarily pass down to the next generation. Each generation and each person is responsible for his/her own sins. Ezekiel does a couple of case studies and we learn that “if a man is righteous and does what is just and right…he shall live…” If a man does what is right, and keeps the Ten Commandments - he will live with God. If that righteous man has a son who is violent and unrighteous, then he shall not live because the abominations that he committed are on his own head. On the other hand, if a man fathers a son who sees how sinful his father was and does the opposite and lives like a righteous man, the father shall die for the fathers sins and the son shall not suffer because of his fathers disobedience. “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

If a person was wicked and turns away from all his sins and does what is right - then he too can live. God’s ways are just and right. What does God want from them and us? “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” Repent & turn back to God now and live for Him.

Ezekiel 19 is a funeral song for the princes of Israel… Chapter 19 is sad because we get to read how the house of David was once very strong and in charge only to become broken off. The results of Judah’s sins was disastrous and in ruins.

From Matthew Henry’s Commentary: “The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the 17th, to foretell and lament the ruin of the house of David, the royal family of Judah, in the calamitous exit of the four sons and grandsons of Josiah—Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, in whom that illustrious line of kings was cut off, which the prophet is here ordered to lament, Ezek. 19:1. And he does it by similitudes. The kingdom of Judah and house of David are here compared to a lioness, and those princes to lions, that were fierce and ravenous, but were hunted down and taken in nets, Ezek. 19:2-9. That kingdom and that house are here compared to a vine, and these princes to branches, which had been strong and flourishing, but were now broken off and burnt, Ezek. 19:10-14. This ruin of that monarchy was now in the doing, and this lamentation of it was intended to affect the people with it, that they might not flatter themselves with vain hopes of the lengthening out of their tranquility.”

To sum it all up: 

• If we pursue righteousness, God blesses that. We are called to Repent & turn back to God now and live for Him. 
• Living this way will maximize our favor from God. When we pursue righteousness and Christ, we will be in the sweet spot of our faith. The results of living this life is endless.