Ezekiel 18:1-32 For His Own
God ends a proverb the people have adopted because of His words. No longer does the son answer for the father’s sins or the father for the sons. Each answers for his own actions.
In the beginning of the nation of Israel there was national accountability through the generations. Sin would follow the family for up to fourth generations. When God was giving His commandments to the people, He forbade them from bowing down to idols. And in that commandment was His statement regarding His jealousy and visiting the sins of the fathers to the “third and fourth generations” (Deuteronomy 5:9). He states that righteousness would follow the same lines. This may be why He held His hand back from some of the people we have encountered in the Bible. The WORST king Judah ever had was the son of one of the great kings and the grandfather of one of the greatest. He was also four generations from this judgment time. That puts Manasseh on the cusp of God’s promise of justice. Manasseh was a MAJOR worshiper of idols! But also, the people were continuing in his sin. The generation that encountered the judgment was NOT free of this guilt on their own behalf.
I’m wondering if this generational accountability was originally enacted to establish the nation of Israel. I was just looking at Jesus lineage in Matthew 1 and counted 14 generations between Abraham and David. There are four generations from Abraham to Joseph. I wonder how many there are during their time in Egypt. We know there were two generations from exodus to entry into the Promised Land. I would be interested to know how it all broke down in regards to this commandment. There are 19 generations of kings from David to the fall of Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel didn’t follow generational lines. The throne skipped around to those who could take it. And they NEVER had a godly king. They had some that were worse than others but none removed the idols that Jeroboam first set up; the golden calves. Jehu and his descendants ruled the northern kingdom of Israel for five generations. Omri and his descendent ruled for four generations. None other lasted more than two generations.
Jehu is the one who ended “the house of Ahab”. He killed Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah and Jezebel. Jehu also cleaned the kingdom of ALL who worshiped Baal. In killing both the king of Israel and king of Judah, Jehu killed BOTH lines of Ahab. Ahaziah was the son of a daughter of Ahab who married Jehoram. Now Ahab’s line couldn’t infect Judah too.
God tells Ezekiel that, from now on, each man will be accountable for his own sins or righteousness. No longer a generational accounting for sin. But this didn’t change the fact that He called the WHOLE nation His own. This would pave the way for personal accountability that Jesus spoke of. Jesus told the people that they were not guaranteed a spot in His Kingdom just because they were a descendant of Abraham. “God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham” (Matthew 3:9). The “Nation” and “People” He chooses will be those who choose Him, regardless of their physical bloodline. And each will be responsible for their own choice to follow Him. Linage will NOT get you into Heaven!
I wonder if this would be a comforting or frightening change. One would no longer carry the sins of their ancestors but neither could they ‘ride the coattails’ of their family’s righteousness. Those who would return to Jerusalem would be those who CHOSE to do so of their own free will and their love of God.
Father God, THANK YOU that I don’t have to carry any one else’s sins. I have enough of my own to deal with! THANK YOU that You provide forgiveness for those sins too. I want to be counted as one of Your righteous children. And I’m trusting in JESUS’ righteousness to get me there. I am by NO means righteous on my own, no matter how many good deeds I do.
The people of Ezekiel’s time didn’t have Jesus yet. Their deeds were counted for their righteousness. I believe that their heart was counted MOST because someone can appear to do good works but do them for the wrong reasons. MANY people today do the same thing but there is only ONE righteousness that counts; Jesus’ and those on whom He covers with it. THANK YOU for covering me Lord Jesus!
