Individual Responsibility

Paul Lynn

In Ezekiel chapter 18 we have the theme of individual responsibility before God. Excuses or tradition were no argument. None of Israel’s rationalizations stood up to the divine standard of individual responsibility. None of our present-day reasoning withstands God’s Scriptural standards.

The Proverb vs 1-2

The exiles were accusing God of being unfair, as in vs 25 “Yet you say the way of the Lord is not equal...” They reasoned: “If we are reaping the results of our fathers’ sins of the past and those of our kings, past and present, what can we do about it?” The proverb, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” vs 2, is also found in Jer 31:29. This saying had become like some of the buzz words we have in our day. This saying reflected the futility of their lives and their eagerness to make excuses for their lifestyles which had provoked God’s judgement. They were blaming their parents. Righteousness or unrighteousness are inherited, according to the proverb. Parent bashing is nothing new. This Proverb Will Cease vs 3-4.

“Jehovah immediately invalidates the heredity principle as the cause of wickedness or righteousness. Each man is responsible for himself before God. Each person decides whether to do iniquity or righteousness. If the sins of the fathers fall upon the children, it is because the children follow the wicked ways of their fathers.” M.M.Bodie Discourses on Ezekiel.

Our first parents, Adam and Eve tried to make excuses before God: “And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat,” Gen 3:12. In reality, Adam was blaming God, “And the woman said the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat,” Gen 3:13.

This dodging of personal responsibility was a serious issue in Ezekiel’s day; and this was not the first time the prophet had addressed it. Read his warnings about the watchman in 3:16-21, and his declaration in 14:12-20 that men were unable to deliver each other. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” vs 4. In this context, Jehovah was not speaking of spiritual life and death. This text must be considered in the context of Moses’ Covenant-the Law. Moses’ Law makes it very clear over and over again, that obedience will bring physical life. Disobedience brings physical death.

Salvation, or spiritual life in the Old Testament was gained only on one basis-it required an act of faith. Faith in the coming Messiah for the Old Testament saints is contrasted with faith in Him who has come for salvation in the Church Age. God has never had a different basis for salvation in any age.

“All that God demands of man under Law, He bestows in Him grace thru our Lord Jesus Christ, and then we can be all that He required.” M.M. Bodie Discourses on Ezekiel.

Three Illustrations

So that exiles would not miss the importance of Ezekiel’s message, three illustrations close the chapter.

The Righteous Man & His Righteous Deeds vs 5-9.

The Second Illustration vs 14-20

A righteous man’s violent son shall not live. The violent deeds which this son does are the opposite of those in the first illustration. “His blood shall be upon him,” vs 13. The righteousness of his father is not inherited; it will not deliver him.

The Third Illustration-The Righteous Son vs 14-20

The righteous son of a violent father shall live. The son shall not die for his father’s iniquity.

There are many examples of these cases in Israel’s own history. Several wicked kings had sons who were outstanding reformers. There are other examples of godly kings whose sons were horribly corrupt.

Hezekiah was an outstanding king of Judah from both a political and spiritual standpoint. He stamped out idolatry, reinstated the passover, and restored worship of Jehovah in Judah.

Ahaz was Hezekiah’s father. He was incredibly wicked. He ignored prophetic advice, and trusted in Assyria for military aid. He sunk so low as to sacrifice his own children to pagan idols.

Manasseh was Hezekiah’s son. He reversed his father’s reforms by bringing in idolatry, and killing off Jehovah’s prophets. The son of Judah’s best king became the worst of Judah’s rulers.

Israel’s national history should have set this issue of personal accountability to rest. God had Ezekiel sum up the matter in vs 20: “The son shall not die for the iniquity of the father.”

“You Are Not Fair,” vs 25

To their unfounded accusation, Jehovah has His prophet respond that righteousness produces blessing, disobedience brings judgement. Again, this is the summation of Moses’ Law.

It is their heredity principle which is unfair. It consigns a person to a life of failure with no chance for change.

This accusation has not changed to our own day. How often we hear “I can’t help it, that’s how my parents were-it’s in the genes.” Two of the greatest evils of our generation, addiction and immorality have been widely accepted as genetic disorders. For many years, the majority of treatment professionals bought into this theory. In recent times, many have begun to realize that these are not genetic, but behavioral problems.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes not only hearts, it also changes lifestyles. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live,” Rom 8:12. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh,” Gal 5:16.

Again, we repeat a former quote “All that God demands of man under Law, He bestows in His grace through our Lord Jesus Christ, and then we can be all that He requires.”