Our Heavenly Father's Doing

The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? Ezekiel 18: 2b

God is saying to His children, through His servant Ezekiel, that the proverb they hold as true, cannot be the case, since that is not the way He operates with them. He is Father, God, Lord and Judge and His manner is a far cry from what the proverb states. How does the Lord deal with sin in the family? What does He do? We shall make reference to three areas of interest from chapter eighteen of Ezekiel. Of course there are many more, but three will be quite sufficient to convince us of how Sovereign, Almighty God acts – what He does and what He does not do – with their sin.

The first note of interest speaks about a father who has been sinning, a father who is an abomination to the Lord, one who is continuing in sin. That father has a child, who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise. Ezekiel 18: 14b. The son refuses to follow in his father’s footsteps, but walks in accordance with the Lord’s statues and commands. This is what God Himself says. He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live! Ezekiel 18: 17b. The Lord Himself has stated this and His words are to be trusted implicitly.

The second chosen note of particular interest, makes even clearer why the proverb is to be completely done away with. Understand how engrained the proverb is in these children of God. When they are told that God will not punish the child for the father’s sins, this is their response, as if challenging Father God on His decision. Yet you say, Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father? God is dealing with His children who have been so bent out of shape, by that proverb, they find it difficult to think elsewise. Like many of a person today, who has grown up with this proverb as an unmoveable curse over their heads and in their lives, it is still difficult to accept what is now being told to them by God.

As God responds to such a mind, may we too receive His ever-relevant and life-changing words. God responds by saying, Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statues and observed them, he shall surely live.  Ezekiel 18: 19b.

Then God continues to elaborate on truths which we must hold stamped in us. I have listed them for clearer, more focused seeing and receiving. These all come from Ezekiel 18: 20.

• The soul who sins shall die.

• The son shall not bear the guilt of the father.

• The father shall not bear the guilt of the son.

• The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him.

• The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

O how the judgments of the Lord are true, just and righteous altogether!

The third chosen note of holding interest, seals it for us about the proverb being untrue, unsound, and deadly to our living as children of our Heavenly Father. To keep that false belief as part of our misunderstanding of God, is to completely deny all that He is doing for us. The Lord God again makes it plain that when He judges, it will not be on the basis of another person’s sins. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Ezekiel 18: 30. 

We are God’s children, but we are a sinful children. When God made us His children, we did not instantly become good and free from ever sinning. No! We know, not just from Biblical accounts, but from personal fact, that we have continued to sin. God knew this about us sinful human beings and in His mercy and love, allowed us the grace of repentance. Sin does not have to be our ruin, if we would receive the convictions of the Holy Spirit, repent and return to God.