Committed to Taking Responsibility Ezekiel 18:4, 20-23, 30-32 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007 Devotional Scripture: Rom 3:19-26 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD THE CREATOR (EZEK 18:4) God created the soul God created life and the soul through breathing His Divine breath into man (Gen 2:7) God created man's "living soul" as a life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45-47) God created the soul for good works (Eph 2:10) God created the soul so that it could be renewed into a likeness of Him (Eph 4:22-24) God owns the soul God owns the soul because He bought it with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20) God owns the soul because He made it (Ps 100:3) God owns the soul because it is the Lord's (Rom 14:8) God owns the soul because Jesus redeemed it (Titus 2:14) God owns the soul because He dwells in it (Rom 8:9-11) God owns the soul because it is God's building (1 Cor 3:9) God owns the soul because it belongs to Him (1 Cor 3:23) God owns the soul because it is God's will that man gives it to Him (2 Cor 8:5) God determines the soul's destiny God determines destiny because He has total control over life and death (Matt 10:28) God determination of destiny is influenced by deeds (John 5:28-29) God determines destiny because He is the Judge at the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15) God determines destiny because He is the only Judge (James 4:12) God determines destiny because everyone must appear before the judgment to receive what is due them (2 Cor 5:10) God determines destiny because man is destined to face judgment (Heb 9:27) RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL (EZEK 18:20-23) Personal responsibility (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) What is Fair (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) Ultimate responsibility for one's actions is the individual (from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator) The individual's responsibility because of how God judges God judges "each one" according to their own deeds and decisions (Rom 2:5-10) The individual's responsibility because every individual will give an account of their own self (Rom 14:12) The individual's responsibility because every person must appear before God (2 Cor 5:10) The individual's responsibility because each person reaps what they have sown (Gal 6:7) A Sense of Belonging (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE OF GOD'S JUDGMENT (EZEK 18:30-32) Judgment based on works Works will be judged for their quality (1 Cor 3:13) Works will be judged before the judgment seat of God (Rom 14:10) Works will be judged even at the national level (Matt 25:31-33) Works of both the living and the dead will be judged (1 Peter 4:5) Judgment based on grace For the Christian, God judges on grace (Rom 11:4-6) Grace is the motive of the redemption done through the blood of Jesus (Eph 1:7) The judgment of grace was done even while man was dead in sins (Eph 2:5-9) Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 1 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
Grace justifies (Titus 3:7) Effect of repentance on judgment Repentance must also be accompanied by obedience (from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator) Repentance leads to forgiveness (Acts 2:38) Repent because the final judgment is near (Matt 4:17) Repent so that sins may be wiped away (Acts 3:19) Repent because God commands it (Acts 17:30-31) God's kindness, tolerance and patience is given so that man would repent (Rom 2:4) Repentance leads to the truth (2 Tim 2:25) Repent because God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) Tough Love (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR The bottom line (Ezek.18:4) The way out (Ezek.18:20-23) The true desire (Ezek. 18:30-32) Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 2 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The outline of the lesson came from a previous lesson dated February 17, 2002. The lesson examines Responsibilities. The study's aim is to learn that every person is accountable to God for his own life. The study's application is to understand and accept the accountability for our own choices and actions in life. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel each prophet had a definite place in God s plan for the final days and exile of the nation of Judah. Daniel s place of service was to the kings of Babylon, especially to King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah s primary ministry was to the people in Judah and Jerusalem before the main exile began. In that role he offered hope in affirming that the Lord would bring his people back from Babylon after 70 years were completed (Jeremiah 29:10). That period is usually determined in one of two ways: it was approximately 70 years from the time that the first captives were taken (605 B.C.) until the time of the first return (538 B.C.); it was also about 70 years from the destruction of the temple (586 B.C.) to the dedication of the new temple some 20 years after the first wave of people returned from captivity (515 B.C.; Ezra 6:15). Those in exile were given the prophet Ezekiel as a fellow captive. The exiles had attitudes that had to be corrected, and Ezekiel was the man to do it. We are fairly certain that Ezekiel was among the 10,000 captives taken from Judah and Jerusalem in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:14). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was a priest (Jeremiah 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3). The first verse of Ezekiel s book is usually interpreted to mean that Ezekiel was 30 years old when he received a special revelation of God s glory. It was midsummer of 593 B.C., and Ezekiel had been a captive for about 4 years. Working the year 593 B.C. back to 605 B.C. means that Ezekiel was about 18 when he saw Daniel and his friends taken away by Nebuchadnezzar s army. Eight years later, Ezekiel himself was compelled to leave his home and his native land. In his formative years, Ezekiel must have looked forward to reaching the age of 30. That s when he would qualify to function fully as one of the priests; the service of all priests and Levites began at that age (Numbers 4). The Lord had a ministry for Ezekiel starting at age 30, but it was not the one Ezekiel had anticipated. He was to be God s prophet in Babylonia, not a priest in Jerusalem. One survey indicates that many people would not like to live next door to a conservative Christian. Ezekiel s neighbors may have thought about moving, for some of his actions were certainly strange. He spoke only when he had a message from God (Ezekiel 3:26, 27). The rest of the time he was silent and unable to give expression to the rebukes of his heart. Ezekiel s strange actions and object-lesson sermons must have been the talk of the exilic community, and that is what God intended. Here are some examples. After Ezekiel s initial call, he played toy soldier with a tile or brick (Ezekiel 4:1, 2). He sketched an outline of the city of Jerusalem, and he portrayed the implements used in a siege against the city that was not what the exiles wanted to happen to their beloved city! This was combined with his lying on one side or the other for over 14 months, and his occasional preaching against Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:7). During most of this time, Ezekiel s daily diet reflected the conditions of a city under siege: about eight ounces of bread from several grains (indicating the scarcity of food) and approximately two-thirds of a quart of water. These happened at the beginning of his prophetic ministry. The lesson this week focuses on one aspect of Ezekiel s ministry: an attitude adjustment. It is a message that he gives after he completes a series of bizarre actions and before the next dated message of 591 B.C. (Ezekiel 20:1). In the interval he declares that Jerusalem definitely will be destroyed (Ezekiel 14:12 23). The response of the people is normal: they look for someone to blame. The proverb that the people quote shifts the blame by stating that their fathers ate sour grapes, but it was the children s teeth that were set on edge (Ezekiel 18:2). The people in Judah, some 880 miles away, are using the same proverb to lament their own circumstances (Jeremiah 31:29, 30). It is a familiar expression that provides an alibi. Ezekiel 18:1 3 indicates that God will not accept this alibi. Today many use alibis to blame society, parents, chromosomes, or overpowering compulsions for deviant behavior. The passage under consideration therefore flies directly against any culture that desires a no-fault society in which Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 3 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
everyone is a victim and no one is to be blamed personally for anything. God is ready to pronounce profound truths that are ancient yet almost revolutionary in their implications. A word of caution must also be sounded. While it is true that a person reaps what is sown (Galatians 6:7), this must not lead to a type of retribution theology that says that every tragedy in life is a direct, cause-and-effect payback for sin. The book of Job gives a rebuttal to applying the retribution concept universally. See also Luke 13:1 5. From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator The people of Judah were exiles in captivity in Babylon. Although it had happened just as the prophets had repeatedly warned, the people were bitter about their situation. They did what human nature so often causes people to do, they refused to take responsibility for their own sins and blamed others instead. At this time everything looked hopeless as far as any restoration to their homeland was concerned; so their negative feelings were running deep. It just did not seem right that they were made to suffer in this way. Who should they blame, then, if they were not at fault? It became common to place the blame on their ancestors, and so a proverb was soon being passed around among the captives. It said, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezek. 16:2). The meaning is quite apparent: their ancestors had been disobedient to God, and now the present generation was suffering the consequences by being sent into captivity in a land far from home. We live in an era in which we are taught to place blame on others for our sins and excuse ourselves. We blame our bad choices on our genes, our schools, our leaders, and anything else that we can think of. Our lesson this week shows us that each person is held accountable for the individual choices he makes. From the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humans have been placing the blame for their wrong choices on someone else and excusing themselves. God wants to show us that we ought to own up to our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions. Acknowledging our sins opens the way for a clean conscience and ultimately for a better relationship with both God and men. Our text records God speaking to the people of Judah who were in exile in Babylon. His words were intended to help them on the path of acknowledging their sins. He encouraged them to turn back to Him for healing and to avoid the negative consequences of sin. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) Responsibility to God the Creator (Ezek 18:4) 4 "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die. God created the soul God created life and the soul through breathing His Divine breath into man (Gen 2:7) 7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. God created man's "living soul" as a life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45-47) 45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. God created the soul for good works (Eph 2:10) 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 4 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
God created the soul so that it could be renewed into a likeness of Him (Eph 4:22-24) 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. God owns the soul God owns the soul because He bought it with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20) 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. God owns the soul because He made it (Ps 100:3) 3 Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. God owns the soul because it is the Lord's (Rom 14:8) 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. God owns the soul because Jesus redeemed it (Titus 2:14) 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. God owns the soul because He dwells in it (Rom 8:9-11) 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. God owns the soul because it is God's building (1 Cor 3:9) 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. God owns the soul because it belongs to Him (1 Cor 3:23) 23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. God owns the soul because it is God's will that man gives it to Him (2 Cor 8:5) 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. God determines the soul's destiny God determines destiny because He has total control over life and death (Matt 10:28) 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 5 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
God determination of destiny is influenced by deeds (John 5:28-29) 28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. God determines destiny because He is the Judge at the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. God determines destiny because He is the only Judge (James 4:12) 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? God determines destiny because everyone must appear before the judgment to receive what is due them (2 Cor 5:10) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. God determines destiny because man is destined to face judgment (Heb 9:27) 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Responsibility of the Individual (Ezek 18:20-23) 20 "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21 "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 "None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live? Personal responsibility (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) The Bible repeatedly stresses personal responsibility (e.g., Genesis 2:17; 4:7; Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6). Yet perhaps the people in the lesson were looking to Exodus 20:5 and its parallel Deuteronomy 5:9 to bolster their belief. Those passages warn that God extends his punishment for a father s sin to the children down to the third and fourth generation. But when harmonized with other Scripture, these passages simply indicate that God s wrath on the fathers is bound to have some indirect or collateral effect on their children. The captives find help in the fact that sons do often suffer for their fathers sins. For example, children may suffer poverty because their father is in jail and cannot provide the necessities of life. Such hardships are a natural result of the father s sin, but they are not God s punishment on the child. This fact also applies, of course, to the innocent children who are later born to the captives in Babylon (cf. Lamentations 5:7). Jesus dealt with a similar question in His day (John 9:1 3). Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 6 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
What is Fair (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) Alvin Cullum York has been called the most celebrated G.I. in America s military history. York was drafted for service in World War I and sent to Europe. His actions in just four hours on October 8, 1918, gained him the fame that lives today. In that one battle, he is credited with leading about a half-dozen men in killing 25 German soldiers, neutralizing numerous machine-gun batteries, and capturing 132 German soldiers! For his efforts that day, York received the Medal of Honor and a hero s welcome back home. His story was made into a 1941 movie starring Gary Cooper in an Academy Award-winning role. For the rights to his story, York received $150,000. He gave it all away, but he was still hit with a bill for $172,000 in taxes and interest! Few people would argue that it was fair for a patriot like York to be treated in such a manner. But fairness is not necessarily a common quality in the workings of governmental bureaucracy. God, on the other hand, is fairness personified. Twice in our text today, Ezekiel challenges us to acknowledge God s fairness in dealing with our sins on a personal basis. He holds us all accountable only for our own sins, and not for the sins of others. Who can argue with that? Ultimate responsibility for one's actions is the individual (from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator) Human beings have a tendency to blame others for their problems, as when Adam blamed Eve and then Eve blamed the serpent (Gen. 3:12-13). Tine situation in Ezekiel's day was no different, in response to widespread blame shifting, the prophet emphasized the principle of individual responsibility for one's actions. While others may tempt us or encourage us to travel the wrong path, we are ultimately responsible for our own choices. The individual's responsibility because of how God judges God judges "each one" according to their own deeds and decisions (Rom 2:5-10) the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. The individual's responsibility because every individual will give an account of their own self (Rom 14:12) 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. The individual's responsibility because every person must appear before God (2 Cor 5:10) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. The individual's responsibility because each person reaps what they have sown (Gal 6:7) 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. A Sense of Belonging (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) In a sitcom dialogue in 1984, comedian Bill Cosby reflected on the exasperations of fatherhood when he told his son on the show, I am your father. I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. A son who receives this type of message from a father may not feel very wanted! Our heavenly Father can say to us, I brought you into this world. Psalm 139 reminds us that God was forming us even in our mother s womb. It is only because of the creative power of God that we exist. For those who have accepted Jesus, God has become Father in another sense: in our re-creation in Jesus Christ. God is both our creator for our physical birth and redeemer for our spiritual rebirth. He will also be with us when we leave this world. Revelation 2:10 exhorts us to be faithful, even to the point of death, and then we will receive the crown of life. It is encouraging to realize that our Father in Heaven knows us personally, that he has created us and re-created us. And it is a source of hope to know that he will make us new again when we pass from this Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 7 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
life. We anticipate the day when he will give us that new, glorified body in Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:4, 5). What can create any better sense of belonging than this? Responsibility Because of God's Judgment (Ezek 18:30-32) 30 "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. 31 "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!" Judgment based on works Works will be judged for their quality (1 Cor 3:13) 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. Works will be judged before the judgment seat of God (Rom 14:10) 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Works will be judged even at the national level (Matt 25:31-33) "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; Works of both the living and the dead will be judged (1 Peter 4:5) 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Judgment based on grace For the Christian, God judges on grace (Rom 11:4-6) 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Grace is the motive of the redemption done through the blood of Jesus (Eph 1:7) 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace The judgment of grace was done even while man was dead in sins (Eph 2:5-9) 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Grace justifies (Titus 3:7) 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 8 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
Effect of repentance on judgment Repentance must also be accompanied by obedience (from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator) Not only must the people be willing to repent, but they also must keep God's statutes (commandments), and do that which is lawful and right. "Neither the 01d Testament nor the New teaches a repentance that does not lead to a change of behavior. The biblical aim is what John Calvin called a "serious repentance," that is, "when any one bids farewell to his vices, he must devote himself obediently to God" (Calvin's Commentaries: Ezekiel and Daniel, AP&A). Repentance leads to forgiveness (Acts 2:38) 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Repent because the final judgment is near (Matt 4:17) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent so that sins may be wiped away (Acts 3:19) 19 "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Repent because God commands it (Acts 17:30-31) 30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." God's kindness, tolerance and patience is given so that man would repent (Rom 2:4) 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Repentance leads to the truth (2 Tim 2:25) 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, Repent because God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Tough Love (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) Some organizations encourage parents to adopt a tough love policy in dealing with their children. The idea behind this is to take strong steps to counter aberrant behavior. There can be a need for this in marital relationships as well. Dr. James Dobson says that one of the major culprits of relationship problems is disrespect of one person toward another. Whether it is a child s attitude toward a parent or one spouse toward the other, disrespect must be dealt with in a firm way. It can t be allowed to continue. It is not enjoyable or easy to practice tough love in this regard. But failure to do so will only make things worse the cycle of bad behavior and disrespect will spiral downward, out of control. God practices tough love with his children. The discipline he exerts (Hebrews 12:6 11) is not pleasurable at the time for either the giver or the receiver. But God knows it is a necessary part of the transformation of his children. Parents may say to their children when disciplining them, This hurts me more than it hurts you. Children never quite understand that until they become the ones who have to discipline their own children. We do well to remember this when God has to discipline us. He finds no pleasure in it. It even pains him to do so, but in the end it is for the best. It is tough redemptive love. Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 9 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Today s lesson encourages everyone to accept responsibility for personal actions. Each should acknowledge that there are basic principles that God has set forth concerning the consequences of sin. We should be prepared, however, for a certain reaction from those confronted with their wrong deeds: anger. This kind of anger often is directed toward the person who is trying to provide the correction. If a person is told that homosexuality is sin, one response is to point fingers at the messenger. Members of a congregation may be reminded that the ministries of the church need greater financial support; a person in the church who reacts with anger probably is guilty of inadequate giving. Yet anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (James 1:20). That principle is true for nations, churches, or individuals. Sin it produces many consequences in our lives. Yet God is willing to forgive. But before a person may be right with God he or she must repent and turn to God. Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator In verse 23 of Ezekiel 18, God asked, "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" The question was a rhetorical one, but to drive home His point, He answered it anyway in our text. Judah was not suffering in exile and facing the prospect of death because God derived some sort of sadistic pleasure out of inflicting pain. If the people thought that, it was an indication of how poor a relationship they had with the Lord. Those who doubt God's goodness do not know Him very well. The text comes at the end of a long discussion on the nature of God's justice (chap. 18). The people in exile had come to the conclusion that they were the hapless victims of a long history of national sin (cf. vs. 2). They believed there was little they could do to change their condition. As Daniel Block expressed it, they had embraced "a materialistic fatalism, a resignation to immutable cosmic rules of cause and effect, an embittered paralysis of the soul, that has left [them] without hope and without God" (The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24, Eerdmans). In chapter 18 Ezekiel was maintaining that each individual, as well as each generation, rests or falls on the basis of his own decision. The people of Judah needed to take responsibility for their plight and their distant relationship with God. Many commentators have noted that the death referred to in Ezekiel 18:32 refers to physical death or the destruction of the nation, not spiritual death. While this is an important point to make, we must be careful not to carry it too far and deny any relevance to the subject of man's eternal destiny. First, every person today faces the personal responsibility to repent ("turn"), look to Christ, and escape from eternal death. At the very least, then, the text contains an important principle that applies to today. A second consideration is the typological nature of the entire history of Israel. The material blessings and judgments that Israel experienced were meant to foreshadow the eternal blessings and punishments that the New Testament speaks of. Christ has taken up the throne of David and calls on all peoples to repent and live (cf. Acts 2:32-39). The phrase "turn yourselves" does not mean that man can repent with no divine assistance. The King James translators supplied the word "yourselves" (note that it is in italics, indicating that it was added for explanation or clarification), perhaps to emphasize individual responsibility; but Ezekiel is elsewhere very clear that it is divine power and grace that brings a change of heart (36:25-27; 37:1-14). When God calls upon His people to repent, or turn, He is actually calling upon them to look to Him as the only source of power to live as they should. He is calling them back into relationship with Himself. The result of turning to God is life, and life in abundance (cf. John 10:10; 14:6). The text repudiates any doctrines that would perceive God as primarily [italics mine] bent on judgment and death. The gospel is clearest in declarations that he stands on the side of life, not death (Block). If people spurn Him, they have only themselves to blame for their ruin. Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. We are individually responsible to God (Ezek. 18:4) 2. We cannot blame our parents for the poor decisions we make (vs. 20) Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 10 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007
3. A person cannot please God unless he first acknowledges his own wickedness and repents of it (vs.21-22) 4. We should desire justice but never delight in the punishment that justice demands (vs. 23) 5. True repentance is a complete and permanent reversal of one's life (vs. 30-31) 6. God desires eternal life for all people, but He does not force it on anyone (vs. 32) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Today, perhaps more than almost anytime in history, our world is filled with people who do not take responsibility for their actions. It is said that on the desk of President Harry S. Truman was the saying "The buck stops here." Yet so many today want to pass the buck. They do not own up to what they are at fault for. It is certainly no surprise that God's Word instructs us about owning up to our wrongdoing. The Prophet Ezekiel made that clear to Israel. The bottom line (Ezek.18:4) It has been said that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but the absolute truth is that you can never fool God. Did you get into trouble for things as a child? Sometimes your parents may have had difficulty sorting out who was really to blame for a certain disobedience. Perhaps there were times you were punished for something your brother did or vice versa. Maybe even to this day there are things you know were not right. God always knows the full truth. He made it clear that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). One day all will be made right. No one can pull the wool over God's eyes. He will make those guilty of sin pay for those sins. The way out (Ezek.18:20-23) The message that God makes clear in this section is that even if a person has sinned, there is a way out. That way out is by turning from that sin. That is repentance. When a criminal commits a sin, at some point he will have to face a judge. He will have to pay for his crime. What if the convict tells the judge that he is very sorry and that he will never do it again? Most likely, that will not be sufficient to convince the judge to let him go scot-free. But what if someone steps forward to pay whatever the judge decides is the appropriate punishment? Now there may be a reason for the judge to let the convict go. That is exactly what is going on here. God wants the sinner to turn from his sins, but there must still be payment. Christ has paid that penalty. When we stop to think about how easy God has made it to be right with Him, it really makes us wonder why anyone would not want to be right with Him. That is certainly a good question. Serving God is not a burden (cf. I John 5:3). We need to get out the good news that being right with God is not only very important but also very easy. The true desire (Ezek. 18:30-32) Now we see God's heart. God has made it easy to be right with Him, and now we see that His true desire is that we not suffer punishment for sin. People often think that the God of the Old Testament is a mean being with no love in His heart for anyone. But verse 32 makes God's will abundantly clear. He did not want Israel to die for their sins. He had made it clear how they could get relief from punishment for sins. Even more, He wanted them to know that He had no desire to punish them. In the New Testament, we see that God has not changed. Second Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God's desire is for people to repent. He takes no pleasure in seeing His creation suffer, especially when He sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Committed to Taking Responsibility Page 11 of 11 SS Lesson for 08/12/2007