preceptsforlivingonline.com http://www.preceptsforlivingonline.com/a-call-for-repentance-august-16-2015/ A Call for Repentance: August 16, 2015 Teaching Tips August 16 Bible Study Guide 11 Words You Should Know A. Soul (Ezekiel 18:4) nefesh (Heb.) Life, creature, the inner being of a person. B. Cast away (v. 31) shalak (Heb.) To throw away, cast off, shed, cast down. Teacher Preparation Unifying Principle The Error of Our Ways. People are aware of behavior that is harmful to the life of a community. What can be done to build and maintain the health of a community? Ezekiel advises confession and exhorts the people to do the right thing and thereby build a just community. A. Pray for your students and for lesson clarity. B. Read Ezekiel 1:1 3, and the introductory material to the book of Ezekiel in a good commentary. O Open the Lesson A. Open with prayer. B. Read the In Focus story. C. Introduce the lesson title, Aim for Change, and Keep in Mind verses. P Present the Scriptures. A. Have a volunteer read the Focal Verses. B. Discuss the differences between the KJV and NLT. C. Use The People, Places, and Times; Background; Search the Scriptures; In Depth; and More Light on the Text to clarify the verses. E Explore the Meaning A. Divide the class into groups to discuss the Discuss the Meaning, Lesson in Our Society, and Make It Happen sections. Have the students select a representative to report their responses. B. Have another representative from each group discuss how these lessons can be put into action in their individual lives.
N Next Steps for Application A. Have each student consider whether there is any area in their lives where they are blaming their situation on the actions of others. B. Lead the students in a prayer in which they ask God to help them take responsibility for their own actions, forgive others, and make changes in their lives in order to promote justice in the community. C. Close in prayer. Worship Guide For the Superintendent or Teacher Theme: A Call for Repentance Song: I m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me! Devotional Reading: Hosea 14 A Call for Repentance Bible Background: Ezekiel 18; Proverbs 21:2 15 Printed Text: Ezekiel 18:1 13, 31 32 Devotional Reading: Hosea 14 Aim for Change By the end of the lesson, we will: REVIEW the message of Ezekiel that God holds each person responsible for his or her own actions; FEEL accountability for personal acts of omission that damage the community; and PRAY for discernment in how to amend our ways and build communities of justice. In Focus Philip couldn t help but feel depressed. That s all he had known since he could remember. The neighborhood he and his family lived in brought him down just by looking at it. Graffiti covered the walls and trash covered the streets. Liquor stores seemed to be on every corner along with check cashing places and winos begging for change. He could not help but get angry with his parents for not making enough money to move out. He felt like this was the reason he did so poorly in school and why he was fired from his last job. He was thirty years old and still living at home with his mother. He could not stand it any longer. He decided that he would begin to deal drugs. After all, that s what it seemed he was born to do. That s what many of his friends did. Most of them had either been killed or locked up in prison. Philip thought about a few of his friends who had gone to college and had determined to not let their past determine their future. Maybe he could do the same thing. Was there a better way for him? In today s lesson, Ezekiel warns the people of Judah of approaching danger and pleads with them to take responsibility for their actions, repent, and live.
Keep in Mind Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 18:31). Focal Verses KJV Ezekiel 18:1 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying. 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children s teeth are set on edge? 3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, 7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD. 10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, 11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour s wife, 12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, 13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. NLT Ezekiel 18:1 Then another message came to me from the LORD: 2 Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children s mouths pucker at the taste? 3 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. 4 For all people are mine to judge both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.
5 Suppose a certain man is righteous and does what is just and right. 6 He does not feast in the mountains before Israel s idols or worship them. He does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period. 7 He is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given as security by poor debtors. He does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. 8 He grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others, 9 and faithfully obeys my decrees and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign LORD. 10 But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right. 11 And that son does all the evil things his father would never do he worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery, 12 oppresses the poor and helpless, steals from debtors by refusing to let them redeem their security, worships idols, commits detestable sins, 13 and lends money at excessive interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame. 31 Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? 32 I don t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live! The People, Places, and Times Proverbs. Proverbs are a way of summarizing wisdom and real-life truth. Those compiled and written by King Solomon are preserved as the Bible book Proverbs. These phrases are usually structured according to parallelism. One line is compared or contrasted with the following line, to reinforce the point being made. Although Solomon had the most famous collection of proverbs in Israel, many others were quoted and cited in the everyday life of the common people. Usury. This is the act of giving a loan with exorbitant interest. The Israelites were forbidden to charge interest to one another, but they could charge interest to strangers. The practice of charging interest was evidently practiced by the religious and civic leaders that returned from Babylon. This prompted Nehemiah to command those who had charged interest to give back 1 percent monthly of the interest they took from their fellow Israelites (Nehemiah 5:9 12). Background Ezekiel s sermon in this lesson was preached to an audience of Israelites living in exile in Babylonia. They were foreigners living in a strange land, having a very hard time making sense of all the bad things that had happened to them. They had placed their hope in the temple and the God of their forefathers. They felt both helpless and hopeless. They blamed their current fate on the failures and sins of the generations before them. They no doubt just felt like giving up on their past, including their faith and their God, and were just trying to make the best of a bad situation. God had called Ezekiel to minister to these people of little hope. God had told him that this would not be an easy assignment. He had said these people were rebellious, obstinate, and stubborn and not likely to listen (Ezekiel 2:3 5).
Ezekiel would need to employ some creative ways of communicating to the Israelites, including using dramatic object lessons and speaking in parables, as he does here. Through it all, Ezekiel was fearlessly faithful as God s prophet. We can only hope that some of his original audience heeded his warnings, and that we heed them ourselves today. At-A-Glance 1. The Proverb from the Past (Ezekiel 18:1 4) 2. The Parable: Promise of Life for a Righteous Man ( vv. 5 9) 3. The Parable Continued: Punishment for an Unrighteous Son ( vv. 10 13) 4. The Pleading for Repentance (vv. 31 32) In Depth 1. The Proverb from the Past (Ezekiel 18:1 4) The people of Judah, exiles in a foreign land, rationalize that they are being punished for the sinful deeds of their ancestors. There was a popular proverb in those days that reflected this sentiment: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children s teeth are set on edge. Apparently God was tired of hearing this proverb tossed about as a fatalistic and irresponsible view of the consequences of sin (vv. 2 3). He says He has heard it enough and He doesn t want to hear it any more, so He bans its use. 2. The Parable: Promise of Life for a Righteous Man (vv. 5 9) Ezekiel uses a parable to illustrate his point about individual responsibility and punishment for sins. He describes a man who is righteous in conduct and character (vv. 5 9). In three broad areas of godly morality (piety, chastity, and charity), he displays the attributes of one who is just and right. For piety, he does not involve himself in any idolatrous acts or even look upon idols. He is faithful to God s Law and obeys it to the best of his ability. As for chastity, he is faithful to his wife and treats her with respect. As for charity, he is fair in his business dealing, merciful to those who are poor, and gracious to those in need. He practices justice and is fair and honest in all his dealings and judgments. As a result, this man, when judged by God, will surely live, and receive blessings from Him. 3. The Parable Continued: Punishment for an Unrighteous Son (vv. 10 13) Ezekiel continues his parable by presenting the imaginary son who is the antithesis of all his father s good characteristics. He is not faithful to God, and he treats his neighbors with contempt. He is a thief and a liar, oppresses the poor, and withholds justice. Ezekiel says God will judge this man for his sins, and he deserves death. His father s righteousness could not save him from bearing responsibility and punishment for his own actions. This parable illustrates the fact that the earlier proverb had no application to the Judean people s present circumstance, nor was it a proper understanding of the justice of God. Ezekiel clearly makes the point that although the present exiled generation is indeed suffering because of the sins of the previous generations, they are not guiltless, and they are fully responsible for their own actions. The people of the exiled generation are not innocent bystanders, but actually guilty participants in many sins.
4. The Pleading for Repentance (vv. 31 32) The destruction of Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple was God s judgment and punishment for the spiritual apostasy and moral decay of the previous generations. But He speaks through Ezekiel to tell the exiled Israelites that their situation is as much a judgment of their sins as a national punishment for their fathers sins. God justly judges each person individually. One person s sins may affect other lives, even the entire community. But God does not punish anyone for another s sins. Each person is responsible for his or her own actions. Ezekiel does not leave the people without hope. They can continue to blame their situation on previous generations and use that as an excuse to continue in their own sin. Or they can repent of their own sins and change course, and the result will be life, not death. It is not too late! When any individual sincerely repents of his sins, God will not only forgive him, but He will give him a new heart and a new spirit. This new heart will move him to be righteous and promote justice. Search the Scriptures 1. What does God say about the souls of the father and the son ( Ezekiel 18:4)? 2. What does Ezekiel show as the appropriate response when we are tempted to blame others for our situation (v. 31)? Discuss the Meaning Each individual s actions affect the whole community, for good or for bad. What types of actions hurt community? What can individuals do to build and maintain a sense of fairness and justice in our communities? Lesson in Our Society Perhaps you or someone you know feels like they are suffering because of the actions of others. Perhaps your parents were substance abusers or were absent during your formative years. Perhaps you were abused physically or emotionally. Perhaps you just don t feel loved and appreciated and have given up hope for a better future. When people are without hope, it is easy to blame someone else and turn to gangs, drugs, or alcohol as an escape. Your situation may indeed be miserable. But God s Word assures us that we are not bound to our present condition. There is hope, life, and joy to be found in the loving community of faith that is the family of God. Make It Happen Sometimes taking responsibility for our own actions, acknowledging our sin, and turning from it is very difficult to do. If you are struggling with this, seek the guidance of a spiritually mature trusted friend. Jesus has already won the victory over our sin and the penalty of death. What joy there is in allowing Him to transform your thinking from that of victim to victor! He will give you a new heart and a new spirit, one in which you will find joy in helping others and in building and maintaining healthy relationships in a healthy community. Follow the Spirit What God wants me to do: Remember Your Thoughts Special insights I have learned:
More Light on the Text Ezekiel 18:1 13, 31 32 1 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children s teeth are set on edge? When things do not go as well as one might want, the natural tendency is to complain and try to put the blame on another. This had occurred so often within the land of Israel that it had developed into a proverb (Heb. mashal, mah- SHALL, a proverbial saying or aphorism) (see Jeremiah 31:129 30). Because of the sins of the fathers (Heb. av, AHV, the father, head, or founder of a household, group, or clan), the children were being made to pay the penalty. Plenty of support for the belief that the children were being made to pay the penalty for the sins of their fathers can be found in Exodus 20:5, 34:7 (cf. Joshua 7:19 25; 2 Kings 24:1 4). The nation of Israel was conquered and driven into exile because of the apostasy of Manasseh. Only by this means could the sin be removed. However, within the nation of Israel, the teaching had been carried to excess and was being used to remove personal responsibility for sins. 3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. God as the Creator and Father of all affirms that all souls are His (Heb. nefesh, NEH-fesh, a living being with life in the blood) and that He has the right to impose penalty for wrongdoing. God knew that there was a natural tendency in people for the son to follow the sins of the father and thereby share the father s guilt. For that reason, there was no room for the children to complain that they were being punished unfairly. The prophet Jeremiah offered that the sins of the father would be visited on the children (see 32:18). If the father lived in rebellion to God and His precepts, then there was every possibility that the son would follow in the same rebellion. There is a certain amount of truth to such theology because often what we do impacts not only us but those around us, and promising to punish multiple generations for the same sin was a way of reminding the people that they were not the only ones who would suffer for their sins. However, such retribution is a problem when turned around to place blame on others for our suffering. Beginning with this verse, Ezekiel begins to offer a corrective to the misunderstanding of God s intent, which had grown into a common proverb by stating that the soul that sinneth would be the soul that shall die (Heb. mut, MOOT, to perish). In other words, the individual person was responsible for his or her own sin and its consequences. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right. The laws determining what was lawful (Heb. mishpat, mish-paht, justice or fairness) and right (Heb. tsedakah, tseh-dah-kah, honesty, loyalty, or justness) were spelled out in Mosaic Torah, including Exodus, Deuteronomy, and the Holiness Code in Leviticus 17 26. Many of these laws were more detailed expressions of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1 17) and the greatest commandments of loving God and loving neighbor (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). In this way, a man was to be righteous in the eyes of God but also deal justly with those around him.
6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to theidols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, 7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD. The righteous man is one who does not participate in ritual meals on mountaintop sanctuaries, which is the common practice of the pagans (cf. 6:2 4, 20:28 29), nor indulges in the worship of idols (cf. Leviticus 19:4), does not commit adultery (cf. Exodus 20:14), does not approach a menstruating woman (cf. Leviticus 18:19), does not violate the laws governing business practices (cf. Exodus 22:25), feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and judges fairly (cf. Leviticus 19:15). God declares that this individual shall live. 10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, 11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour s wife, 12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, 13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. However, if the same individual has a son who is guilty of being a thief, a killer, of any of those things expressly forbidden in the Torah, then this son shall surely die, reinforcing the principle that the consequence of his actions will only be upon him. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel pleads on God s behalf for the nation of Israel to turn away from all its transgressions. They are to do their part to make you a new heart (Heb. lev, LEV, heart, mind, or inclination) and also to make a new spirit (Heb. ruakh, ROO-akh, spirit, breath, mental and spiritual essence of the human or divine). The prophet wants the people to understand that the cause of their sin resides within themselves and that the only sure way to escape sin s consequences is to be reconciled to God (see Romans 7:21 8:2). Ezekiel implores the people to acquire a new heart, a task that is impossible for us to do, but trying to do so teaches us what God desires of us and brings with it the realization that God alone can make our hearts new. So too with the spirit: we do not have the ability to make a new spirit for ourselves, but the effort drives us to see our own helplessness and seek God s Holy Spirit to accomplish the task. Ezekiel is telling the people that they need not die, because God will honor their sincere repentance with an abundance of His grace. 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezekiel concludes this entreaty by reminding the nation of Israel that God takes no pleasure (Heb. chafets, khah- FEHTS, to delight or take joy in) in the death of the wicked. All that is required is to sincerely turn from wickedness,
repent, and experience God s grace. God is merciful and desires that all find life in Him and live (Heb. khayah, khah-yah, to restore to life or quicken) (see 2 Peter 3:9). Sources: Brown, Francis. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody MA: Hendrickson, 2010. Burton, James. Coffman Commentaries on the Old Testament and New Testament. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, n.d. Duguid, Iain M. Ezekiel The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999. Dunn, James D. G., and John W. Rogerson. Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2003. English, E. Schuyler, and Marian Bishop Bower, eds. The Holy Bible: Pilgrim Edition New York: Oxford University Press, 1952. Howley, G.C.D., F.F. Bruce, and H.L. Ellison. The New Layman s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979. Life Application Study Bible. New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007. Rainer, Thom S. Baptist Hymnal Nashville, TN: LifeWay, 2008. Strong, James. Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1990. Say It Correctly Usury. USE-uh-ree. Executed. EK-se-kyu-tid. Daily Bible Readings MONDAY Justice, Righteousness, and Repentance (Isaiah 1:24 28) TUESDAY Justice: A Joy to the Righteous (Proverbs 21:10 15) WEDNESDAY Avoiding a Parent s Negative Example (Ezekiel 18:14 19) THURSDAY The Consequences of Changing Behaviors
(Ezekiel 18:21 28) FRIDAY The Lord Weighs the Heart (Proverbs 21:2 8) SATURDAY Walking in the Lord s Ways (Hosea 14) SUNDAY The Person Who Sins Shall Die (Ezekiel 18:1 13, 31 32)