Ezekiel 18:5

Ezekiel 18:5 says, But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,  God now speaks about the people who live justly and do what is lawful in God’s sight.  We know that just obeying God’s law will never save us, because we will always fail to keep it all at all times.   

Verse six adds, 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,  God then began to list some of the things that those who were considered just had not done, starting with worshipping other God’s and then moving on to relationships between them and other people.  God not only expects us as followers of Christ to not allow any other gods into our life, but He also expects us to treat our neighbors with respect.   

Verse seven continues, 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;  God told the people of Israel and He tells us today that we are to treat everyone with respect, are not to be violent toward anyone, and are to feed the hungry and clothed the naked.  This seems to be the opposite of what many people, even those who profess to be Christians, seem to believe today.   

Verse eight states, He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,  God then tells us that we are not to charge others with usury, or a very high interest, so that we might have our wealth increase while theirs decreases.  Once more, this seems to be the opposite of the way the world works today.   

Verse nine adds, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.  God then moved back to the relationship between people and Himself.  They were to keep His commandments and to deal truly with Him, and I believe other people as well, and if they did, they would live.  We today are to enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ if we are to live with God forever and then we are to keep His commandments and treat everyone fairly, but our actions after we become a follower of Christ are not what saves us, but our relationship with Him is all that does.

Ezekiel 18:1

Ezekiel 18:1 says. The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, 

Verse two adds, 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?  God continued to speak to Ezekiel, He said that the fathers ate sour grapes and the children’s teeth were set on edge.  The people of Israel while in captivity were using this proverb to say that God was responsible for their situation because they were being punished because of the sins of their fathers instead of taking responsibility for their own sins.  I don’t believe that this means that children are responsible for the sins of their parents, but that parents can lead their children either toward God or away from Him.  The actions of parents can neither save nor condemn their children with God, but they will always be an influence on them.  Still, every person is accountable to God only for their own sins, no matter who or what their parents may have been.   

Verse three continues, As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.  God said as He lived, the people would no longer have an occasion to use this proverb.  The use of this proverb was to be taken away even if people may have used it in the past.  Matthew Henry says this goes back to God saying at one time that the sins of the fathers would be visited on their children for more than one generation.  I believe this was a reference to when the people of Israel were all considered the people of God and when the fathers failed to obey God that their actions might affect several generations in their worldly situation and not that the next generation would be spiritually responsible for the sins of their parents.   

Verse four concludes, 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 now plainly states that each person is responsible for their own sins, and the soul of those who do not repent and ask His forgiveness will die, spiritually I believe.  From what the Bible teaches us, we know that the soul of everyone will live forever and it is just a matter of where they will be, heaven or hell. 

Ezekiel 17:19

Ezekiel 17:19 says, Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.  God once again spoke of Zedekiah despising God's oath to Him and breaking his covenant with Him.  I believe that Zedekiah had never put his faith in God, but he had only put his faith in his position in the world.  Matthew Henry says that Zedekiah thought that his position as king set him above other men, and there are still people in the world today who believe that they are better than other people because of their position in the world and don’t feel the need to put their faith in God.   

Verse twenty adds, And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. God said that Zedekiah, and the people of Israel. was going to go away to punishment in Babylon because of their lack of faith in Him and that none would escape.  He was going to allow them to be carried away, but He still wasn’t going to desert them.  He would still continue to try to reason with them there.  As long as we are alive, God still continue to call us to Him, unless we say no to Him to the point that He decides He has given us enough chances, and then He will give us over to a reprobate mind.  Of course, after His final judgment comes, it is forever too late to accept His forgiveness, so He will no longer call those who are sent away to everlasting punishment.   

Verse twenty-one continues, And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.  God said that all His fugitives, those who were no longer under His protection because of their rebellion, would mostly die by the sword but even those who escaped would be scattered to the winds. Matthew Henry says this also refers to the Egyptians that the people of Israel had relied on for protection.  They too would fall by the sword or be scattered.  When this happened people would know that God is God, especially those who were supposed to be a part of His kingdom but had refused to remain faithful to Him.  One day those who have put their faith in anyone or anything other than God will know that He is God, but it will be too late to save them.   

Verse-twenty-two states, Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:  This refers to Zedekiah and his descendants being cut off from the kingdom of God because they refused to obey their covenant relationship with Him.  No matter how powerful anyone may be in the world today, they will be cut off from the kingdom of God if they do not enter into a covenant relationship with God by putting their faith in Jesus Christ, the only way to salvation.  Of course, their children will not be cut off  from God’s kingdom because of the parents’ refusal to put their faith in Jesus Christ, unless they also refuse to do so. 

Verse twenty-three adds, In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.  God said that He was going to plant this cutoff top in the highest mountain of Israel and it would bring forth boughs and bear fruit.  God would still be with the remnant of the people of Israel and would once again give them a king.  This promise was fulfilled when Zerubbabel became king and the people of Israel were allowed to return to Israel.  Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy would be Jesus Christ came to be the everlasting King of all who put their faith in Him.   

Verse twenty-four continues, And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.  God said that after He bought down the high tree and exalted the low tree that people would know that He was God.  The nation of Israel had been a great nation, but they turned away from God.  Now, God was going to take one of low estate and make Him the everlasting King.  Even though this prophecy was partly fulfilled with Zerubbabel, its ultimate fulfillment was when Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of all people.