There are so many people that believe that the God of the Old Testament (O.T.) is a different God than the God of the New Testament. They believe that the O.T. God is a God of wrath and anger that only wants to destroy and kill people. This belief shows that they have not opened up their Old Testaments that much. They missed amazing texts that show God’s patience, love and forgiveness of His people. One such text is Ezekiel 16.

Our text begins with the word of YHWH coming to Ezekiel– he is to make known to Jerusalem her abominations (Ezekiel 16:1-2). Even though it is most likely that the inhabitants of Jerusalem are also under discussion, in order to maintain the consistency of the metaphorical image, we will first describe the text just as Ezekiel does– in terms of Jerusalem the city herself.  

The description of Jerusalem is not like we have ever seen before. Jerusalem is described as being a girl who was born in Canaan to an Amorite father and Hittite mother who apparently abandoned her at birth– she is kicking in her blood, with umbilical cord uncut, blood and other secretions unwashed, naked and exposed (Ezekiel 16:3-4). There was none to have compassion on Jerusalem; she was abhorred (Ezekiel 16:5). God is then described as passing by, seeing Jerusalem in her blood, commanding her to live, and on account of God’s care, Jerusalem was able to grow into (sexual) maturity, although she remained naked and unadorned (Ezekiel 16:5-7). 

God then passes by her later when she had matured to the age of love, and He then covers her with His garment, making a covenant with her, and she became His (Ezekiel 16:8). He then cleans her up, adorns her with clothing and jewelry, and provides her with sustenance (Ezekiel 16:9-13). Her great beauty was made known to all the nations, and the Source of her beauty was God (Ezekiel 16:14). 

Sadly, the woman Jerusalem begins to trust in her beauty, and she begins to play the whore (Ezekiel 16:15). She took the things YHWH gave her– the garments, the ornaments, the food– and made shrines and idols and offerings to those idols from them (Ezekiel 16:16-19). The children born to woman Jerusalem she burned in the fire, and in all of these things she did not remember when she was born, wallowing in her blood (Ezekiel 16:20-22).  

She persists in her whoredom, making chambers and high places everywhere, offering herself to the Egyptians, for which she was punished at the hands of the Philistines, embarrassed at her behavior (Ezekiel 16:23-27). She increased her whoredom by going after Assyria and Babylonia in turn (Ezekiel 16:28-29).  

God declares how lustful her heart is, seeing that she persistently acts like a brazen whore (Ezekiel 16:30). Yet she is not your average whore, because whores at least get paid for their services– woman Jerusalem commits whoredom and pays for the “privilege” of committing adultery, not receiving payment (Ezekiel 16:31-34)! 

God continues to show how terrible His people have treated Him throughout the rest of the chapter. when we get to the end of it, we see how amazingly merciful and loving God is. After all she has done against Him, He will forgive her and bless her.

“Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 “Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. 62 “Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, 63 so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done,” the Lord GOD declares.

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?” (18:25)

Israel did not agree with the judgments of the Lord. They wanted to do it their own way. They were saying that the Lord was not being just, but they were in their actions. It is blind and foolish for anyone to say that their ways are right and God’s ways are wrong! Yet, we find that is exactly what many are saying today, just like in Ezekiel’s day.

Our nation and even a good amount of churches today have thrown aside the Scriptures as the right way. They say that God’s commandments are not fair, or that they are not just. But what it comes down to, our God created us, and He knows what is best for us! There are so many people that want to do things that the scriptures condemn insisting that God’s word is not right or that it is obsolete. For example, the Scriptures condemn homosexuality. The scriptures say that it is not natural, that it is an abomination to God, but the politically correct say homosexuality is a fine, that it’s just an alternative lifestyle. The same is true when it comes to God’s laws on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. People do not want to accept what the bible teaches, saying that the Lord’s way is not fair. In this, they echo the words of those of Ezekiel’s day: “The way of the Lord is not right.” to which the answer comes; “Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?”

Those that continue to live by the Scriptures are openly ridiculed as ignorant or bigoted. We all need to remember that the Lord’s ways are not our ways. God’s way is always fair, even when we do not understand why the Lord made a law the way that He did. God knows what is best for us and He knows what can hurt our relationship with Him. We need to accept God’s laws as written, never saying that they are unfair. After what the Lord has done for us, we should view no command that we are given as unjust and unfair, but rejoice that we are told what we need to do to be in the closest possible relationship with the Lord.

A favorite way that people today make excuses for their mistakes is to simply blame them on somebody else, and the blame most of the time is given to someone that is not there to defend themselves. It is our parents’ fault, our spouse’s fault,  or even society’s fault. Whatever the case, it is NOT my fault.

This is not the first generation to excuse its rotten behavior and the physical suffering it produces on previous generations. It is not the first to echo the plaintive cry, “We are not responsible!” Notice what the Lord had to say when people of Ezekiel’s day made a similar complaint:

“Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘What do you mean by this proverb concerning the land of Israel saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.” (EZEKIEL 18:1-3).

It had become a fashionable thing to say; a common excuse in Israel to blame the troubles of the nation on previous generations. It’s not that those generations were without fault. They were not.But the truth is the present generation shared in the responsibility for their troubles. They had drawn a clever picture of a parent eating a sour grape but the children’s teeth being set on edge as if to say they were only innocent victims and not to blame for their suffering and error. But the Lord makes it clear, they will be held accountable for their sin. No one else’s.

Throughout the first 24 chapters of Ezekiel, we see that the reason for the judgment that was coming to Jerusalem was not because of their fathers’ sins but because of their own. Within the first 24 chapters the word rebellious is used over 20 times to describe the nation of Israel that Ezekiel was preaching to.

Blaming their fathers for their predicament worked against them, because as long as they were blaming someone else for their problems they would not be seeking to make any needed corrections in their own lives. This is the essential message of the eighteenth chapter of Ezekiel. They needed to wake up and accept responsibility for themselves so they could have time to repent and live.

“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” (Ezekiel 18:4). Ezekiel points out that each soul is directly responsible as an individual to God. Also, the destiny of each soul directly relates as to whether one is willing to accept his or her responsibility for conduct, to turn from sin and unto righteousness, and serve God. This text teaches contrary to the popular doctrine of Total Inherited Depravity. Each soul will die because of their sin; not Adam’s.

“If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully– He is just; He shall surely live!” Says the Lord God… Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness, and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the sons iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” (EZEKIEL 18:9; 19,20).

God declares that we are all individually responsible for our own conduct. My father’s righteousness will not save me, nor will his wickedness condemn me. I do not inherit my standing with God from my ancestors. Though I may suffer some of the consequences for their sins, my standing with God is based upon my own actions.

The Lord tells the people through Ezekiel in verses 10-18 that if the just has a wicked son, the son will not live because of his father’s righteousness. If a wicked man has a son, and the son sees his father’s evil ways and does not follow in them, he will live, but his wicked father will still die.

We are neither innocent nor guilty by association. Just because our name is on a church membership roster, or we’ve been part of the same church as mom and dad all our lives does not make us right with the Lord! We each individually need to do what is needed to be right with the Lord.

Also, it is important to notice from this text that it is not enough to merely know the way of righteousness, or agree with it, but one must practice it. How fashionable it is today to suggest that obedience to God is unimportant. But the scriptures are clear that the one who fails to obey the commandments of God will not stand before God as innocent on the Day of Judgment.