No On Else to Blame

A Low Point for Israel

The Jewish nation was greatly depressed by being taken into Babylonian captivity. This is no surprise – any people forced to leave their land and endure hardship under a captor would be depressed. However, this depression was affecting the relationship between the Jewish nation and her God, especially in the new generation born into captivity. They had become embittered, jaded, and unwilling to heed the encouragement of the prophet to reform.

A New Saying

During this time, the Jews had created a new idiomatic saying: “The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Eze. 18:2b, NASU). Simply put, this idiom described the idea that the current generation of Jews were paying the price for the sins of the previous generations. The “sins of the father” were being transferred to the son. This attitude (although still common at times today), was in direct challenge to the just nature of God. The Jews had conflated the important distinction between the punishment of sin and the consequence of sin.

It is true that the Babylonian captivity was a direct result of the sins of the nation of Judah. Many of these sins were committed in generations before the resultant captivity took place. However, this captivity was not punishment for sin. Such punishment is a just recompense much more dire than being taken into temporal captivity: spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). Being taken into captivity was only the consequence of sin promised by God in His Law (cf. Deu. 11:22ff).

A Universal Lesson

What the Jews needed to learn was a lesson that many struggle with even today. Sin and its punishment are a personal matter between a man (or woman) and his/her God. God clearly explains in this chapter this principle, contrasting a righteous father and an violent son (Eze. 18:5ff). This idea is concluded with a definitive statement: “The person who sins will die” (Eze. 18:20a). In other words, we are each responsible for our own problems. It does not matter who your father or mother was, who your friends are, how you grew up, how much money you have, what your name is, where you live, etc. What matters is the status of your own sin.

It is because of our own sin that we will face the punishment of sin if it has not been washed by the blood of Christ. Our own choice between accepting and rejecting the Gospel of Christ will be all that matters in the end. This choice is personal. There is no one else to blame but ourselves.