The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

THE SOUL WHO SINS SHALL DIE

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

People often argue with God about justice and mercy. Israel did, and they had a proverb that God said was wrong: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (v. 2). In other words, the father’s sin and the children are unjustly punished.

We can understand Israel’s confusion. God had said elsewhere in Scripture that the sins of the parents would cause the children to suffer:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

(Exodus 20:4-6)

Please note carefully what God said. First, the dire consequences of our sins affect others, especially our children, who are shaped by our sinful patterns and harmed by our sinful lifestyles. Second, this applies to people who hate God––who reject Him in unbelief. They leave their children only a legacy of Christlessness. Third, the bad results are mercifully limited by God––three or four generations; whereas righteousness goes on for “thousands” who follow after. The gist: our godless ways harm our descendants.

There is no contradiction between Exodus 20:4-6 and Ezekiel 18. Here is why: Sin has its dire consequences, but every person––fathers and sons––is judged on the basis of his own conduct. Israel did not like this principle.

They said to God: “If a man sins, he and his family should be punished.” God responded, “No. Only the soul (individual) who sins will die. The Father dies for his sins; the son dies for his sins, but no one dies for another’s sins…except Christ.”

Israel then said, “What if a man starts out good and ends up bad?” Answer: The man dies for how he ends his life. And so do his children. Conversely, if he starts out bad, repents and ends up good, he will be spared. Israel said, “Lord, you’re being duplicitous; you’re not just.” God countered, “No! You are the ones who are not just. I give people a second chance––a chance to repent, an opportunity to break a parent’s sinful pattern, a lifetime to finish well. It would be unmerciful never to factor in repentance, and it would be unjust to punish junior for Dad’s sins.” It’s hard to argue with God’s logic.

The things God says in Ezekiel 18 bear out in real life. Compare, if you will, two families. In 1677, an immoral man married a fornicating woman. From them came 1,900 descendents. Of these, 771 were criminals, 250 were arrested for various crimes, 60 were thieves, and 39 were murderers. They spent a total of 1,300 years behind bars and cost the state of New York $3 million!

In the same era, in 1728, a godly young pastor married the daughter of a pastor. Her father was the founder of Yale University and his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all Puritan ministers. This young couple produced 1,344 descendants. Of these, 186 became ministers, 86 were state senators, 3 were congressmen, 30 were judges, a number were either college professors or presidents, and one (Aaron Burr) became Vice President of the United States. I write, of course, about the descendents of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards.

Underlying this great reality of fathers and sons is the great power of grace. Twice in this passage, God says: “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? ... For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live” (vv. 23, 32). God’s grace, through repentance, can change one man’s legacy into that of another man’s blessing. All it takes is for the Gospel to penetrate one life––one son, one granddaughter, one descendent of a broken family. The results can be revolutionary––to thousands who follow after. Such is the power of God’s grace to fathers and sons.

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

CEP: Pray for our children. Pray that they will become leaders in a revival in Jesus’ church, in our culture and in the world.

CC: Please pray for all of our students and especially thosestudents undecided on a major and/or vocational direction to pursue. Pray that God will provide wise counsel to examine God’s calling in their life, and to encourage students to investigate majors and vocations that complement that calling.

MNA: Mapping out an itinerary for the summer months is always a huge and exciting challenge for MNA Native American/First Nations Ministries. Pray that God will give clear direction and open doors to serve and to expand and develop the ministry.

PCAF: Ask God to bring to the PCA Foundation new individuals and families who would benefit from our ministry and services.

RH: Pray for Larry Kramer, the Ridge Haven Accounting Manager, as he gives special direction to the management of Ridge Haven finances. Much wisdom and careful stewardship is needed both to honor the Lord and to provide an appropriate accountability of Ridge Haven to many people.