DCLM DAILY MANNA DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 (FATE OF THE SINNING SOUL)
TOPIC: FATE OF THE SINNING SOUL
TEXT: Ezekiel 18:1-18
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 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,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.
14. Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
15. That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16. Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17. That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
KEY VERSE:
“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.” – (Ezekiel 18:4).
MESSAGE
While in captivity in Babylon, the Israelites assembled for themselves traditional sayings and proverbs that were contrary to the precepts of Jehovah. Seeking to exonerate their generation from the guilt of sin and its consequent punishment, they hid in the proverb that “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” In other words, the judgment of exile which the Jews were experiencing, was the result of the sins of their fathers.
This has no basis in Scriptures. And the Lord did not hesitate to send His servant, Ezekiel, to let them know His mind. He said everyone would account for his actions. The guilt of sin was never handed down from father to son. The Lord declared, “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.” The just who faithfully kept His statutes would live while those who were violence-prone and idolatrous would be damned if they failed to abandon their sinful ways.
Today, there is a new breed of churchgoers who rationalise their sins the same way Israel did in the days of Ezekiel. They dig deep into transgressions with all the accompanying punishment and claim that the fault is not theirs but their forebears. This is an unscriptural disposition the devil uses to deny the carnal man the responsibility of sincerely acknowledging his wrongdoings and asking God to forgive him.
Christ came to redeem humanity from eternity in hell. Having borne the sin of the world by proxy, He has made a way to escape eternal damnation for all who accept Him as Saviour.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Leviticus 18-20
