Who is to blame for the sour grapes?
The way I read verses 1 and 2 is that Ezekiel used this saying:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’? Ezekiel 18:2b
It seems odd that Ezekiel would have his theology wrong, but possible. But the more important point is that the saying was widely circulated among the people of Israel and the Lord was now prohibiting the use of it.
It may seem a bit startling that the Lord of heaven and earth would care about current slang or sayings. What should make it startling is that we don't see much of this. We're told not to use course language; we're told not to blaspheme the name of the Lord, especially of the Holy Spirit; we're told to be wise in our speech; but it's extremely rare for Him to comment on specific words. That rarity should be the clue that this little local proverb is really a bad thing.
But why?
What does it even mean?
The dad eats a sour grape and it's the kids making the sour face?
I think most of us have suffered sympathy pains. We see someone fall down and our heart lurches as we image what that pain must feel like. We watch someone eat something disgusting and we make a face that corresponds with what we imagine it tastes or feels like. That just a sympathetic response in our nervous system.
But the kids in this little proverb actually suffer the actual pain in their teeth, not just in their imaginations. How is that possible? What's actually being purported here?
If someone is suffering consequences, it must be because of the sins of the father.
Okay. Now that we know what people were trying to convey with this saying, let's consider why the Lord would prohibit it at this time and place.
The Lord attributes this saying to the those in the land of Israel, who use this phrase about the land of Israel; however, remember what specific people of Israel Ezekiel is preaching to. The captives held in Babylon. The people of Babylon want to go home and find everything back to normal. they think this captivity is temporary and that Israel will come out the other side victorious. Even though Ezekiel has warned them dozens of times in dozens of ways that it's not going to turn out alright for this generation.
So maybe Ezekiel's message is sinking in and people are starting to understand that things are grim. What do they do in response? Do they fall on their faces in grief and repentance and seek God? No. They do not. They blame their fathers.
"We got sour grapes because of the actions of people who aren't even here anymore."
Are you starting to see why this would irritate the Lord. He's going to great lengths to teach and correct these people and they refuse to acknowledge their own guilt.
Yes, parents can take actions that bring suffering to the generations that follow them. Yes, bad decisions can accumulate in a culture and cause sin to increase. The Lord proclaims repeatedly that this worst batch of Israelites came directly from the wicked King Manasseh. So if the saying is, generally, true, why does God prohibit it?
This is really important.
They weren't blaming their parents as part of a sincere attempt to understand what happened and how to repent. They were scapegoating their fathers so that they didn't have to take any personal responsibility.
God is declaring that each individual is responsible for their own sin.
He is merciful and all-knowing. In His judgement, He alone will know how to account for mitigating factors. But everyone answers for their own sin. Daddy may have made it harder to obey the law; but it's still the law.
He has grace and mercy. And for us, He sent a Helper in the form of His Spirit to indwell those of us who have bent the knee to the Lordship and forgiveness of Jesus. That's what kind of king He is. But is also righteousness and wrath and their will be individual accountability for the thoughts, words, and deeds in our lives.
We are in captivity, but we are still under His Lordship and He doesn't want to hear us blaming others when He has written on our heart what we are to do.
There are congressional hearings going on right now (as there always is these days) and a clip went viral between a congressman and a female preacher. The topic was how to address the mass illegal immigration and widespread fraud from the Somali immigrants in Minnesota. The woman had used a verse from the gospel of Matthew to make the point that we're all supposed to care for the poor and needy. The congressman kept a surprisingly gentle and even tone as he questioned her about her testimony. He brought up the command to be a cheerful giver and never give under compulsion and then asked asked her questions to square this with compulsory taxes. He pointed out other verses that showed we were to give if ourselves, not turn over the care for the poor and needy to the government.
I'm guessing what made this clip go viral was that although the exchange was polite, the congressman utterly defeated the woman in exchange. He would ask her about common verses and she'd reply that she didn't know it off the top of her head. She tried to dispute that taxes were compulsory. She didn't have a credible response to even one question he asked. And while that may be what gave everyone watching a shot of schadenfreude, what stuck with me was the expressions on her face throughout the exchange.
I've watched a lot of these exchanges over the last few years with politicians and witnesses from both sides. What almost always happens is that both parties get combative and smug. Both sides are trying to land a verbal punch in battle. Everyone's body language and facial expressions show aggression and defensiveness. But in this exchange, the congressman remained firm but gentle and the woman looked like she was collapsing in on herself in grief. Her face showed a deep sadness and shame. She tried standing her ground, but her face said to me that she wasn't going to lie but she wasn't going to confirm the truth.
I wondered why her face was the thing that stuck with me. And it is the same thing found in this passage: We are in captivity, but we are still under His Lordship and He doesn't want to hear us blaming others when He has written on our heart what we are to do.
The fact that the woman is a pastor already shows that she doesn't regard Scripture in the proper light and the fact that she was lazy in selecting one Scripture to be twisted to make a political, but had no familiarity with any of the other major Scriptures on the same point showed her heresy; and yet she did not begin to lie or change the subjects like everyone else. To her credit, she just sat there and shrank into a grieving, broken mess.
The Lord loves a contrite heart. He wrote the word on her heart and she seemed to be unable to dismiss it when it would have been so easy to become combative and fight her way out—like most everyone else.
I rambled on way too long about this example, mostly it came to mind as an illustration for this passage and I wanted to understand my own mind a little better and why this woman's face stayed with me days after watching the clip.
Back to the text, here's God's summary of the whole issue:
“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.
5 But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
[Verse 6–8 list specific evidence of righteousness.]
9 If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely live!”
Says the Lord God.
But this man (or woman's) righteousness is not infused to children:
“If he begets a son who is a robber
Or a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
[Verses 11-12 list specific sin.]
13 If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase—
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
His blood shall be upon him.
And a sinful sin man does not infuse his sin on his children. Verses 14-18 repeat the action that a man will pay for or be rewarded for.
Each person receives their own judgement; not that of their parent. Verse 21 goes even further and awards a man who has committed wicked acts, but repents. He will live. His transgressions will be forgotten and the practicing of justice and righteousness will be counted to him. God emphasizes that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and wants a man to turn from wickedness and live. He is merciful and loving. The opposite is true for a righteous man who trades in his righteousness for wickedness—he will die.
Here's the executive summary of the lesson:
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”
I spent a lot of years mad at my parents for choices they made and years admiring their choices. And while I do live with the fruit (good as well as spoiled fruit) of their choices, God is going to hold me accountable for MY choices. He is merciful and gracious; so He will mitigate what He sees fit; but He is very clear that my choices and my heart are what matters to Him.
God has no grandchildren, only children.
It's ok to look back at your childhood to understand your situation; and it's even ok to identify the things you feel did you harm; but the road ahead of you is yours to walk.
Walk worthy.