Eze 33:15 | KingComments | STEP | Ezekiel is commanded to go to the exiles with a specific message ( ). The LORD has heard that they have said that their transgressions and their sins are upon them and that they see no way out. Their initial optimism regarding Jerusalem, which they had thought would be spared, has turned to cheerless despair. The prophecies of Ezekiel, as well as those of Jeremiah, regarding Jerusalem have come true against their expectations. What have they to expect from life now? In that situation, the word of the Lord GOD comes to them with the hopeful words that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live ( ). He calls the house of Israel to turn, for why should they die? They need not die, for the door to life is open. The invitation is made to them by a loving God. We hear His urgent, pleading call to turn in the twofold “turn back, turn back”. This is how He urges them to do so! We too may proclaim that hopeful message on His behalf to the people of the world. It is still the “the acceptable time … the day of salvation” ( ) and God through us is still begging people to be reconciled to Him ( ). What Ezekiel has to say to his fellow citizens, they are not hearing for the first time ( ; ). God’s message is unchanging and so is His government. Sin brings judgment, no matter how much good someone may have done, and turning back brings life, no matter how much wickedness someone may have done. What matters is listening to God and accepting what He says. This concerns both the righteous and the wicked. A righteous person may think that his righteousness, all his good deeds, entitles him to life ( ). Such an attitude shows that he trusts in his own righteousness and not in God. In practice, therefore, he will come to injustice and will die in it. In the case of the wicked, the opposite happens when he accepts God’s judgment on his life ( ) and turns from his sin. He shows that he has repented by practicing justice and righteousness ( ). He will make amends for wrongs done (cf. ). His conversion involves a condemnation of all his past sins. Of these he may know that they are forgiven and will be remembered no more ( ; ). The doing of justice and righteousness is the evidence of his turning back and of the new life he has received. He will live from this new life and remain alive. Ezekiel’s fellow citizens add to their pessimistic, unjustified statement that life has no meaning for them anymore ( ), the extremely misplaced accusation that the LORD ( Adonai ) does not do justice ( ). They have said that before and the LORD has answered them (cf. ). It is all shrugging off self-responsibility – still – and a denial of one’s own sins. The LORD’s dealings with the righteous who do injustice and with the ungodly who turn are grounds for them to accuse Him of injustice ( ). This accusatory attitude can also be seen today. People have an opinion about God and in their foolishness think they can and do judge Him. They are full of their own good works and point condemningly at Christians who lie and cheat. They will find out that with all their so-called good works they are heavily in debt to God for not bowing down to Him as sinners. God will judge them and do with them according to their own ways ( ; cf. ).

‏ Ezekiel 33:15

Call to Turn Back

Ezekiel is commanded to go to the exiles with a specific message (Eze 33:10). The LORD has heard that they have said that their transgressions and their sins are upon them and that they see no way out. Their initial optimism regarding Jerusalem, which they had thought would be spared, has turned to cheerless despair. The prophecies of Ezekiel, as well as those of Jeremiah, regarding Jerusalem have come true against their expectations. What have they to expect from life now?

In that situation, the word of the Lord GOD comes to them with the hopeful words that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live (Eze 33:11). He calls the house of Israel to turn, for why should they die? They need not die, for the door to life is open. The invitation is made to them by a loving God. We hear His urgent, pleading call to turn in the twofold “turn back, turn back”. This is how He urges them to do so!

We too may proclaim that hopeful message on His behalf to the people of the world. It is still the “the acceptable time … the day of salvation” (2Cor 6:2) and God through us is still begging people to be reconciled to Him (2Cor 5:20).

What Ezekiel has to say to his fellow citizens, they are not hearing for the first time (Eze 33:12; Eze 18:29-32). God’s message is unchanging and so is His government. Sin brings judgment, no matter how much good someone may have done, and turning back brings life, no matter how much wickedness someone may have done.

What matters is listening to God and accepting what He says. This concerns both the righteous and the wicked. A righteous person may think that his righteousness, all his good deeds, entitles him to life (Eze 33:13). Such an attitude shows that he trusts in his own righteousness and not in God. In practice, therefore, he will come to injustice and will die in it.

In the case of the wicked, the opposite happens when he accepts God’s judgment on his life (Eze 33:14) and turns from his sin. He shows that he has repented by practicing justice and righteousness (Eze 33:15). He will make amends for wrongs done (cf. Lk 19:8). His conversion involves a condemnation of all his past sins. Of these he may know that they are forgiven and will be remembered no more (Eze 33:16; Heb 8:12). The doing of justice and righteousness is the evidence of his turning back and of the new life he has received. He will live from this new life and remain alive.

Ezekiel’s fellow citizens add to their pessimistic, unjustified statement that life has no meaning for them anymore (Eze 33:10), the extremely misplaced accusation that the LORD (Adonai) does not do justice (Eze 33:17). They have said that before and the LORD has answered them (cf. Eze 18:25 ; 29). It is all shrugging off self-responsibility – still – and a denial of one’s own sins. The LORD’s dealings with the righteous who do injustice and with the ungodly who turn are grounds for them to accuse Him of injustice (Eze 33:18-19).

This accusatory attitude can also be seen today. People have an opinion about God and in their foolishness think they can and do judge Him. They are full of their own good works and point condemningly at Christians who lie and cheat. They will find out that with all their so-called good works they are heavily in debt to God for not bowing down to Him as sinners. God will judge them and do with them according to their own ways (Eze 33:20; cf. Rom 2:1-3).