Seder 77: Ezekiel 18---Principles of Divine Justice

The eighteenth chapter of the book of Ezekiel is one of  several examples in the book of what scholars call a "disputation speech."  The discussion begins by quoting a popular saying that gives a thesis.  Ezekiel then responds with a counter-thesis stating God's perspective on the matter.  There are examples in chapters 11, 12, 18, and 33.  

Chapter 18 begins with a thesis accusing God of injustice:  "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."  Ezekiel responds with a counter-thesis from God:  "It is the one who sins who shall die." He elaborates by telling a story of three generations (vv 5-18):  

• A righteous man, one who lives according to God's covenant with Israel, will be rewarded with life.  
• If that man's child turns to wickedness, the child will be judged for that wickedness.
• If the man's grandchild returns to righteousness, the wickedness of the grandchild's parent will not be held against him.

Some have suggested that this example has in mind three generations of kings of Judah.  Righteous king Hezekiah was succeeded by his wicked son Manasseh, who was in turn succeeded by righteous king Josiah.  But Ezekiel is laying out a general principle, not just thinking about these three kings.  This principle has previously been stated in Deuteronomy 24:16.

There is some pushback in verse 19, with a restatement of the original thesis.  Commentator Daniel Block points out that some may be supporting the thesis with a famous passage from Exodus 20, where God states that he is "a jealous [i.e., impassioned] God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me..." (verse 5).  

Block explains that a different issue is being addressed in Exodus 20, which is directed to heads of household.  God wants heads of household to know that their behavior will affect, for good or ill, their entire multi-generational extended families.  

However, Ezekiel makes clear that we cannot use our parents' sins as an excuse for our own.  A person who has been wicked can repent and turn to righteousness.  In that case, that person's earlier sins will not be held against him (verses 20-22).  

On the other hand, a righteous person who subsequently turns away from God will not be able to get by based on earlier righteousness (verse 24).  

Ezekiel closes the chapter with a general call to repentance.  This is a remarkable text, Block points out.  There are a number of cryptic passages in Ezekiel's prophecy, but chapter 18 is crystal clear and speaks directly to readers in all generations.  We all have our destinies in our own hands.  Our eternal futures depend on our own decisions.  God's desire is that all of us choose life.

Seder 71: A Question about Exodus 34:7

 God's great revelation of Exodus 34:6-7 emphasizes his gracious, merciful nature.  But God's justice is also included.  Verse 7 states that God will "by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation."

What does this statement mean?  First, it does not mean that God will hold anyone legally responsible for the sins of an ancestor.  As Deuteronomy 24:16 states, "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers.  Each one shall be put to death for his own sin."

I have heard this statement explained in a couple of different ways.  First, our sins often do have effects on our lives and those of our descendants.  When we are forgiven for wrongdoing, we still may experience some consequences of that wrongdoing.  

Second, one common effect of our sins to have our descendants repeat them.  Commentator Douglas Stuart explains that this is what is described in Exodus 34:7.  This statement "describes God's just punishment of a given type of sin in each new generation as that sin continues to be repeated down through the generations."

Seder 13: Abram's Faithfulness

 Genesis 15 begins with the phrase, "After these things....", a phrase that also appears in Genesis 22:1, 20.  Joseph Soloveitchik suggests that this phrase marks transitions in Abram's life and divides his life into four periods.  The second one is covered in Genesis 15-21, chapters that feature God's covenant with Abram.

At this point God comes to Abram in a vision, as he would later to other prophets.  Commentator John Sailhamer sees Abram portrayed as a forerunner of Jeremiah, who later would be given a message about Judah's exile and return.  God reveals to Abram that his descendants would endure slavery in Egypt before settling in the land promised to them (vv 12-16).  

But before receiving that revelation, Abram asks God about something that is troubling him.  God has promised him numerous descendants (Ge 13:16), but he is still childless.  God assures Abram that the promise will be carried out (Ge 15:2-5).  The narrator then reports in verse 6, "And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness."

Abram's belief was not something that occurred in an instant.  He grew in faith as he walked with God over many years.  James the brother of Jesus saw Genesis 15:6 exemplified by Abram's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. In this case Abram's obedient actions demonstrated his faith (James 2:14-26).  

Language similar to Genesis 15:6 appears in Ps 106:30-31, where it is applied to Phinehas.  When Phinehas took decisive action to stop the apostasy at Baal Peor, "that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever" (verse 31). 

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 27, 2024, Kyle Kettering explored the meaning of Genesis 15:6.  He noted that this verse marks the first appearance in Scripture of tzedakah, the Hebrew word for "righteousness."  Looking at other places where the word is used (Ge 18:19; Dt 6:25; 24:13, e.g.), we can see that the word often designates "right deeds or actions that accord with God's desire and plan."  Psalm 106:3 declares, "Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!"

By Jesus' time, the word had come to be used specifically for deeds of charity.  Jesus uses the word this way in Matthew 6:1-4.  

Kyle observed that righteousness is a goal of man's relationship with God, and that trust is an essential component of biblical righteousness.  As Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please him." Habakkuk famously wrote that "the righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4).  The ESV footnote observes that "faith' In Habakkuk 2:4 means "faithfulness."    

In Romans 4, Paul holds up Abraham as example on one who was deemed righteous based on his faithfulness, not on specific deeds of the Torah.  

In the phrase "he counted it to him as righteousness," there are technically two ways to identify the antecedents of the pronouns "he" and "him."  We almost always think of "he" as God and "him" as Abram, but the other way around makes sense as well.  Certainly Abram deemed God to be righteous as well.

Seder 155: Deuteronomy 24:19-25:19---Responsibility for the Welfare of Others

 Moses lays out several cases in this section of Deuteronomy.  In 24:19-22, farmers are told to not harvest every bit of a crop, but to leave some for the poor.  We see this instruction in action in Ruth 2, where Boaz leaves grain in his field for Ruth to glean.  

In commenting on this passage at Church of the Messiah on August 5, 2023, Frank Fenton observed that a person who obeys this instruction is, in effect, giving some of one's life to one's friends (Jn 15:13).

Deuteronomy 25:1-3 places limitations on a punishment for wrongdoing so as not to humiliate the criminal.  For a beating, the stated limit is 40 lashes.  In practice the limit was set at 39 in order to make sure that the number did not exceed 40 by mistake. 

Paul later made reference to this practice in 2 Corinthians 11:24 when he mentioned, "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one."  In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 5, 2023, Kyle Kettering pointed out this example as further evidence for a Torah-observant "Paul within Judaism." In receiving such a punishment, Paul was submitting to the authority of a local synagogue, an indication that he was still working within synagogue communities when he planted his congregations. 

Deuteronomy 25:4 is a principle stated as a proverb:  "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain."  This principle is applied in the New Testament to argue that church workers are entitled to be supported by their congregations (1 Cor 9:1-14; 1 Tim 5:17-18).  

 Deuteronomy 25:5-10 deals with the ancient institution of levirate marriage, where if a man died childless, his brother might marry his widow in order to continue the man's family line.  We see an example of this institution in Ruth 4, where Boaz marries Ruth to perpetuate the line of Elimelech.  There is another example in Genesis 38, where Tamar, the wife of Judah's oldest son Er, makes sure that Judah carries out this responsibility after he and his other sons neglect it. 

Deuteronomy 25:11-12 is another case meant to ensure that family lines are continued.  Verses 13-16 emphasize the importance of honest weights and measures.  Finally, verses 17-19 are on Israel's responsibility to punish the Amalekites for their unwarranted attack on the Israelites shortly after their departure from Egypt (Ex 17).  This attack was, in effect, an attempt to thwart God's plan to bless all nations through the descendants of Abraham.  Moses also mentions here that the Amalekites took advantage of the weak in their cowardly offensive.

Seder 154: Deuteronomy 23:21-24:18---Justice in Contracts and Loans

 Several of the cases in Dt 23:21-24:18 are about righteousness in matters of promises and contracts.  For example, verses 21-23 of Deuteronomy 23 are about keeping one's word in formal promises made to God.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 describes a situation where a woman has been divorced a husband and then remarries.  If that second marriage ends, the first husband is prohibited from remarrying the woman.  This case is meant to protect the woman from mistreatment by the first husband.  

This case is best known to Christians from the questions it raised later about what ground for divorce is being referred to in verse 1.  What is the "matter of indecency" mentioned there?  In Jesus' day the two main schools of Pharisees disagreed on how to interpret this verse.  The House of Shammai felt that only sexual immorality was in view here, while the House of Hillel believed that divorce was all right for "any cause."  Jesus was asked for his view, and he basically came down on the side of Shammai.  

A number of the cases in Deuteronomy 24 are about making sure not to take undue advantage of vulnerable members of society.  People in need should not be forced to give up something vital as collateral for a loan, for example (v 6).  Workers should be paid promptly (vv 14-15).  Widowsm orphans, and strangers should not be exploited (vv 17-18).

One principle that raises questions is Deuteronomy 24:16:  "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers.  Each one shall be put to death for his own sin."  This is another place where the Torah differs from some other Ancient Near Eastern law codes.  For example, Hammurabi's Code includes this provision:  "If a citizen strike the wife of another citizen .... if the woman dies, they shall execute that man's daughter."  

One may ask about the relationship between Dt 24:16 and Exodus 34:7, which describes God as "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation." This latter passage is not saying that God will punish people's descendants for sins of their parents that they are not committing.  Rather, as commentator Douglas Stuart explains, "it describes God's just punishment of a given type of sin in each new generation as that sin continues to be repeated down through the generations."  Current sins do tend to affect future generations.