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 77: Leviticus 4---The Purification Offering

Leviticus 4:1-5:13 describes what is traditionally known as a "sin offering."   Scholars today prefer the term "purification offering." since this kind of offering is also used in the cleansing of ritual impurity, where no sin has been committed.  The term "purification offering" covers both cases of sin (which is viewed in Leviticus as moral impurity) and ritual impurity. 

The kinds of sins in view are those that are unintentional, along with sins of omission.  These are sins that are not defiant or high-handed, but rather sins of ignorance, error, weakness, thoughtlessness, or negligence.  The sin is brought to the person's attention when he or she begins to suffer some consequences of it.  

Several examples are given in chapter 4 to explain how this kind of sacrifice is carried out.  The cases are covered in decreasing order of seriousness.  In the case of a high priest (4:3-12), the welfare of the whole community could be at stake, since a priest could be leading others into sin or may have done something to jeopardize God's presence among, or relationship with, the community.  

The high priest wasn't allowed to eat any of this offering, since it wouldn't make sense for the priest to somehow benefit from his own sin.  (That would be like committing a crime and then turning yourself in to collect the reward money.)

In this offering for priests, large parts of the bull's body were burned "outside the camp,"  symbolizing the removal of the sin from the community.  The writer of Hebrews saw this detail as symbolic of Jesus' work on the cross:  

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood" (Heb 13:12).

Another section of Leviticus 4 discusses a purification offering addressing a sin of the whole congregation (vv 13-21).  An example might be a case where bloodshed occurs and the community does not address the situation properly.  During David's reign, for instance, Israel once experienced a three-year famine because Saul, in his zeal, had broken Israel's treaty with the Gibeonites (2 Sam 21).  The whole community was paying the consequences of this sin, and it had to be addressed.

Another example could be the making of the treaty with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9).  Israel's leaders made the agreement without consulting God, and the truth about the Gibeonites then came out.   

Commentator Jay Sklar highlights several lessons from Leviticus 4:

1. God provides cleansing from sin so that we can experience forgiveness and have fellowship with him.
2. Suffering can be a sign of sin, God's loving warning that we need to repent.
3. Leaders are responsible for modeling godliness (1 Tim 3:1-13, e.g.)
4. Jesus is the perfect high priest and sacrifice.

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on October 30, 2021, Rob Wilson gave an introduction to the book of Leviticus.

Seder 77: Psalm 41---Thanksgiving and Entreaty

 Psalm 41 is the final psalm in Book 1 of the Psalter.  Like almost all of the psalms in Book 1, it has a traditional connection with David.  (Psalms 1, 2 , 10 are exceptions in this regard; a connection of Psalm 33 with David is mentioned in the LXX but not the MT.)  

Psalm 41 begins with a beatitude, as does Psalm 1:  "Blessed is the one who considers the poor!  In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him."

Commentators discuss what it means to "consider" those in need.  The idea is to figure out how to help those in need in a concrete way.  This can involve taking into account the needs of individuals on a case-by-case basis.  People can be in need because of economic hardship, illness, or persecution.  

In the midrash on the Psalms, a sage named Rabbi Jonah gives an example of how to help someone who has been prosperous previously but has fallen upon hard times.  The man who considers the poor might say, "I hear that you are going to receive an inheritance.  Take some money from me now and pay it back when you have received the inheritance." 

A person who considers those in need is following God's example, and God blesses such a person.  One reason that David is thanking God for this blessing is that he himself is in need.  He seems to be suffering from both a physical illness and oppression from enemies.   

In his suffering he examines himself and acknowledges that he has sinned, and he prays for God's mercy (v 4).  

His enemies are asking, "When shall he die, and his name perish?"  (v 5)  In other words, they want not only for him to die, but for his family line to end.  If David is the psalmist, these enemies want David's dynasty to end.  In effect, they oppose God's plan to send the Messiah.  

These enemies consider the psalmist to be cursed, probably because of some terrible sin (v 8).

Even more painful for the psalmist is the fact a close friend has turned against him (v 9).  Jesus later quoted verse 9 in John 13:18, saying that Jesus' betrayal by Judas is a fulfillment of that verse.  David's experience as a righteous sufferer often foreshadowed the later experience of Jesus.  

David prays for the opportunity to make things right (v 10).  He doesn't have to be seen here as asking for the opportunity to take revenge on his enemies, but rather to defend God's honor and to reconcile with them.  

David is confident in a favorable answer to his prayer because he knows that he is sincerely on God's side (v 12).