The Children’s Teeth Are Set On Edge

“What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’”

You might be forgiven as a parent if you thought that this verse is about your children having teething problems, but it is not. It is a parable that is mentioned by God to the prophet. You will find the same parable mentioned in Jeremiah 31:29. Ezekiel 18 deals with the responsibility that a person has for his or her sins. God says that we are accountable for our sins. We are not accountable for someone else’s sins. We may be complicit in the sins of others, but then we simply make them our own also.

The proverb that Ezekiel refers to in verse 2 is a proverb that was used by Israel. It means that sometimes children suffer for their parents’ sins. During Ezekiel’s time, this proverb would have been interpreted by the Exiles in this way: our fathers sinned back in the land and now we (the children) are paying the price—that’s the way it is. Lamentations 5:7 conveys a similar idea: “Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.” The fact that Jeremiah quotes the same proverb indicates that similar thinking was going on during his time. In the times of our Lord, the disciples raised the question about the man born blind in John 9. Was his blindness a result of his parent’s sin or his own sin (John 9:2)? Jesus replied that it “was not that this man sinned, or his parents, that he was born blind, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). According to the Lord in Ezekiel 18, every person belongs to the Lord (vs. 4). God is sovereign over all flesh. He is also completely justified in his judgments and dealings with individuals. No one can accuse God of being unfair or unjust. God does not punish anyone unfairly. In fact, he cannot do that because that would be a denial of his righteous and holy character. He only does that which is good and right. So God does not punish the children for the sins of the fathers.

God punishes each individual as Ezekiel 18:4 puts it: “the soul that sins shall die.” Now, why should the exiles in far off Babylon think in such a way that they were suffering for their parents’ sins? God always asserts his sovereignty so that we are not tempted to become fatalistic and thus give in to the despair that such fatalism always creates. Our lives are not in the hands of blind fate or chance. They are securely in the hands of God. Fatalistic thinking always casts aspersion on God’s goodness. We might be tempted to blame our circumstances or others for what we are going through, but this would take our lives out of God’s hands and then kick the sand in God’s face for not being good to us. God’s just judgments are the answer to accusing God of not being good to us.

Ezekiel 18 records three generations for us. There is a man who has a son who in turn has a son. The first man is righteous (vs. 5), his son is then unrighteous (vs. 10), and then the son’s son is righteous (vs.14). The righteous man will live according to God (vs. 9), and the unrighteous man will die (vs. 13). Ezekiel then puts words in the mouth of the exiles in verse 19 when he says hypothetically: “Yet you say! Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of his father?” But God’s position is abundantly clear. Each person is accountable for his or her sin. The soul that sins dies (vv. 4, 20). So what does God mean when he speaks to the exiles in this way? First of all, he removes from them the idea of the proverb that children suffer for the sins of the parents. Second, if the proverb does not apply, and the exiles are suffering under judgment, then the only reason for their suffering in exile was because they too were guilty before God. The generation of the fathers was guilty and God judged them, but the current generation of the exiles was also guilty. They cannot blame the fathers for their judgments of God upon them, as if they were innocent sufferers. Israel’s history at large was a history of rebellion.

Stephen, in his defense in Acts 7, makes the same point when he says: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51–53).

Now the proverb in Ezekiel 18:2 also mentions that the father had eaten sour grapes. What does this mean? The present generation of exiles was not innocent but was guilty just as their fathers were guilty. It was true that their present condition was a consequence of other fathers’ sins (just as all sin has consequences—see vv. 20–32). But it was also true that they were sinful themselves and, therefore, guilty before God. They shared in the same sins of the fathers. They are not innocent. They too have shared in the sour grapes (that the fathers ate), and any aftertaste that they tasted cannot be excused or blamed on others or even God. The unpleasant result of their own guilt was just as sour as it had been for their fathers. The sourness they were experiencing was proof of their own guilt. Sin always leaves a bitter taste, doesn’t it? Sin is always portrayed in temptation as beautiful, but it is a deception and illusion. It is not beautiful. It is deadly and deceitful. It is sour. It leaves a bad aftertaste.

The exiles probably thought that there was no hope then for them. If the fathers were removed under judgment and they too are guilty, then it was over for them. But God is not finished with them. He gives another case study for them in verses 21–32. If a wicked person were to repent of his sins, return to God and keep his ways, God says: “he shall live” (vs. 21). In fact, the pardon of God is so extensive that all of his previous sins are forgotten. The point of this is that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (vs. 23). He would rather have the wicked repent. Why does God desire this? He desires it because he loves to display his grace. But the other side of the coin also applies. If a righteous person were to turn away from God and become wicked, then he would die (vs. 24), and none of his previous righteous deeds would count in his favor. The point again is that sin merits judgment and death, and righteousness is life.

God holds out grace to the exiles. They can come back to him and he will receive them. He always receives the repentant sinner. The problem for the exiles was not that God was unjust. No, he was just. It was Israel that was unjust (vs. 29), and God said that he would judge the exiles for their ways. God refers to the exiles in individual terms (every one… his ways). He commands them to repent and turn from all their transgressions because if they don’t their iniquity will be their ruin (vs. 30). Verse 31 speaks of the specific actions required: “Cast away from you all your transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” If they repent, God will give them all they need to please him: a new heart and spirit. In other words, they should choose life. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (vs. 32). This is mercy, and with God, it is always real mercy. We cannot say to God, “it’s not my fault and it’s not fair.” Whenever we accuse God of these things, it’s because we don’t believe we are guilty. God does punish sin, but if you want to live, then turn from your sin. At the Cross, God brought to his remembrance all my sins and then erupted in wrath at Jesus. That’s grace beyond degree. That’s unlimited sheer grace and mercy. So choose life and live.