Eating Sour Grapes


Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV

Have you heard the saying, "Like father, like son" or "That's just the way things are?" If a young person chooses a wrong path or makes poor choices in life, we may look at the home that they grew up in and make judgment on their parents and environment. Ezekiel 18:2 reveals a familiar proverb of that day. It says, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?" The exiles blamed their forefathers for their situation based on Israel's relationship with Yahweh (including its law, priesthood, culture, temple, and prophet individuals). However sin is sin in spite of all these cultural advantages, not because of it. Ezekiel's reply was that their trouble was due to their own sin and that neither punishment for sin nor the reward of righteousness is passed from one generation to another. 

Questions to ponder:
Are we blaming others for our failures? 
How can we hear God's voice and make the right choices? 

Today's devotional by Brother Samuel Lantion.

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