Question 1

What does the proverb about fathers eating sour grapes and children’s teeth set on edge mean?

Accepted Answer

The proverb about fathers eating sour grapes and children’s teeth being set on edge was a way the people tried to say, “We are suffering because of what our parents did, not because of our own sins.” They used it to complain that God was unfair in judging them. God rejects this proverb and says they must stop using it. He explains that all souls belong to Him and that the person who sins is the one who will die. In other words, they cannot hide behind their ancestors’ sins to excuse their own disobedience.

Question 2

What does it mean that the soul that sinneth, it shall die?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” He is saying that each person is answerable to Him for their own sin. This death includes God’s judgment, not just physical death, and points to separation from Him because of guilt. It does not mean children never feel any effects of their parents’ choices in daily life, but it does mean they are not counted guilty for their parents’ sins. God makes clear that His judgment is fair. The one who turns from sin and does what is right will live, but the one who continues in sin will die in that sin.

Question 3

Does this passage say children are punished for their parents’ sins?

Accepted Answer

This passage teaches the opposite. The people were saying they suffered for their fathers’ sins, but God answers that He will judge “every one according to his ways.” He gives examples: a just man who lives, his violent and idolatrous son who dies for his own sins, and a grandson who sees his father’s sins and chooses a different path, so he lives. God says plainly, “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.” Each person stands or falls by their own righteousness or wickedness.

Question 4

What does this chapter show about God’s justice and fairness?

Accepted Answer

God’s people complain, “The way of the Lord is not equal,” meaning they think God is unfair. God replies that His ways are equal and their ways are unequal. He shows His fairness in several ways. He does not let a righteous parent’s goodness excuse a wicked child, and He does not let a wicked parent’s sin condemn a righteous child. He does not overlook evil just because there was past obedience, and He does not hold past evil against someone who truly turns from it. He judges each person by their present path and invites them to turn and live.

Question 5

What hope is offered to a wicked person in this passage?

Accepted Answer

There is real hope held out here. God says that if a wicked person turns from all his sins, keeps God’s statutes, and does what is lawful and right, “he shall surely live, he shall not die.” God promises that all his past transgressions will not be mentioned to him. God even asks, “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” This shows that God is ready to forgive those who repent. The way back is to consider one’s ways, turn from sin, and walk in what is right.

Question 6

Why does it say a righteous person who turns to sin will die?

Accepted Answer

The passage warns that if a person who has lived righteously turns away and does the same abominations as the wicked, he will not be spared because of his former obedience. All the righteousness he has done “shall not be mentioned” if he now lives in persistent sin. This does not deny that God is merciful, but it warns against trusting in past good works while living in present rebellion. The point is that God’s judgment is based on how a person truly stands before Him, not on a reputation or a history that no longer matches their current life.

Question 7

What does it mean to make you a new heart and a new spirit?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “Make you a new heart and a new spirit,” He is calling the people to a deep change, not just surface promises. Their old heart was stubborn and loved sin. A new heart and spirit means a changed inner desire that turns from transgression and wants to walk in God’s ways. Elsewhere we see that only God can truly give this new heart, yet here they are commanded to seek it and turn. The call is urgent: cast away your sins, seek this new heart from God, and do not choose the path that leads to death.

Question 8

What was happening with Israel when God gave this message?

Accepted Answer

The people of Israel were in a hard time, with many already taken into exile. Instead of facing their own sins, they used the sour grapes proverb to blame their fathers and suggest God was unfair. They acted as if they were only suffering because of others’ wrongdoing. God speaks through His prophet to correct this thinking. He shows them that their own idolatry, injustice, and hardness of heart are the real issue. He calls them away from complaining and into repentance, promising life if they turn and warning of death if they go on in their sins.

Question 9

How can I apply the message of this passage to my life today?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites you to stop blaming others for your spiritual condition and to look honestly at your own heart and actions. Family background and past hurts are real, but before God you are responsible for how you respond. The call to “repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions” still speaks today. You can lay down excuses, turn from known sin, and seek from God a new heart and spirit. It also comforts you that God does not hold you guilty for others’ sins and that He takes no pleasure in your ruin, but wants you to turn and live.

Ezekiel 18:1

The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

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Ezekiel 18:1

The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

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The Soul Who Sins Will Die

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

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