The saying "Like mother, like daughter" could be said of Jerusalem and Sodom. Jerusalem followed the wicked customs of Sodom and became more disgusting than they were. Compared to Sodom, Jerusalem sinned twice as much. Jerusalem arrogantly sneered at Sodom, but they would pay for all the vulgar things they had done. The Lord told Jerusalem she would be ashamed when she thought about her sins, and He would forgive them.
The Lord told Ezekiel a story of two eagles. The first eagle broke off the top of a cedar and spread the seeds in a fertile field. The vine grew strong and upward toward the second eagle. The Lord asked Ezekiel if the vine would live or would the first eagle pluck it up out of the ground and kill it? The Lord told Ezekiel to ask the Israelites if they knew what the story meant. The Lord told Ezekiel to tell them that the king of Babylon did things so the people would never gain control of their country again. The Lord said the king of Judah would die in Babylon. They had made promises in the name of God and they broke them and they would be punished. The trees know about God and what He can do.
The Lord told Ezekiel that He heard the people saying, "Sour grapes eaten by parents leave a sour taste in the mouths of their children." The Lord said that saying would no longer be used in Israel. Only those who commit sin will be put to death. Suppose there was a man who lived a righteous life. Now suppose he had a son who committed every sin known to man. The father will live and the son will die. Or, suppose a son sees his father do these sins and refuses to do likewise, the son will not die for his father, the father will die for his own sins. Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won't suffer because of the sins of their parents and parents won't suffer because of the sins of their children. Everybody will get what they deserve. If wicked people stop sinning and start doing what is right, their sins will be forgotten. When good people start sinning their good deeds will be forgotten. Go with God if you want to live.
The Lord taught Ezekiel a funeral song for two of Israel's leaders and it sounds like the vine and eagles allegory.
Seven years passed while Ezekiel was in Babylon with king Jehoiachin. Some of Israel's leaders came to find out what the Lord had to say to them. The Lord had nothing new to tell them. He did ask Ezekiel to remind them of their past and how God had chosen Israel to be His own. He promised to be their God and would rescue them and give them the best land. He told them to get rid of their disgusting idols, but they refused to listen. The people wouldn't obey the Lord's commandments, but He still felt sorry for them and couldn't let them die in the desert.
Tomorrow read Ezekiel 20:18-22:12
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