# 18
>$^{20}$The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
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>$^{21}$“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. $^{22}$None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. $^{23}$Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? $^{24}$But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
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>$^{25}$“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

There are a few things that come out of the chapter as a whole. One thing which is very clear is that God doesn't deal out hereditary punishment. Each person has to stand before God themself. The sins of their father won't be counted against them, neither will the righteousness of their father save them if they sin. We will all have to give account for our own lives to God. I imagine that for most people today this seems simply like the way it obviously ought to be. I would guess that the objection Ezekiel's hearers would have to this is that they may have seen themselves as God's chosen people (which they were) but mistakenly assumed this meant inheriting God's favour and acceptance. They may also have assumed that other peoples were all doomed to suffer God's wrath. If you believe you are born into God's favour it is a very discomforting thing to be told you aren't. Ezekiel never in all this mentions anything specific about Israel, it's all pretty universal sounding.  

This message, by itself, would spell all of our doom since none of us can match up to God's standards. We've all sinned.  

The other part of what Ezekiel has to say here is what more people may object to today. The part about how if the wicked person turns from his wickedness he'll live and if the righteous person does injustice he'll die. People may well say "shouldn't the wicked person still be punished even if they're sorry?" Human courts don't let people off because they're sorry if they're guilty, and they shouldn't. They also won't let people off if they've been law abiding all their lives and then do something criminal. Many people feel that God ought to weigh our lives in the balance and if our good outweighs the bad then we should be acceptable to him. This isn't the approach of a human court, but people feel it is somewhat fair. The approach God says he takes in that it is the attitude someone has at the end of their life seems more unfair. What if someone repents of a terrible life on their deathbed? Is it fair they should be forgiven?  

God's ways are unsearchable. I don't find it easy to understand but I take great comfort that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but would rather that they turn and live. I am glad that God doesn't treat me fairly because I am wicked and unjust. God's unfairness is always gracious and merciful.