성경 주석서

앞선 몇몇 장들을 읽으면서, 우리는 그것들이 우리와 별로 상관이 없다고 생각하고 싶은 유혹을 받았을지도 모른다(비록 그것들도 우리의 교훈을 위하여 기록된 것이지만). 그러나 이 장은 처음 보기에도 우리 모두와 매우 높고 가깝게 관련되어 있는 것처럼 보인다. 매우 높이, 매우 가깝게 관련되어 있다. 왜냐하면 유다와 예루살렘에 대한 특정한 언급 없이도, 이 장은 하나님께서 사람의 자녀들을 그들의 영원한 상태로 결정하실 때 그들을 다루실 심판의 규칙을 제시하고 있기 때문이다. 그리고 그것은 창세기 4:7에 제시된 매우 오래된 규칙과 일치한다. "네가 선을 행하면 어찌 받아들여지지 아니하겠느냐? 그러나 선을 행하지 아니하면 죄가"—죄의 형벌이—"문에 엎드리느니라." 여기에는 다음의 내용이 있다. I. 불경건한 유대인들이 사용한 부패한 속담이 있는데, 이것이 여기 보내진 이 메시지의 계기가 되었고, 하나님께서 그들을 다루신 방식에 있어 그분을 의롭다 하시기 위해 그것을 필요하게 만들었다(에스겔 18:1-3). II. 이 속담에 주어진 응답인데, 그 안에서 하나님은 일반적으로 자신의 주권과 공의를 주장하신다(에스겔 18:4). 악인에게는 화가 있을 것이니, 그들에게는 화가 있을 것이다(에스겔 18:4, 20). 그러나 의인에게는 말하라, 그들에게는 복이 있을 것이라고(에스겔 18:5-9). 특히 불평된 경우에 관하여, 그분은 우리에게 다음을 확언하신다. 1. 악인에게는, 비록 그가 선한 아버지를 두었을지라도, 화가 있을 것이다(에스겔 18:10-13). 2. 선한 사람에게는, 비록 그가 악한 아버지를 두었을지라도, 복이 있을 것이다(에스겔 18:14-18). 그러므로 이 점에서 하나님은 의로우시다(에스겔 18:19, 20). 3. 회개하는 자들에게는, 비록 그들이 아무리 나쁘게 시작했을지라도, 복이 있을 것이다(에스겔 18:21-23, 27, 28). 4. 배교한 자들에게는, 비록 그들이 아무리 잘 시작했을지라도, 화가 있을 것이다(에스겔 18:24, 26). 그리고 이 모든 것의 용도는 다음과 같다. (1.) 하나님을 의롭다 하고 그분의 모든 행하심의 공평하심을 밝히기 위함이다(에스겔 18:25, 29). (2.) 우리로 하여금 우리의 죄를 회개하고 하나님께로 돌아서도록 이끌고 격려하기 위함이다(에스겔 18:30-32). 그리고 이것들은 우리의 영원한 평화에 속한 것들이다. 오, 우리가 그것들이 우리 눈에서 가려지기 전에 그것들을 깨닫고 유념할 수 있기를!

에스겔 시대의 유대인들은 조상들의 죄 때문에 자신들을 벌하시는 하나님께서 그들을 가혹하게 다루신다고 불평하였다(에스겔 18:1, 에스겔 18:2). 그들에게 닥친 현세의 재앙은 오래전부터 민족적 죄책의 결과로 예고되어 있었다(예레미야 15:4 등). 이 장의 전반적인 논조를 보면, 유대인들은 십계명의 둘째 계명과 같은 뜻을 지닌 다른 구절들을, 조상들의 죄가 자녀들의 도덕적 행실과 상관없이 이 세상뿐 아니라 장차 올 세상에서도 자녀들에게 갚아지는 것처럼 해석한 듯하다. 하나님의 통치에 관하여 그처럼 합당하지 못한 생각을 품을 모든 근거를 없애기 위해, 하나님은 맹세로써 자신이 사람을 외모로 취하지 않으신다고 확언하신다(에스겔 18:3, 에스겔 18:4). 이는 섭리 안의 위대한 신비들—오직 인간의 제한된 능력 때문에 신비롭게 보이는 것들—이 지극히 공정한 정의의 시행에서 비롯된 결과임을 강하게 시사한다. 또한 이 사실은 다른 생에서의 상과 형벌을 통해 특별히 드러날 것이다. 그때에는 지금 사회와 민족을 함께 묶어 두는 모든 결속이 풀리고, 각 사람이 자기 행위대로 받으며 자기 짐을 질 것이다.

이 교훈은 여러 사례로 설명된다. 의롭고 바른 사람(에스겔 18:5-9), 그의 악한 아들(에스겔 18:10-13), 그리고 다시 그 악한 사람의 의로운 아들(에스겔 18:14-20)이 그 사례들이다. 이어서 악인이 회개하여 긍휼을 얻고, 그의 이전 악행이 구원을 가로막지 않는 경우가 나오며(에스겔 18:21-23), 의인이 돌이켜 떠나 자기 죄 가운데 죽어 이전의 의가 아무 유익도 주지 못하는 경우가 나온다(에스겔 18:24). 그다음에는 하나님의 섭리의 행위가 옹호되고(에스겔 18:25-29), 아무 예외 없이 모든 사람이 가장 간절한 말로 회개하도록 권면받는다(에스겔 18:30, 에스겔 18:31). 이는 주께서 죄인의 죽음을 기뻐하지 않으시기 때문이다(에스겔 18:32).

이 장 전체는 인간의 위로와 하나님의 통치의 영예에 밀접하게 연결된 교훈을 설명하는 데 할애되어 있다. 그러므로 선지자는 매우 적절하게도 평소의 비유와 알레고리 방식을 내려놓고, 최대한 평이하고 명료하게 주제를 다룬다.

INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 18

This chapter contains an answer to an objection of the Jews to the dealings of God with them in a providential way. The objection is expressed in a proverb of common use among them, and complained of as being without cause, Ezekiel 18:1; however, for the future, no occasion should be given them to use it; for, though God could justify his proceedings upon the foot of his sovereignty, all souls being his; yet he was determined none but the sinner himself should suffer, Ezekiel 18:3; and puts various cases for the illustration and vindication of his proceedings; as that a just man, who is described by his proper characters, as abstaining from several sins specified, and doing what is right and good, should surely live, Ezekiel 18:5; but that the son of such a just man, being the reverse of his father's character, should surely die, Ezekiel 18:10; and again, the son of such a wicked man, observing the heinousness of his father's sins, and abstaining from them, though his father should die in his iniquities, he should not die for them, but live, Ezekiel 18:14; by which it appears that the dealings of God with the Jews were not according to the proverb used by them, but quite agreeable to his resolution; that the sinner, be he a father or a son, shall die for his own sins; and that the righteous man's righteousness shall be upon him, and the wicked man's sin upon him, and accordingly both shall be dealt with, Ezekiel 18:19; which is further illustrated by a wicked man's turning from his sinful course, and doing righteousness, and living in that righteousness he has done; which is more agreeable to God that he should live, and not die in sin, Ezekiel 18:21; and by a righteous man turning from his righteousness, and living a vicious life, and dying in it, Ezekiel 18:24; from both which instances this conclusion follows, that God is to be justified; and that his ways are equal, and the Jews' ways were unequal, and their complaint unjust, Ezekiel 18:25; and the same instances are repeated in a different order, and the same conclusion formed, Ezekiel 18:26; upon which the Lord determines to judge them according to their own ways, their personal actions, good or bad; and exhorts them to repentance and reformation; and closes with a pathetic expostulation, with them, Ezekiel 18:30.

XVIII.

This chapter connects itself closely with the foregoing series of prophecies. The certainty of the Divine judgments had now been repeatedly and most emphatically foretold, but that this might have the effect of leading the people to true repentance, it was still necessary that the sense of sin should be brought home to them individually. The people were by no means inclined to acknowledge their own personal guilt, but were rather, like sinners of every age, disposed to look upon their sufferings as the consequence of the sins of others who had gone before. This disposition is here met by the most full and emphatic assurance that God deals with each man in view of his own acts—that no one shall be either punished or rewarded for another’s guilt or virtue, but only for his own.

The statements here made are exposed to two difficulties :—(1) that it is expressly declared in the second commandment that God does visit the sins of the fathers upon the children (Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:7; Deuteronomy 5:9), and that all history shows that this is a law of His moral government of the world; and (2) that it is by no means true that individual suffering and happiness are exactly proportioned in this world to individual character and conduct. On the contrary, from the time of Job to that of our Lord, this was one of those pernicious views of the Jews which the inspired word takes great pains to combat. How, then, are the statements of this chapter to be justified? In regard to the first difficulty, simply by remembering the two-fold relation, the individual and the federal, in which each man stands to his Maker. It is in virtue of the federal relation that, on the one hand, as children of Adam, we are all born into the world with a pre-disposition to sin; and, on the other, are all partakers of the benefits of the redemption wrought out for us by the second Adam. Under the laws of nature it must necessarily come about that the children shall suffer or enjoy in consequence of the uprightness or the sin of their fathers. Yet more important, and prevailing above this federal relation, is the attitude of each individual towards God. By this, through the reconciliation effected by the redemption of Christ, he is brought into communion with God, and becoming one with Christ, is viewed and treated as a member of the body of the only begotten Son. This does not hinder that the laws of nature shall still work out their natural effects—we still must be subject to death, because our first father sinned; but it does bring About that all these natural sufferings become transformed into higher blessings. Even death becomes to us, through Him who has overcome death, but the gateway to a new and higher life. Thus it is true that God does both visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, and at the same time does, through all, punish and reward each single person according to their own individual bearing towards Him.

These considerations have already met the second difficulty. In a sense, and to a certain extent, individual suffering is certainly the consequence of individual sin, for the violation of the laws of nature—in other words, of the will of God—must always be attended with disastrous consequences; but these consequences are often slow in their development, and may fall not upon the individual who has done the wrong, but upon some more or less remote descendant, or even upon some wholly disconnected person, as in the case of David’s suffering with his whole people for Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites. From this it results that the ills of life are by no means proportioned to the deserts of those upon whom they fall. But more important than this consideration is the fact that these ills are factors in God’s moral government of the world, having in view the development in man of the character which He approves. Hence it comes about that “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6), and leads them through earthly suffering to heavenly joy, The same events happen to the godly and the wicked. God causeth His sun to shine and His rain to fall alike upon the just and the unjust; but the effect of both dispensations depends upon the character of the person to whom they come. To him who is alienated in heart from God the sunshine becomes no blessing, while the rain of calamity and sorrow only too often results in further alienation and hardening; but on him who accepts both as the dispensations of a loving Father, they produce their intended effect, and he finds that in them, as in all else, God makes all things work together for good to them that love Him.[10] This, too, is in accordance with natural law, where the effect of any force is often dependent upon the substance on which it is exerted. The dew is drunk in by the already growing vegetation, but does not fall on the dry and thirsty gravel at its side. It was precisely this sort of discipline through which this very people were now passing. They had been chosen and blessed for the faith of Abraham, yet they were suffering for many generations of persistent neglect of and rebellion against God. (See especially Jeremiah 15:4; Lamentations 5:7; 2Kings 24:3.) All this belonged to their federal relation; but, at the same time, they stood each one individually before the Lord, to hear or to refuse His word. Such as obeyed His voice would find in these very calamities the ground and the means of repentance, and their sorrows would become transformed into the richest of all possible blessings, while those who continued obdurate would find their present calamity but the shadow of the darker approaching judgment of being utterly cast out from God’s presence. This great truth culminated for the Jews in both its parts at the Christian era, when, on the one side, our Lord represents the punishment of the sins of their whole history as coming “upon this generation” (Matthew 23:35-36); and, on the other, He then remembered His promise to their fathers, and established with those who would receive Him an everlasting covenant.

[10] See Augustine: De Civ. Dei, I. 100:8.

There was thus an important truth contained in the perverted views of the people, and it was very necessary that the still higher truths of this chapter should be impressed upon them; for only thus could the inferior and more obvious facts be correlated with the justice of God and His purposes of love towards His people.

Ch. 18 The moral freedom and responsibility of the individual man before God

This great idea is expressed in two parts:

First, Ezekiel 18:1-20. The individual man is not involved in the sins and fate of his people or of his forefathers.

Secondly, Ezekiel 18:21-32. Neither does he lie under the ban of his own previous life. His moral freedom raises him above both.

The prophet as usual attaches himself to the ideas of Jeremiah, who had prophesied that in the ideal days to come, those of the New Covenant, the perfect future that was about to dawn upon men, they should no more say, “The fathers ate sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” but every one should die for his own iniquity (ch. Jeremiah 31:29-30). The outlook of Ezekiel is also in some measure ideal, and the principles which he enunciates must be judged in this light (ch. 33). His purpose is in the main practical. He desires to lay a basis for his exhortation “Turn yourselves from all your transgressions” (Ezekiel 18:30-32). His exhortations are addressed to the individuals of the people, for he contemplates the end of the state and only individuals remain, and he has to face and settle questions that from the circumstances of the time had begun to exercise and perplex men’s minds. The strokes that had fallen one after another upon the state might be deserved, when the state was considered a moral person that had sinned all through her history (ch. 16); but the calamities that were deserved by the general mass fell with a crushing weight on many who had not been partakers in the sins that brought them down. The captives carried away under Jehoiachin were more righteous than those still left to inherit the mountains of Israel; and compared with the dark days of Manasseh even the generation subject to Zedekiah might think themselves better men. Such reflections made the people feel themselves involved as by a kind of fate in the deeds of their forefathers, a feeling which found expression in the proverb, “The fathers ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” This proverb might express various feelings as it came from different mouths. It might be uttered by some in self-exculpation, and in a satisfied, self-righteous tone; or it might be the expression of a perplexed condition of mind, which found God’s providence dark, and went so far as well nigh to arraign the divine rectitude; or finally it might express the feeling of lying under a hopeless fate inherited from the past—a feeling which crushed out individual life and paralysed all personal effort after righteousness, and delivered over the mind to an inactivity of despair (ch. Ezekiel 33:10). These difficulties could not fail themselves to suggest their own solution. They were partly due to the consciousness, which circumstances were everywhere creating, of the worth of the individual soul; and their solution lay in pursuing this idea further and giving it clearer expression.

The prophet meets the state of the people’s mind with two great principles from the mouth of the Lord: (1) “All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine.” Each soul is the Lord’s, his relation to each is direct and immediate (Ezekiel 18:4). And (2) “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth,” saith the Lord (Ezekiel 18:23; Ezekiel 18:32).

And two conclusions follow from these principles: (1) “Each soul being immediately related to God, its destiny depends on this relation—the soul that sinneth shall die;” and (2) “Wherefore, turn yourselves and live” (Ezekiel 18:32). The emancipation of the individual soul is complete.

First, Ezekiel 18:1-20. The individual soul shall not be involved in the sins and fate of its people or forefathers.

(1) Ezekiel 18:1-5. Introduction. The current proverb that the children suffer the consequences of the sins of their fathers (Ezekiel 18:1-2). Answer of Jehovah: All souls are mine. None shall answer for the sins of another—the soul that sinneth shall die (Ezekiel 18:3-5).

(2) Ezekiel 18:6-20. Developement of this principle in three instances: first, a man who is upright, doing truth and righteousness—this man shall live (Ezekiel 18:5-9). Secondly, if this righteous man beget a wicked son who doeth evil, this wicked son of a righteous father shall die (Ezekiel 18:10-13). Thirdly, but if this wicked son of a righteous father himself beget a son who, seeing the evil of his father, avoids it and acts righteously, this righteous son of an evil father shall live (Ezekiel 18:14-18). To restate the principle: the righteous shall live in his righteousness, and the wicked shall die in his own evil (Ezekiel 18:19-20).

에스겔 18:1-32는 “아버지가 신 포도를 먹었으므로 자녀의 이가 시다”는 속담을 책망한다. 하나님은 각 사람이 조상의 죄가 아니라 자기 죄와 회개 여부에 따라 다루어진다는 공의를 밝히신다.

에스겔 17장의 마지막 절은 하나님의 섭리적 경륜이 따르는 원칙, 곧 각 사람이 공정하게 다루어질 것이라는 원칙을 선언할 계기를 제공한다. 이 원칙은 자녀들이 아버지의 공로를 믿고 방심하거나 아버지의 죄책 때문에 절망하는 일을 모두 막는다. 이 장은 예레미야 31:29를 확대하며 개인적 책임의 교리를 충분히 제시한다.

And the word of the Lord came unto me again, saying. The word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum; and its being mentioned is coming from the Lord is to give it weight and authority. This is a distinct sermon or prophecy from the former, and was sent and delivered out at another time.