Ezekiel 18:4

"“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel."

Key Reflection

This verse challenges the common Israelite practice of attributing one's righteousness to their ancestors rather than individual faith and actions. By declaring, "As I live," God asserts the sovereignty of His own judgment over human traditions, emphasizing that each person’s fate is determined by their own deeds.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

All souls are mine -Man is not simply to ascribe his existence to earthly parents, but to acknowledge as his Father Him who created man in His own image, and who gave and gives him the spirit of life. The relation of father to son is merged in the common relation of all (father and son alike) as sons to their heavenly Father.

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