791_So_Turn and Live (Ezekiel 17-19)
Ezekiel 18:30-32 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Imagine a person driving down a familiar road and suddenly realizing that he has been going in the wrong direction for several kilometres. At first, he may be tempted to continue, thinking, “I have already come this far.” But the sensible thing to do is not to keep going simply because he has already invested time and effort. He turns around. He changes direction. He goes back toward the right road.
That simple act of turning captures something very important about our relationship with God. There are times when we realize that our choices, attitudes, priorities, or relationships are taking us in the wrong direction. At such moments, God does not merely say, “You have gone too far.” He calls us to turn. And one of the most gracious invitations in the book of Ezekiel is found in the middle of chapters 17 to 19: “Turn, and live.”
As we come to Ezekiel 17, we encounter a strange story about two eagles and a vine. It is a riddle, but behind the symbolism was a very real political situation. The first eagle represented Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The vine represented Judah, particularly its king, Zedekiah. The second eagle represented Egypt, to whom Zedekiah turned for help. God was confronting Judah’s foolish decision to abandon its covenant with Babylon and seek security in another power.
What makes this particularly serious is that Zedekiah had given his word. He had entered into a covenant and oath, but later broke it. Ezekiel 17:18 says, “He despised the oath in breaking the covenant.” And then God says something even more sobering: “He has despised my oath and broken my covenant.”
The issue was not merely political strategy. Zedekiah’s broken promise had become an offense against God Himself. This reminds us that faithfulness matters deeply to God. Our promises and commitments are not insignificant in His sight.
And how easily we can be tempted to follow Zedekiah’s example. We make a commitment, but when circumstances become difficult, another option appears attractive. We become tired of being faithful. We begin to wonder whether obedience is really worth the cost. Another relationship seems more satisfying. Another opportunity seems more profitable. A compromise seems easier. Something that God has forbidden begins to look like a solution to our problem.
But the question we need to ask is not simply, “Is this attractive?” The deeper question is, “Is this faithful?”
Egypt looked like an attractive alternative to Zedekiah. But what looked like a solution became the road to destruction. Faithfulness in difficult circumstances would have been far safer than pursuing an attractive but unfaithful alternative.
Then, as we come to Ezekiel 18, the focus moves from a king’s decision to the responsibility of every individual. The people were repeating a proverb: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” In other words, they were saying, “Our suffering is because of what our fathers did. We are victims of their sins.”
But God challenged this thinking. Ezekiel repeatedly emphasizes that each person stands individually before God. A righteous father does not automatically make a rebellious son righteous, and the wickedness of a father does not make a repentant son guilty.
This does not mean that our families, upbringing, culture, or past have no influence on us. They certainly do. The sins of previous generations can leave painful consequences. But God does not allow our circumstances to become an excuse for our present choices.
Your past may explain some things about you, but it does not have to determine how you respond to God today.
And there is something deeply hopeful about this truth. If our lives were completely determined by our past, there would be no hope of change. But God says that we can turn.
Ezekiel 18:21 says, “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.”
Notice the word “turns.” God does not say that the wicked person must somehow undo his entire past before he can come back to God. He calls him to turn from his present direction.
And the opposite is also true. A person cannot presume upon yesterday’s obedience while deliberately walking in today’s rebellion. Past righteousness does not give us permission to stop following God.
Therefore, Ezekiel’s message is intensely personal. We cannot continually blame our family, our circumstances, our upbringing, other people, or even our past failures for the choices we are making today. At some point we must stand honestly before God and ask, “Which direction am I travelling?”
Then comes the beautiful invitation in Ezekiel 18:30: “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.” And God continues, “Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?”
And finally comes the statement that brings these chapters together: “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
What a remarkable revelation of God’s heart. The warning of judgment is not evidence that God delights in destroying sinners. Quite the opposite. God calls people to turn because He desires them to live.
Then, as we move into Ezekiel 19, we encounter a lamentation over the princes of Israel. The imagery is painful. The kings who were entrusted with authority had become destructive. Their leadership had consequences, and now there was genuine reason to lament what had happened to them and to the nation.
Here we see another important truth. Our choices do not always affect only ourselves.
Zedekiah’s rebellion affected a nation. The failures of Israel’s kings affected the people they were supposed to lead. Leadership carries responsibility because influence carries consequences.
That should cause all of us to pause. We may not sit on a throne, but someone is watching our lives. Our children watch us. Our families watch us. Younger believers watch us. People around us notice how we respond when obedience becomes difficult.
Our faithfulness can strengthen others. Our compromise can become someone else’s stumbling block.
And so these three chapters bring us to a searching progression. Ezekiel 17 asks us to examine what we are trusting. Ezekiel 18 asks us to examine the choices we are making. Ezekiel 19 asks us to consider where those choices are leading and how our lives affect others.
But through all three chapters, God continues to call: “Turn, and live.”
Perhaps there is something in your life today that God is asking you to turn from. Perhaps it is an attitude you have justified for a long time. Perhaps it is a compromise that began as something small. Perhaps you have been blaming circumstances or other people instead of taking responsibility for your own response to God. Perhaps you know that you have been moving in the wrong direction, but you have continued because turning back seems difficult.
Remember this: repentance is not merely turning away from something; it is turning toward Someone.
The prophet Joel says, “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” And the apostle John reminds us that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So today, do not merely ask, “What should I stop doing?” Ask, “How can I turn back toward God?”
Turn from unfaithfulness to faithfulness. Turn from excuses to personal responsibility. Turn from self-reliance to trust in God. Turn from the attractive alternatives that draw your heart away from Him. Turn from the path that leads to death and return to the God who gives life.
And perhaps that is the most encouraging truth in these difficult chapters of Ezekiel: God does not simply expose the wrong road. He calls us back from it.
“Turn, and live.”
If the Holy Spirit is showing you something today, do not postpone your response. You do not need to wait for a better day, a better circumstance, or a better version of yourself. Begin turning today. Bring your failure honestly before God. Renounce the excuse. Renew your commitment to faithfulness. Take the next obedient step.
And remember the heart of God behind the command: “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone.” His invitation is life.
May we therefore not merely hear God’s call, but respond to it. May we continually turn from whatever takes us away from Him and turn our hearts toward Him. And as we do, may we discover again the truth of His gracious invitation: “Turn, and live.” God bless
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions
What are some attractive alternatives or compromises that can tempt a believer to abandon faithfulness to God when obedience becomes difficult?
Why is it important to take personal responsibility for our present choices rather than allowing our past, family, or circumstances to become excuses for disobedience?
How can you practically “turn and live” when God reveals that some attitude, choice, relationship, or direction in your life is taking you away from Him?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, we thank You for speaking to us through Your Word. Enlighten our hearts to understand the truths You have taught us today. Show us the areas where we have gone in the wrong direction, and give us the humility to turn back to You. Give us strength to believe Your Word, to trust Your ways even when obedience is difficult, and to put what we have learned into practice. Help us to remain faithful to You and to be a godly influence on those around us. Thank You that You do not delight in our destruction, but call us to turn and live. Help us respond to Your gracious invitation today. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.