Ezekiel 18:25, commentary and pictures

The complaint that God's way is unfair is answered by the declaration that His way is fair and just while human ways are unfair and unjust. He judges every person according to conduct and will reward each according to works. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, but calls sinners to turn from transgression and live, and He cannot pardon while they refuse to repent, so the wicked who turn to do right shall live while the righteous who turn to wrongdoing shall die in that sin. His fair and impartial way requires the same fairness among people, with no selfish injustice, no easing of some while others stagger under crushing loads, and no withholding of fair pay for labor and burden borne. Its perfect justice will be proved in the day of final settlement, when every mouth is stopped, for the Good Shepherd has searched out those in crooked paths again and again so that those who reject Him condemn themselves.

God's Just and Merciful Way

The verse records Israel's complaint that the way of the Lord is not equal, and gives God's answer, Hear now, O house of Israel, that His own way is equal and just while their ways are unequal and unjust. To accuse God of unequal justice, to doubt whether He will save, and to complain of His severity is false and reflects wrongly upon His character, so He throws the imputation back upon the sinner whose own ways are unequal. He judges every one of the house of Israel according to conduct and according to ways, seeing unjust acts and decisions and oppression of others, and each will be rewarded according to works and successful labor.

He has no pleasure at all that the wicked should die and no pleasure in the death of him that dies or of anyone who dies, but desires that the wicked return from ways and live, calling all to repent and turn from all transgressions so iniquity shall not be ruin, to cast away all transgressions, receive a new heart and a new spirit, and turn and live. He cannot pardon transgressions while the sinner refuses to repent and turn from sins, but He will receive the sinner when he repents and forsakes sins. The wicked who turns from evil and does what is lawful and right shall surely live and not die, while the righteous who turns to wrongdoing is answerable for that sin and dies in it, so former righteousness does not excuse later wrongdoing and former wickedness does not prevent life after sincere repentance. The human part is to wash, be made clean, put away evil, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow, restore the pledge, give again what was robbed, and walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity.

His promises are not uncertain but are sure in Christ to all who comply with the conditions, for His whole purpose in giving His Son for the sins of the world is that man may be saved not in transgression and unrighteousness but in forsaking sin and hating it, washing robes of character white in the blood of the Lamb and accepting the righteousness of Christ by faith, with the divine cooperating with human effort in seeking perfection of character. His equality and justice will be proved in the day of final settlement when sentence is pronounced against those found wanting and every mouth will be stopped, for He is acquainted with every one by name and there is an unseen witness to every action of life with full knowledge of what opportunities were slighted. That equal justice is shown by the untiring efforts of the Good Shepherd to search out those wandering in crooked ways and bring them back to safety and peace, calling again and again after pleasure-lovers and flashing the light of His word across their path that they might see peril and escape, so those who go on jesting and joking down the broad road until probation is ended condemn themselves and leave no ground to call His way unequal. The chapter requires His servants to speak just the same whether men will hear or forbear, doing faithful work at all times and in all places even when disapproved by the very ones He would help, instruct, strengthen, bless, refine, and ennoble, bringing messages of reproof and warning to the people of God, to mothers, to fathers, and to the children of Israel, in a very great work needing every jot and tittle of capability and tact and ingenuity, that they may not move blindly, with blessing to those who hear and take heed with patience and a generous teachable spirit.

Equality in Human Dealings

God's equal way means He is impartial, reading everyone's motives, and He does not require one person to sacrifice everything while another makes no sacrifice. The Lord does not arrange matters so that many are eased while His chosen workers stagger under an almost unbearable load, for such hardship comes from human planning without God, not from the Lord's ordering. Thinking His way unequal because one minister bore heavy burdens while other ministers excused themselves from sharing them comes from dwelling on past neglect, and the remedy is to stop fretting and leave the case in God's hands. Those other ministers will be rewarded according to their works, with reward matching successful labor, and neglecting God's counsel brings loss and endangers eternal interests.

True righteousness contains no selfishness and takes no part in even the least injustice, so workers must receive fair compensation in proportion to the time, labor, burdens, strength, and responsibility they give. Withholding fair pay from a woman who carries the burdens of the school is injustice that the Lord will not support. In business dealings, claiming fairness while selfishly taking large wages and oppressing others is unjust conduct that the Lord will not sanction.

His impartial, equal, unselfish way condemns selfish planning and managing that keeps abundance in one place while the Southern field remains destitute. It does not please Him to send many laborers into the most destitute part of His vineyard and then tie their hands by neglecting to furnish facilities and necessary means for any real work of uplifting. It violates His equal way to supply Battle Creek with every facility and spend thousands of dollars to make things a little more convenient, while fearing that another of His instrumentalities will receive a few crumbs from His table. Applied to the unfairly limited encouragement given to the work in the Southern field, the verse requires heeding the light already given, investigating the field, and planning without delay. Those responsible must not rely on prejudiced opinions or remain content with little knowledge gained from more favorable fields, but must supply the long-neglected field with food out of abundance.