The greatest desire for the Christian is to please God. A verse that every Christian should memorize is Psalm 19:14 “14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:14, NIV.
Jesus came to save us from sin. Many of us are stuck. The Psalmist said, “He lifted me up out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings. He put a new song in my heart, a song of praises to my God. Many shall hear it and fear and trust in the Lord.
But many people are stuck. Today I want to share from the book of Ezekiel why you are stuck and what you can do to get unstuck.
“1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
This proverb is clear in it’s meaning, but hard to understand for those of us who don’t know much about growing grapes or the like.
Here is my take on it. If a person eats sour grapes, what happens when the sour taste hits the taste buds? We say, “Eeeeee!” Notice that to do that your teeth go edge to edge. It is a common reaction to anything that goes into your mouth that you don’t like.
If I am correct, then this is the meaning of the parable. The father’s ate the sour grapes, but the children tasted them.
So what does this have to do with Ezekiel? Ezekiel writes from captivity. Why was Israel in captivity? The children will say, “Because of the sins of our fathers.” They ate the sour grapes, but we end up with the bad taste. They sinned, but we are the ones living in captivity. They did the crime, we are paying the time.
Notice that this proverb is about the land of Israel. Where were the people? In Iraq. In Babylon. The captivity is blamed on the parents. It was their fault that they were taken as slaves, forced from their homes and their country. And it appears that this sentiment was flowing through the exiled population. “Our parents sinned and look what it got us…”
This is why so many of us are stuck. We believe that we are where we are because of others. What is difficult is that is partially true. Others have done things that have hurt us. Others have done things that didn’t help us along.
But if our situation is the fault of others, then we cannot move on until the other people change. That is why we are so stuck!

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
God says, “You got it wrong. You need to change your thinking. This proverb is wrong and it is destructive to Israel.” When we look at where we are and blame others for our situation, we are trapped.
What we say may be true. Israel did sin. They were in captivity because of the sins of their parents. It was a bitter pill to swallow. But everyone has become a victim. The only way that a victim can change their circumstance is if the person who put them there changes. You can wait a long time for other people to change, especially if those people have died.
But there is a better way of looking at your situation.
5 “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbour’s wife or lie with a woman during her period. 7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 8 He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD.
We see a glimpse of the behavior that God wants to work in us. We are not under the law of Moses, but under the law of love. This person loves God and his neighbor. His faith is expressed in how he lives his life. He will live.
10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them): “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbour’s wife. 12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. 13 He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
Now we face the second generation. The son does everything wrong. Will the son be exempt because of how righteous his father is? No. He will be responsible for his own actions.
14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: 15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbour’s wife. 16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17 He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.
We now enter the third generation. This son is the complete opposite of his father, but just like his grandfather. He also lived. He honored the Lord by his life. He will live.
18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practised extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
The contrast is between the father and his son. The son lives and the father dies.
19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
Remember this: the soul that sins will die. This is the key to becoming unstuck. When we take responsibility for our actions, for what we do today, then we can begin to move on. We don’t have to share guilt with our parents or our children. If they do wicked, if they go against the teachings of the home, you will be credited for what you do, not what someone else does.
The Bible gives hope.
21 “But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the offences he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live
Repentance is possible. We can change. We are not bound by our past. Whatever we were yesterday, we do not have to be today. The Old Testament gives the test of righteous living. The New Testament offers even more. The New Testament offers forgiveness of sin and God’s help making the changes that are needed.
I stop and ask you, what is holding you back? If you are in misery because of your parents or your children, come to Jesus. He forgives and he will help you. If you are the wicked one, seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while you are able. It’s not too late to repent. It’s not too late to change.
I want you to see the next verse.
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
What pleases the Lord? Is God pleased to see you be as miserable as you can? Is God out to get you? Is God pleased with your death? No! God is pleased when you turn from your wicked ways and live.
24 “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
God is not pleased when someone who is walking with the Lord does the same things that wicked people do. God is not pleased when people abuse others. God in not pleased when Christians cheat or lie. God is not pleased when Christians steal or commit fornication.
If you are on the brink or if you have stepped over the edge, grab the rope that God gives you. It’s not to late to turn back now.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Why would they say that the way of the Lord is not just? Because it is easier to blame others for our problems rather than facing them ourselves. It’s easier to blame our parents, blame our coworkers, blame our church, blame our friends, blame our children than it is to say, “I was wrong.” They said, “Our fathers sinned and we are bearing the brunt of it.” God says,
Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. 27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considers all the offences he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 30 “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offences; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” Ezekiel 18:1-32, NIV.
So remember these two points. First, you may be stuck because you are blaming others and waiting for them to change. Second, you get unstuck when you decide to do what is right, to do what is pleasing to God.
Think of how freeing this is. You don’t have to wait for someone else to do what is right. You can receive Jesus now. Don’t wait for someone else to come around. You can say, “I want to be baptized now.” Don’t wait for a relative and friend to come along. You can say, “I am going to do right now.” You don’t have to wait for anyone else to be convinced.
You also don’t have to buy into the lie that everything is your fault. A person may say to you, “If you were a better mother, father, son, daughter, friend, I wouldn’t be in the trouble I am in now.” But you don’t have to buy it. They had a choice to make. They could have said no. They didn’t have to obey you, they should obey God.
So many use this logic to manipulate others. If you feel bad, they don’t have to. If you feel guilty, you will do what they want. But with God’s help you can break the cycle. Let the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart be acceptable in God’s sight, your strength and your redeemer!
Be free!