Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus
ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and
we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye,
turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The
righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of
his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not
fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither
shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day
that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall
surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness and commit
iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered: but for
his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again,
when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from
his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked
restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the
statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live,
he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be
mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he
shall surely live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of
the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When
the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth
iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his
wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live
thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of
Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways (verses 10-20).
The exiles knew that the just wrath of God rested upon them as a nation
and that their sins were unforgiven. Therefore they asked "If our
transgressions and sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should
we then live?" They also accused the Lord of inconsistency by saying
"the way of the Lord is not equal" (verse 20; see also xviii:25, 29).
The answer Jehovah sends them makes known the principles on which He
will deal with them individually as a just God. "O ye house of Israel, I
will judge you every one after his ways." Judgment rested upon them as a
nation but the individual still could turn to the Lord in repentance.
What a wonderful declaration it is which is recorded in verse eleven!
"Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live;
turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of
Israel?" What compassion and mercy! As it was a day of judgment which
had come upon them, true repentance was the needed thing. A past
righteousness could not shield them from the judgment if sin had been
committed. "As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall
thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness." The wicked
confessing and forsaking his sin would find mercy and forgiveness, while
those who were impenitent would surely die and not live. "None of his
sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him; he hath done
that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live." And this gracious
promise was given in anticipation of the work of the cross, the
redemption by the blood of Christ, by which God's righteousness is
declared in passing thus over sins of Old Testament believers who turned
to God (Rom. iii:25). The principles of Divine justice are summed up in
verses 18 and 19: "When the righteous turneth from his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked
turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he
shall live thereby." Needless to say all this must be viewed as under
the law-covenant. But their complaint that the way of the Lord is not
equal was wrong; it was their way which was not equal. They were to be
judged each according to what they had done.