The Ezekiel Texts
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked
should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways,
and live? (Ezek. 18:23).
This
verse, together with its parallel in Ezekiel 33:11, is appealed to by the RWC
in both its article and response in support of the free offer of the gospel.
Appeal to these passages was also made by Rev. Stewart in his correspondence
with me. These two passages also figure largely in Murray and Stonehouse’s
defence of the free offer and have become the stock in trade of all those who
teach the free offer. The idea of these passages, according to such men, is
that God expresses a sincere desire for the salvation of all men, including the
reprobate wicked. In rejecting this understanding of the passages as Arminian,
I here explain them in their context.
The
theme of this chapter is the justice of God in his dealings with Israel.
Evidently the people of Israel who were in captivity, together with those who
remained in the land of Israel, were bringing an accusation against God. This
is evident in their use of a certain proverb that taught that God punishes the
children for the sins of the fathers (Ezek. 18:2). God rejects that proverb and
makes clear that every man will answer for his own sins (v. 4b). The following
verses make clear that God will deal with every man according to his works: if
a man is just and does what is right (v. 5) “he shall surely live” (v. 9); if a
man is wicked and “hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die” (v. 13).
In strict justice God will render to every man as his works shall be.
Consequently,
there is no contradiction between this passage and Exodus 20:5, which states
that God “visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate [him].” Obviously having this verse in
mind when they charged Jehovah with injustice, they nevertheless misunderstood
it. Exodus 20:5 does not say that God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children in succeeding generations; it says God visits the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children in the generations that hate him. Clearly, when the
generations following do not hate Jehovah but do what is right in his sight,
according to Ezekiel, they will not be punished for the sins of the fathers
(Ezek. 18:19). No one may blame his wicked ways on the sins of his father. The matter
is succinctly stated in verse 20, which is axiomatic in its nature.
Having
established the principle of the equitable nature of God’s dealings with men,
He now proceeds to exhort sinners to repentance: “But if the wicked will turn
from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that
which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Ezek.
18:21). This exhortation also includes the promise of salvation to those who repent:
“he shall surely live, he shall not die.” This exhortation to repentance is
repeated in verses 30-32.
The
equitable nature of God’s dealings with men is also revealed in God’s
exhortation to repentance. God calls all the house of Israel to repent of their
sins. Those who repent, who turn from their sins and do what God commands,
shall live. Those who continue impenitent, who refuse to turn from their sins,
will die. God promises life and salvation to the penitent; at the same time,
God promises death and ruin to the impenitent. As we read in Proverbs 28:13,
“Whoso confesseth and forsaketh [his sins] shall have mercy.”
That
God promises life and salvation to those who repent of their sins is just on
God’s part, thus reflecting the justice of His dealings with men. That God
promises death and ruin to those who refuse to repent of their sins is also
just on God’s part. This is so because God has clearly revealed what pleases Him,
namely, repentance; and God has clearly revealed what displeases Him, namely, impenitence.
This is the meaning of God’s words in Ezekiel 18:23: “Have I any pleasure at
all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should
return from his ways, and live?” God is pleased that men repent of their sins;
God expresses approval of repentance and disapproval of impenitence. God
expresses approval with repentance because it is in accordance with His
revealed will. On the contrary, God has “no pleasure in the death of him that
dieth” (v. 32) simply because He cannot approve of the sinful impenitence of
the wicked. Such impenitence is contrary to the revealed will of God and
severely displeases God.
The
conclusion of the matter is given in verse 30, which begins with the word
“therefore,” indicating a conclusion. God will judge them according to their
ways. Those who repent and turn themselves will not be ruined; those who
continue impenitent will find that iniquity will be their ruin. This is all according
to the justice of God.
The
Ezekiel passages must be understood in their context. Even the most ardent
disciples of free offer theology ought to be able to see that it is God’s precept
or command that explains these passages. To make these passages teach a desire
of God to save all, elect and reprobate alike, to whom the gospel comes does
not fit the context. The passages are not so much a revelation of God’s will of
decree as of His rule for our actions. We are dealing here with God’s precept
or, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism
puts it, “that duty which God requires of man” (Q. & A. 3). If the passages
taught a well-meant offer of salvation to all men, then it would follow that
the promise of mercy would be to all men. But try as they may, the proponents
of the well-meant offer will never be able to get a general promise of
salvation out of these texts. That the promise of mercy is particular in
Ezekiel 18 ought to be clear to anyone with eyes to see it: “But if the wicked
will turn from all his sins that he
hath committed, and keep all my statutes, he
shall surely live, he shall not die”
(18:21). The passages make a clear distinction between the wicked that turn and
the wicked that do not turn. The gracious promise is only for those who turn.
The
RWC makes the same fatal error with respect to these texts as do all supporters
of the free offer. They reason from an imperative to an indicative: from God’s
precept—“turn”—they conclude that it is God’s desire or purpose that
all turn and be saved. Their reasoning is fallacious. From the precept or
command of God we learn the rule of our duty; we may not infer from the precept
what is the mind of God with respect to individual sinners.
To
view these texts as expressing a desire
of God to save all who hear the gospel is a fundamental misunderstanding of the
will of God. The doctrine of the simplicity of God is essential to Reformed orthodoxy.
As God is one and undivided, so is His will. Although we distinguish between
God’s decretive will and His preceptive or revealed will, we may not accord
these wills equal ultimacy.
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