18:1-3
A large part of this chapter is dealing with a common saying and misconception that was going around, namely:
“The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
Jeremiah (Jer 31:29) dealt with a similar saying. So it does seem to have been fairly common at the time. The passage, at first, does address this idea, though in a somewhat laboured fashion. However, there are key elements of revelation sprinkled in the chapter as well, elements which are essential to a proper understanding of the Lord.
The key lesson is “the one who sins is the one who will die”. The passage teaches personal responsibility. It is human nature to seek someone else to blame. Indeed, this characteristic even gets institutionalised. Claiming victim status is a common approach of many pressure groups. It is not a fruitful approach. This is not to deny that individuals and groups of people get mistreated, sometimes horrendously so, and as individuals and as a society we should seek to ensure we act with justice and mercy (Mic 6:8). However, we must never make victim status a goal! In Christ we are not victims, we have been redeemed, we are adopted into God’s families, and we have a glorious future. Now, we are also promised suffering, but we must not view ourselves as victims.
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