Ezekiel 22:1-5 – Consequences will always follow an offence

The sins of the past generations of God's covenant people were obvious and should have been a model for the present generation hat not to emulate. Yet the present generation did not learn from their forefathers. A clear lesson from the history of God’s people is that they had not learned from their history.

Like the past generation, the present one also invited God’s judgment. They have the previous generations to show what they should not do, yet they continued in the ways of their fathers. Ezekiel 22:1-5 pointed out the two obvious abominations they continued to emulate their fathers. In their horizontal relationship with fellowmen, they were shedding blood. In their vertical relationship with God, they were making idols.

Ezekiel was called upon first to assess their offenses and then to explain to them. They had neither shown their love for God nor their neighbors. Any sin committed against God or against men never leaves a person unaffected negatively. Consequences always follow an offense. First, there would be the guilt, then the defilement, and then the judgment. 

Here in these six verses, we see the principle of Galatians 6:7 illustrated. Paul tells us “…not to be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” We must love God and we must also love our neighbours. Jesus said the Ten Commandments boil down to two things – we must love God and we must love our neighbors.