In Ezekiel 18, the prophet addresses a cliché, a proverb, that the Judean captives are using to describe their condition: “the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”

The Lord expresses shock that anyone would think that He would punish one generation for the sins of another generation. In His response He gives two reasons why this proverb is wrong. Both of the reasons are important and timeless. We need to understand these today.