Ezekiel 33:17-22: a reflection

17“‘Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair;” but as for them, their way is not fair. 18When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will even die therein. 19When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he will live by it. 20Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways.’” 21In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city has been defeated!” 22Now the LORD’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

When the people complain that the way of the Lord is not fair, God answers by pointing to the openness of repentance and the reality that our present course, not only our past, determines where we stand. When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he will live by it. No one is bound forever by his past wickedness; the one who turns from it to God will live. The door of repentance is always open; God judges by where we are turning now, not only by where we have been. The wicked who turns is not doomed by his past, but will live.

Notice the hope in God's word: the wicked who turns from his wickedness will live. God does not bind people forever to their past; the one who has done wickedly, but turns from it to do what is right, will live by that turning. The past does not have the final word; the door of repentance is open, and the one who turns to God will find life. This is not unfairness but mercy: that God judges by our present turning, giving the one who turns from wickedness a way to live, not holding his past against him. No one is beyond return; the wicked who turns to God is met not with condemnation but with life.

That is worth taking to heart, for no one is beyond return, and the one who turns from sin to God will live. We can feel bound by our past, doomed by the wickedness we have done, as though there were no way back; but God says the wicked who turns from his wickedness will live. The door of repentance is open; the past does not have the final word. The one who turns to God, whatever his past, will find life, not condemnation. Do not think yourself, or anyone, beyond return because of past sin; the one who turns from wickedness to God will live, for the door of repentance is always open. Turn from your sin to God, and take hope that no one is beyond return, for the one who turns from his wickedness will live, as God declared to those who thought his way unfair; for God judges by our present turning, not only our past, and the door of repentance stands open, so that whoever turns from sin to God will find life.

Lord, when the people complain that the way of the Lord is not fair, you answer by pointing to the openness of repentance and the reality that our present course, not only our past, determines where we stand. When the wicked turns from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he will live by it. No one is bound forever by his past wickedness; the one who turns from it to you will live. The door of repentance is always open; you judge by where we are turning now, not only by where we have been. Show me the hope in your word: the wicked who turns from his wickedness will live. You do not bind people forever to their past; the one who has done wickedly, but turns from it to do what is right, will live by that turning. The past does not have the final word; the door of repentance is open. This is not unfairness but mercy: that you judge by our present turning, giving the one who turns from wickedness a way to live. No one is beyond return. Take that to my heart, for no one is beyond return, and the one who turns from sin to you will live. I can feel bound by my past, doomed by the wickedness I have done, as though there were no way back; but you say the wicked who turns from his wickedness will live. The door of repentance is open; the past does not have the final word. Keep me from thinking myself, or anyone, beyond return because of past sin; the one who turns from wickedness to you will live, Lord. Help me turn from my sin to you, and take hope that no one is beyond return, for the door of repentance stands open.