SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF A RIGHTEOUS COVENANT FOLLOWER
- practices justice (lit. "what is lawful," BDB 1048), Ezek. 18:5
- practices righteousness (lit. "what is right," BDB 842), Ezek. 18:5
- does not eat at the mountain shrines, cf. Ezek. 18:15; 22:9; (this refers to local Ba'al worship,
cf. Ezek. 6:13), Ezek. 18:6
- does not lift up his eyes to the idols, Ezek. 18:6, cf. Ezek. 18:12,15; 20:24; 33:25; Deut. 4:19
(this denotes looking to them for favors and answers to prayers)
- does not defile his neighbor's wife, Ezek. 18:6, cf. Ezek. 18:15; 22:11; 33:26; Exod. 20:14; Lev.
18:20; 20:10; Deut. 5:18
- does not have sex with a woman during her menstrual period, Ezek. 18:6, cf. Ezek. 22:10; Lev.
15:19,20,24,25
- does not oppress anyone, Ezek. 18:7, cf. Ezek. 18:12,16; 22:7,29; Exod. 20:21; Lev. 19:33;
25:14,17; Deut. 23:16
- restores to the debtor his pledge, Ezek. 18:7, cf. Deut. 24:13 (#7 and #8 go together)
- does not commit robbery, Ezek. 18:7, cf. Lev. 19:13 (e.g. the rich exploiting the poor, Isa. 3:14;
10:2; Micah 2:2)
- gives his bread to the hungry, Ezek. 18:7, cf. Ezek. 18:16; Deut. 15:11
- covers the naked with clothing, Ezek. 18:7, cf. Isa. 58:7; Matt. 25:35; Luke 3:11
- does not lend money on interest, Ezek. 18:8, cf. Exod. 22:25; Deut. 23:19-20 (next phrase "or
take increase" is parallel to Lev. 25:36)
- keeps his hand from iniquity, Ezek. 18:8
- executes true justice between man and man, Ezek. 18:8, cf. Zech. 7:9; 8:16
- walks in My statutes, Ezek. 18:9
(see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY)
- so as to deal faithfully, Ezek. 18:9
Notice some of these are prohibitions and some are mandated actions; some deal
with ceremonial issues, others with sins against a covenant brother. They reflect the
Mosaic Covenant.
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