How does Ezekiel 32:28 connect with Romans 6:23 about sin's wages? Setting the Scene in Ezekiel • Ezekiel 32 is God’s verdict against Pharaoh and Egypt, pictured as a great monster dragged down to death. • Verse 28 declares: “But you too will be shattered and lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.” • “Uncircumcised” signals separation from God’s covenant people; “shattered” and “slain by the sword” describe literal, violent death and the shame of being cast into the grave with godless nations. Defining the Core Principle in Romans • Romans 6:23 states: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” • “Wages” pictures an earned paycheck. Sin faithfully pays out—always in death. • Paul contrasts that earned outcome with God’s unearned gift: eternal life through Christ. Tracing the Thread of Divine Justice • Both texts present death as the inevitable return for rebellion: – Ezekiel 18:4: “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” – Genesis 2:17: eating the forbidden tree brings certain death. • Pharaoh’s downfall (Ezekiel 32:28) illustrates the rule Paul explains (Romans 6:23). Egypt’s pride didn’t cancel the rule; it showcased it. • The Old Testament scene gives history’s proof; the New Testament verse gives the theological principle. Parallels That Tie the Verses Together • Same consequence: – Ezekiel: “shattered… lie among the uncircumcised” → physical death, dishonor. – Romans: “death” → physical and spiritual separation from God. • Same cause: sin expressed by defiance of God’s rule—Pharaoh’s arrogance and every sinner’s rebellion alike. • Same certainty: the language in both passages is absolute, not hypothetical. There is no exemption outside God’s provision. Why the Link Matters for Us • History and doctrine converge: Pharaoh’s graveyard fate warns every generation that God’s moral order is fixed. • The epistle supplies the rescue Pharaoh never sought: Christ pays the debt so we don’t have to receive sin’s wages. • Each person faces the same two options: – Accept sin’s earned paycheck—death now and forever. – Receive God’s gift—eternal life through Jesus. Living in Light of the Connection • Take sin seriously; God does. Pharaoh’s power could not exempt him, and neither can ours. • Treat the gospel as the one escape route from the universal rule Ezekiel and Paul describe. • Let gratitude drive obedience: because Christ has absorbed the sword and shattered grave for us (Isaiah 53:5; Hebrews 2:14-15), we live in newness of life (Romans 6:4). |
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