Ezekiel 47:1-12
ICE BREAKER
Life is sustained by water. We tend not to think much about this but it is a truth that surrounds us daily. Share a story of a time when you were without water and getting some water became your primary focus. Or, share a story about something in your care that died due to a lack of water–flowers, plants, etc..
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- In John 4:10 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that she can have “living water”. Jesus calls Himself the river.
In Revelation 22 we read that there is a “…river of life, crystal bright”. This river flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the street.New water has poured into us. In Christ we now have a new heart of flesh.
We can be a river of life. But, we can still have parts of our heart that are like rock. Where are the hard areas of my heart? To whom have I turned my heart like stone against?
What would it be like for it to be filled with living water?
Specifically, what would you do differently and how would you think differently about this person(note: we are not saying that the harm caused by this person is to be ignored. In fact, your heart may be in need of much healing in the presence of Christ and/or with a spiritual director. In other words forgiveness is not the only step your heart needs to take.)?
Please share with the group. To be known in the body of Christ opens the door for God’s Spirit to both humble us and to heal us.
- In Ezekiel 11:17-19 God offers hope: “…I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you….I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”
This phrase is the heart of the message of Ezekiel.
This is what God wants for us. Pretend this is the first time you have ever heard this!
Pause and reflect on this miracle that Christ has given you a new heart. You could not give yourself a new heart; He did if for you. Now reflect together as a group on the ways God has tenderized your heart toward Him and toward people.
The Chosen series portraying the life of Christ describes our transformation this way, “I was one way and now I am completely different and the thing that happened in between was HIM.” Worship Him together for this miracle–we get to participate with Him in loving people with our new heart.
NOTES AND QUOTES
The book of Ezekiel is predicting the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah into the hands of the Babylonians.
In the book of Ezekiel we see that Ezekiel has multiple visions.
His first vision is in chapter 1.
We get a taste of the glory of God in this vision. The vision is complex and the visual image is stunning as well as confusing.
In the midst of this vision Ezekiel receives his calling and he is asked to eat a scroll that is sweet as honey.
In the book of Revelation John is also given a scroll to eat.
What is the scroll? Although there is some debate among theologians there is reason to believe the scroll represents the law of God. The law leads us to life, therefore the scroll is referred to as sweet as honey.
Eating it means it is becoming you. The law is to become Ezekiels’ heart and his very life.
Ezekiel has what we call “street dramas”:
-Bound silent in his house
-Brick of Jerusalem.
-”Lay in punishment”: lay on his left side for 390 days (symbolizes the punishment of the northern kingdom), lay on his right side for 40 days(symbolizes the punishment of the southern kingdom).
-Food cooked over dung–this represents the time when Babylon destroys you, you will barely have any food.
-Sword and hair
-Prophesy to the mountains.
In Ezekiel 10 we have his second vision. This is a clear sign that the judgment from Babylon is upon them.
God’s judgment is always His attempt to bring us back and we see this clearly in chapter 11:17-19 as God offers hope:
“…I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you….I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”
This phrase is the heart of the message of Ezekiel. This is what God wants for us.
When we are apart from Him our heart is like a rock. No matter how good of a person you are, if you are separated from Christ your heart is like a rock.
More dramas:
-Baggage. He digs a hole by the city wall for his belongings.
-Eating with shaking–because when God’s judgment comes on Babylon you will be shaking
-False prophets and elders condemned.
God gives Ezekiel some pretty dark news. He tells him that He will take “…the delight of his eyes away from him…”
God tells him not to mourn the death of his wife publicly. This is so dark: his wife is the delight of his eyes. Who is the delight of your eyes? What if God told you He would take the delight of your eyes?
God’s message to Israel is this: your delight has been the temple. This is where I have met with you. But, you have no heart for Me anymore so I will take the temple from you.
Ezekiel obeys God without pushback.
Chapter 33 God calls him a watchman.
God has given us as fathers a message. Will we deliver it to those entrusted to us? We are all called to be watchmen.
Next vision is in chapter 43. God sat him down in a valley that was full of bones. “Can these bones live?” God takes us from death to life; He does not merely make us nicer people.
In chapter 47 God gives them land again and He extends His protection over them. He gives them a vision of life. “…everything will live where the river goes…”.
The Dead Sea has no fish. Nothing can grow here.
In Ezekiels’ vision the water that flows from the temple brings life. Trees begin to grow on banks of the Dead Sea and fish begin to live in the sea. There is flourishing.
Wherever the river flows there is life. This is key to knowing what it means to have Him give us a heart of flesh–a heart full from the river. Everywhere the river goes there is life.
John 4:10 Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that she can have “living water”. Jesus calls Himself the river.
See also Revelation 22 where we read that there is a river of life, crystal bright. The river flows: “… from the throne of God and of the lamb down the middle of the street”.
