Ezekiel Chapter 12 Summary
Vision of the prophet as a sign. Full captivity near at hand.
Discussion Questions for Ezekiel, Chapter 12
- How is Israel's rebellion described in 12:1? What makes this rebellious? How does this compare to how Jesus spoke of Israel in his day? What would this look like today?
- What is the meaning of the prophetic symbol of the exile's baggage? How do you think the people of Israel would view this prophetic symbol? How does this passage help us apply the New Testament concept of living as exiles?
- Why is the expression "in their sight (ESV)" used six times in the first seven verses? How does it relate to 12:1? Why would God stress that this be done in their sight when they do not see?
- Who is the object of the message in 12:8-16? Based on the context of the passage, what do you think was the attitude of the leaders of Israel and the people who remained in the land? What would happen to them? What does this tell us about the effectiveness of putting trust in political leadership or human plans?
- How does the command to eat bread and drink water with anxiety contrast with most biblical commands on anxiety? Why is this different?
- The prophecy in 12:19 is that the land would be stripped of its inhabitants. Do you think that as long as Israel had a significant population in the land, they had confidence that they would escape judgment? Why do you think this? What things do we pridefully trust in as a church today? What about you as an individual?
- What does the proverb of 12:22 mean? How do you think it describes the attitude of Israel toward God and His prophets?
- What is the new proverb that God gives them? How is it a response to false prophets? What do you think was the message of the false prophets?
- How do we evaluate what is true or false prophecy? How should we react today if someone says that they have a prophetic word for us?
- How should we respond to someone who says that we should not trust God because certain prophecies have not come true yet? What passages might be helpful in dealing with this situation? What elements of God's character might be helpful to point to in this situation?
Key Words/Phrase
Captivity (vv. 7, 11) at hand (v. 23).
Characters
God, Ezekiel.
Strong Verse(s)
25(a).
