Chapter Summary

Lamentation for princes of Israel.

Discussion Questions for Ezekiel, Chapter 19

1. What type of literature does 19:1 say that chapter is? What is a lamentation? Why do you think this literature is used?
2. What is the metaphor in 19:1-9? What do the lioness and her cubs represent? What seems to be the point of this metaphor?
3. What characterizes the young cubs? What does this say about the leaders of Israel? What is the result for both cubs? What does this say about the end result of Israel's political dealings? How do we resist the temptation to trust in political or economic power? Where does this type of thinking lead us? What is wrong with trusting in politics or money?
4. What is the metaphor of 19:10-14? What does the vine represent?
5. Do the two metaphors say the same thing? Are they speaking of the same people? Why do you say that?
6. Why does the vine metaphor includes all of the kings of Judah? What has been the overall moral and spiritual trajectory of the kings of Judah? How does this reality fit into the recurring theme of Israel's trust in political leaders?
7. What happened to the vine? What does this represent? What does it mean when it says that now the vine "is planted in the wilderness (ESV)?"
8. Do you think that the reference to the wilderness is meant to remind us of the wilderness wandering in the book of Numbers? What might the connections be?
9. What is meant by the phrase "there remains no strong stem (ESV)?" If this is a statement about the kings of Judah, how is there any hope for a future kingdom?
10. How does the failure of Old Testament kings point us to a future king? The New Testament describes Jesus as a Lion and Vine. Is it possible to see Jesus as the fulfilment of what Israel and its leaders should have been?

Key Words/Phrase

Lamentation, vv. 1, 14.

Characters

God, Ezekiel.

Strong Verse(s)