Chapter Summary

Ezekiel's commission, continued. Again filled with the Spirit. His dumbness.

Discussion Questions for Ezekiel, Chapter 3

1. What did Ezekiel do with the scroll? What does this teach us about how we should respond to God's word? How did this separate Ezekiel from his contemporaries? What are some ways in which obeying God's word will separate us from the world?
2. What does the sweetness of the scroll teach us about obedience to God? What are some examples of when you received an unexpected blessing after obeying God in something difficult?
3. Why does God say to Ezekiel that his head would be as hard as Israel's head? What does this tell us about the Lord's equipping work in us?
4. Note again the presence of the Spirit in 3:12-14. What role does the Spirit play in our lives and ministries? How can we better understand the Spirit's work? How can we become more open to the Spirit's work?
5. The living creatures are mentioned again in 3:13. What does the recurrence of this phrase mean for the interpretation of Ezekiel 1-3? How should we treat repetition across sentences, paragraphs, and chapters? What are some interpretive principles that are key for our understanding of the Bible? What tools and principles help us to understand the Bible more clearly?
6. Look at the phrases "bitterness in the heat of my spirit (ESV)" and "I sat there overwhelmed among them for seven days (ESV)" in 3:14-15. What doe these phrases mean? How might these phrases help us understand how Ezekiel feels about delivering God's message to the rebellious people? Give some examples of when you have been overwhelmed by the sinfulness of the world around you? Give examples of then you have become angry over the circumstances of the world? Explain how we can know when it is good or bad to be angry. Give some examples of righteous and unrighteous anger.
7. In 3:16-21, Ezekiel is called a watchman. What is the meaning of this title? Why is it significant in this context? How does the church function as a watchman today?
8. What is the consequence of a watchman not giving warning? How does this relate to our evangelism today? How does this relate to our accountability? How does this relate to discipleship?
9. In 3:25-27, Ezekiel is told that he will be "bound" and "mute (ESV)." What is the purpose of this? How might this be a representation of his ministry? How is God's message and the church's ministry bound and silenced today?
10. The chapter ends with the sentence, "he who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house (ESV)."What does this say about the reception of the word of God? How does a person have ears to hear? What happens to those who refuse to hear? Can you think of other passages that explain that sentence? How does Jesus use a similar expression in the Gospels?

Key Words/Phrase

Watchman, v. 17.

Characters

God, Ezekiel.

Strong Verse(s)

8, 9, 18, 19, 27.