Introduction
In this session, we examine Ezekiel 16:35-63, which details God’s declaration of severe judgment and public disgrace for her unfaithfulness. Yet, the session ends with a powerful message of grace. God promises that after the punishment, He will remember His everlasting covenant, forgive her, and restore her among those she once despised.
Objectives
By the end of this session, the learner will have:
- Reconciled God’s holiness and justice with His ultimate plan of redemption.
- Grasped the promise of God’s grace and the reality of the New Covenant.
Outline
- God’s anger over his wife’s jealousy
- Description of the sin of idolatry
- The husband’s punishment is outlined
- God’s promise of an “everlasting covenant
Group Study Time
Ezekiel 16: 35–63
Connecting
- Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
- Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
- Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
- Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.
Comprehending
- Read Ezekiel 16:35-43. What is the meaning of a man’s anger and jealousy over his unfaithful wife? What can satisfy his anger over his wife’s unfaithfulness? Describe the severe judgment God promised to bring on His wife Israel to calm His anger and jealousy. How does God’s severe judgment demonstrate His holiness and His commitment to His covenant people?
- Read Ezekiel 16:44-52. Describe the sins God’s wife Israel committed that were more than her neighboring nations, and explain why the nations appeared more righteous than Israel.
- Read Ezekiel 16:54-59. What does it reveal about God’s punishment on both Israel and her neighboring countries, and their return to God?
- Read Ezekiel 16: 60–63, where God promises an “everlasting covenant.” How does this promise point to Jesus Christ, and how does it offer reassurance for your own spiritual journey?
Committing
- Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
- List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
- Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
- Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
- Sin to confess
- Promise to claim
- Attitude to change
- Command to keep
- Error to change
- Prayer to make
- Example to copy
- Truth to obey and
- Something praiseworthy
Communicating
- Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
- Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
- Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.