Lesson 140:
Ezekiel 4–32
Introduction
Jesus Christ commanded Ezekiel to teach the Jews in
captivity by using examples that symbolized God’s judgment of the city of
Jerusalem. Through Ezekiel, the Lord reproved the wayward Israelites and
pleaded with them to repent of their wicked ways. Ezekiel also spoke against
the wickedness of nations surrounding Israel and prophesied of their
destruction.
I. Ezekiel 4–17, 19–24
Ezekiel prophesies of the
destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering and gathering of Israel
---Discussion: Think of someone you
have a good relationship with.
---What has helped make that relationship
strong?
---Is it possible to have a strong
relationship with someone you do not know well? Why or why not?
---Consider
what your relationships with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are currently
like. As we study Ezekiel 4–24 look for how Jesus Christ helps
us strengthen our relationships with Him.
---The Lord
showed Ezekiel in a vision how the children of Israel had separated themselves
from Him through their idolatry and wickedness. Ezekiel prophesied about what
would happen to Israel in the future.
---Finish
filling out the following chart.
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Scripture
reference
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What would
happen to the Israelites?
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What would
the Israelites learn as a result?
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---How would you summarize what Jehovah
wanted the Israelites to know as a result of what would happen to them?
The Lord
provides opportunities for us to know that He ____________________________________________________.
---The
phrase “ye shall know that I am the Lord” or variations of it are mentioned
more than 45 times in Ezekiel 4–32.
---Why do you think it was important that the
people recognize the Lord as the only true God?
---What has helped strengthen your testimony
of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and draw closer to Them?
---Look for
principles as we study Ezekiel 18 that can help you better
understand Heavenly Father’s expectations of you, regardless of your family’s level of activity in the Church.
---The
reference to fathers eating sour grapes and the children’s teeth being set on
edge refers to the Israelites’ belief that their punishments had resulted from
their fathers’ sins, which were symbolized by the sour grapes. The children of
Israel excused their sins by claiming that their parents had not properly
taught them the ways of God or established an environment where they could be
faithful to His commandments.
---In Ezekiel 18:4–18 we read that the Lord used a
scenario involving a man, his son, and his grandson that illustrates why the
Israelites could not blame their sins on their parents. In Verses 4–8 the Lord described a just and
righteous man.
GROUP ONE
---What did the Lord say would happen to this
man?
---What do you think the phrase “he shall
surely live” refers to?
GROUP TWO
---What kind of man was the son?
---What do you think the phrase “he shall
surely die” refers to?
---What do you think the Lord meant when He
said, “His blood shall be upon him”?
---What are some examples from the scriptures
of people who were wicked despite having righteous parents?
GROUP THREE
---How did Jehovah describe the wicked man’s
son?
---What are some examples from the scriptures
of people who lived righteously despite having unrighteous parents?
---What principle can we learn from the
wicked man’s son?
We can
choose to live righteously regardless of ______________________________________________________.
---God will
hold us accountable for our own choices and that regardless of our circumstances
and the choices of others, we can choose to live righteously.
---What choices can you make in your life now
that will help you live righteously even when those around you do not?
---Do you believe
the following statement is true?
“As long as
you perform more righteous acts than sins during your life, you will certainly
return to live with Heavenly Father forever.”
---Look for
truths as we study Ezekiel 33 that indicate how Jesus Christ will judge us and what we must do to qualify
to live with Heavenly Father forever.
---Remember
that in both ancient times and today, Heavenly Father appointed Jesus Christ,
or Jehovah, to speak for Him to the prophets. Jehovah, “usually identified in
the Old Testament as LORD (in small capitals), is the Son, known as Jesus
Christ, and … is also a God. Jesus works under the direction of the Father and
is in complete harmony with Him” (Bible Dictionary, “God”).
---In Ezekiel 33:1–9 Jesus Christ reiterated that the
role of a prophet is similar to the role of a watchman. A watchman is
responsible to warn people of unforeseen danger (see Ezekiel 3:17–21). Remind students that Ezekiel
was called to preach to Israelites who had previously ignored the warnings of
prophets and were now suffering the consequences of their sins while living as
captives in Babylon.
---What message about Himself did Jehovah
instruct Ezekiel to communicate to the Israelites?
---What did Jehovah instruct the Israelites
to do?
(Our current
choices and spiritual condition are more important to the Lord than our past
choices and spiritual condition.)
Ezekiel 33:12, 14–16. Turning
from sin
One may
erroneously assume from these verses that repentance is easy and that we can
indulge in sin and then quickly turn from our sin through repentance and all
will be forgotten. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles taught:
“All of our
personal experience confirms the fact that we must endure personal suffering in
the process of repentance—and for serious transgressions, that suffering can be
severe and prolonged. …
“Why is it
necessary for us to suffer on the way to repentance for serious transgressions?
We tend to think of the results of repentance as simply cleansing us from sin.
But that is an incomplete view of the matter. …
“When a
person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call a
broken heart and a contrite spirit, the Savior does more than cleanse that
person from sin. He also gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is
essential for us to realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to
our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to his presence, we must be more than
clean. We must also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a
strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God”
---To help
you better understand how Jesus Christ will judge us, read aloud the following
statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“The Final
Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we
have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and
thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through
the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not
a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of
Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father
desires us to become” (“The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32).
---Based on what you have learned from Ezekiel 33 and the statement by Elder Oaks,
how would you summarize the Lord’s manner of judging us?
Jesus Christ
will judge us by the person we have become as the result of our ________________________________.
---Reread
the statement from earlier:
“As long as you perform more righteous acts
than sins during your life, you will certainly return to live with Heavenly
Father forever.”
---Why is the statement is
untrue?
---If
someone performs many righteous acts but then sins and turns away from
righteousness, that person has not truly become righteous. On the other hand,
if someone who has committed many sins chooses to turn to the Lord and repent,
that person is no longer wicked.
---In Ezekiel 33:21–33 Ezekiel learned that Jerusalem had been
destroyed. Ezekiel prophesied that those who remained in or moved into the land
of Israel and rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem would also be destroyed.
The Lord also told Ezekiel that the Israelites “hear thy words, but they do
them not” (Ezekiel 33:32).
---Look at the
picture of a shepherd on the board.
---What are characteristics of a good
shepherd?
---Ezekiel 34:1–8 records that the Lord compared
the leaders of Israel to shepherds and the people to sheep.
---Read Ezekiel
34:11–16 silently,
looking for what Jesus Christ will do as a shepherd for His people.
Jesus Christ
is like a shepherd to His people because He _______________________________________________.
---Identify
ways that Jesus Christ is like a shepherd to His people.
---What are examples of how the Savior
provides for the spiritual needs of His sheep?
---What do we need to do to receive these
blessings from Him?
---How would you summarize as a principle
what Jesus Christ will do for us if we follow Him?
If we follow
Jesus Christ, then He will bless us temporally and spiritually.
---When has the Savior been like a good
shepherd to you by providing one of the blessings listed on the board?
---Summarize
Ezekiel 34:17–31 by explaining that Ezekiel
prophesied that the Lord would deliver His people from their oppressors. This
prophecy also refers to the time when the Lord will come to the earth in the
latter days and gather the lost sheep of Israel through covenants. They will
live with Him in safety, never to be scattered again.
5.
---Ezekiel 35:1–36:7 says after Jerusalem was
destroyed and many of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon, the people of
Edom, a neighboring nation of Israel and Judah, planned to take over the land
that was now left desolate. Jehovah promised that because the people of Edom
rejoiced in the destruction of Israel, they would also be destroyed and their
land would be left desolate. As recorded in Ezekiel 36:8–38, the Lord then promised that He
would bless the land to be fruitful and would gather all of Israel to rejoice
in it. This prophecy, like the prophecy in Ezekiel 34:17–31, refers to Ezekiel’s day as well
as to the last days.
---Read Ezekiel
36:24–28 looking for
what God promised to do for those who choose to follow Him in the last days.
---What does it mean to have a “stony heart”
(verse 26)? How might having a stony heart
affect someone?
If we follow
Jesus Christ, He can ______________________________________________________________________.
---What does it mean to have a change of
heart?
---Write your
responses to these questions in your class notebooks
1. In what ways do I need a change of heart?
Commentary and Background
Information
Ezekiel
33:12, 14–16. Turning from sin
One may
erroneously assume from these verses that repentance is easy and that we can
indulge in sin and then quickly turn from our sin through repentance and all
will be forgotten. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles taught:
“All of our
personal experience confirms the fact that we must endure personal suffering in
the process of repentance—and for serious transgressions, that suffering can be
severe and prolonged. …
“Why is it
necessary for us to suffer on the way to repentance for serious transgressions?
We tend to think of the results of repentance as simply cleansing us from sin.
But that is an incomplete view of the matter. …
“When a
person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call a
broken heart and a contrite spirit, the Savior does more than cleanse that
person from sin. He also gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is
essential for us to realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to
our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to his presence, we must be more than
clean. We must also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a
strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God” (“Sin and Suffering,” Ensign, July 1992, 73).
A Change of
Heart (4:40)
A young man in Honduras was drifting toward a life of apathy, selfishness, and trouble when a neighbor invited him to church. Consider showing this video to help students feel the truth and importance of the following principle: If we follow Jesus Christ, He can change our hearts.
A young man in Honduras was drifting toward a life of apathy, selfishness, and trouble when a neighbor invited him to church. Consider showing this video to help students feel the truth and importance of the following principle: If we follow Jesus Christ, He can change our hearts.
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