By Micah Odor
1. Have you ever gotten in trouble for something someone else did wrong? What about the reverse?
2. What’s something you admired about your parents that you’ve tried to emulate?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezekiel 18:1-18, 22 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then, as a group, quickly restate the passage in your own words.
3. This passage has three versions of what’s essentially the same list, with minor (but instructive) differences. Work your way down the list, comparing the first entry in each (mountain shrines), the second entry in each (neighbor’s wife), and so on. What similarities or differences do you see?
4. Do you see all the entries in this list as carrying equal weight? Which ones seem especially bad to you? Which ones seem less bad?
5. Is our ranking of “really bad sins” and “not so bad sins” supported by the text, or are we more likely to excuse things we’re comfortable with? What examples do you see?
6. Ignore the specifics of the list for a moment. What larger principle is God teaching in this passage?
7. What do you think of the punishments here? What would it be like to live under the Old Covenant instead of the New Covenant?
8. What does this passage teach you about God?
9. What does it teach you about yourself?
- Where in your life are you taking credit for someone else’s right actions?
- Where in your life are you beating yourself up for someone else’s mistakes?
10. With whom can you share this lesson?
11. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:1-5, 18-19; 11:22-23. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
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