By Micah Odor
1. Have you ever seen someone abuse their power or authority? How did it feel to watch it happen?
2. Last week, we talked about being an ambassador of hope and sharing God’s love with someone. How did that go?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezekiel 22:1, 6-12, 25-31 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions.
3. God describes a lot of bad behavior in these verses. How many did you notice?
4. Verses 6-10 contain a shocking list of bad behavior. But a careful reading shows God is upset not just at the perpetrators but at the nation that allows these crimes. Read these verses again, replacing “In you” with “In you, America,” or “within her” with “in America.” For the sake of discussion, let’s assume you have not personally done the things described here. What is your emotional response to being counted as part of the guilty group?
- Is God being unfair to the majority of Israel?
5. Look again at verses 25-29. Read the first short phrase in each verse to see the parallel structure in this passage. What do the people in these positions of power have in common?
6. In those same verses, work backward to find what a “righteous” or “just” person would do in that situation. (In other words, what is the opposite of the actions described in each verse?)
7. What would it look like to “build up the wall” or “stand before God in the gap” (v. 30) against the atrocities we see in this chapter?
8. What does this passage teach you about God?
9. What does it teach you about yourself and the groups you are in?
10. God said, “I looked . . . but I found no one” (v. 30). What would need to change in your life to keep that statement from being true today?
11. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezekiel 18:1-18, 22. 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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