Worksheet on Ez 36:16-38

We have already looked at Ezekiel in terms of historical setting and in terms of his "development" of the Davidic Covenant to utilize a concept of the "glory" (=kabod) of Yahweh. Today we want to continue our discussion of how Ezekiel continues to reinterpret earlier promises made to Israel, and how Ezekiel provides the Judeans with hope. In doing so, we will continue to compare and contrast him to Jeremiah.

Historical background:

  • Review the information in your textbooks (you already looked at this material when we studied Jeremiah) on the context of the end of the seventh century and the fall of Jerusalem in 586. Pay special attention to the Battle of Carchemesh in 605, the first deportation of Jews to Babylon in 596, and the fall of Jerusalem in 586. How are these events important for understanding Ezekiel?
  • As noted in class, Ezekiel gives prophecies about the descendants of Zadok as the only legitimate priests and Levites. How is this different from Jeremiah? Also, how does this help us understand his desire to reinterpret the Davidic Covenant instead of coming up with a new covenant like Jeremiah did (see Jer. 31)?

    • Limits and setting of the Passage:

  • Do you agree with the limits of the passage (vv. 16-38)? Why or why not?
  • What happens in chapters 33-39? How does this passage relate to this larger context?
  • Specifically, how does this passage relate to the vision of the dry bones in the next chapter?
  • How do chapters 33-39 relate to the vision of the new temple presented in chapters 40-48? How does the passage for today relate to this vision of the new temple in 40-48?
  • How do you compare Ezekiel's prophecies about Jerusalem with those of Isaiah of Jerusalem and those of Jeremiah. What are the similarities and differences? What is Ezekiel doing that is new?
  • How does the description of "for Yahweh's sake" in vv. 22ff relate to Ezekiel's overall message? How does this message compare to Jeremiah?
  • 36:33ff talks about the rebuilding of the kingdom once the purging has taken place. How does this relate to (or differ from) Isaiah of Jerusalem and Jeremiah?

    • Applications for today:

  • What relevance does the passage have for understanding the New Testament?
  • How can Ezekiel be considered the "father of Judaism"? How is this over simplistic?
  • If this renewal of Israel and the Davidic Covenant was to open for the glory of God's name, and Jerusalem was never really established in the way that Ezekiel thought, what does this mean for God's glory? How should we interpret this prophecy today?
  • I have argued in class that it's legitimate for Jews and Christians to interprets passage such as this differently. Do you agree? If so, how are the interpretations different. If not, is there one interpretation that both Jews and Christians should follow?