On 11-23-14, Ezekiel 47:13-23 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as A Transformation Continued or Inheritance Marks a New Beginning

A Transformation Continued     

Or

Inheritance Marks a New Beginning

Ezekiel 47:13-23

International Sunday School Lesson

November 23, 2014

                                                                                 

Commentary

By

Jed Greenough

Hey, let’s cut to the chase!  I freely admit that no other book of the Bible challenges me as much as the book of Ezekiel. 

My best belief is that as I have been saying, I believe these latter chapters deal with Israel having to hold up their end of the bargain after they came out of exile and they did not.  They never built the temple described in the book of Ezekiel.

In order for the temple to be rebuilt and sacrifices to resume God would have to think about people in two different ways and that would have to include His son, don’t you think?

Yes, God does think of Israel “differently” than the rest of us in a way.  Yes, God does keep His promises we cannot forget this but this is keeping with His character is it not?  Paul affirms this for us in Romans and so we must never forget any of that.  But you have to assess the totality of Ezekiel and the totality of Ezekiel and watch speaking in absolutes.  And the latter is something I am not prepared to do.

Have you ever gone through scripture that deals with prophecy and visions and jumped around in both “space and time”?  You know you have and as student of these letters it has been just recently as we have been in Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  Please, keep that in mind but know that despite literal or figurative scripture God is always the same, He does not change like the wind. 

Interpret scripture with that in mind.  God will not forget Israel, He promised He would not.  At some point the division of land must occur in this location.

For Discussion:

1.      Discuss how difficult this type of scripture can be?

2.      Discuss how we need to agree to pleasantly disagree.

3.      Discuss the tribes in brief histories.

4.      Discuss the problem between Judah and Israel.

5.      Discuss verses 22-23.

6.      Find and show an illustration showing where each tribes’ land would be located.

7.      Discuss when you think this might occur in the future.

Upcoming Lessons

11-30-14   Let Zion Rejoice or Good News Brings Rejoicing, Isaiah 52:1-2, 7-12

12-7-14     Worship Christ’s Majesty, Hebrews 1:1-9                             

12-14-14   Make a Joyful Noise, Psalm 95:1-7a

12-21-14   Give Glory to God or Glory to God in the Highest, Luke 2:8-20

12-28-14   Worship God’s Son or In Awe of Christ’s Power, Matthew 14:22-36

                                                                                                              

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved