Congregation Bible Study for the Week of January 25-31, 2027

Ezekiel

a. According to Ezekiel 18:19-22, how does Jehovah decide whether a person is good or bad?

Ezekiel 18:19-22 — “‘But you will say: “Why does the son not bear guilt because of his father’s error?” Since the son has done what is just and righteous, has kept all my statutes and has observed them, he will surely keep living. The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will bear no guilt because of the error of his father, and a father will bear no guilt because of the error of his son. The righteousness of the righteous one will be accounted to him alone, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be accounted to him alone. “‘Now if someone wicked turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps my statutes and does what is just and righteous, he will surely keep living. He will not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed will be held against him. He will keep living for doing what is righteous.’

Comment 1: Jehovah judges each person by his own conduct, not by what his parents or children have done. This demonstrates his perfect justice. No one is condemned for belonging to a certain family, nor does anyone automatically receive God’s approval because his relatives are faithful. Each person can show by his decisions that he wants to obey Jehovah.

Comment 2: The passage also shows that Jehovah takes sincere changes into account. If someone abandons his wrong conduct and begins to do what Jehovah considers righteous, his past does not condemn him forever. This draws us closer to Jehovah, because he is not a judge who refuses to recognize repentance or efforts to change.

Comment 3: The standard for what is good and bad is Jehovah’s standards, not simply what a person thinks of himself. The text connects God’s approval with obedience and acting justly. Therefore, when examining ourselves, it is not enough to compare ourselves with others; we need to ask whether our decisions agree with what Jehovah teaches us.

b. Notice how Jehovah will react when Gog attacks his people (38:18, 19, 22). How does this make you feel?

Ezekiel 38:18-19 — “‘On that day, the day when Gog invades the land of Israel,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘my great rage will flare up. In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, I will speak; and in that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

Comment 1: I feel protected knowing that Jehovah will not look on the attack against his people with indifference. His reaction shows that what happens to his servants matters deeply to him. Although thinking about that attack may impress us, the prophecy invites us to focus on who will defend us and on how determined Jehovah is to act.

Comment 2: It also fills me with respect for Jehovah. His mercy does not mean that he will tolerate aggression against those who worship him indefinitely. He has the power and authority to stop it. Thinking about this helps me not to confuse his patience with weakness and to trust that he will act when the time he has determined arrives.

Comment 3: This promise helps me combat fear of the future. The account does not present Gog as someone capable of frustrating Jehovah’s purpose. On the contrary, it shows that Jehovah will defend his people. Instead of trying to imagine every detail of the attack, I can now strengthen my trust in him and my desire to remain faithful.

c. Jehovah promises his people “showers of blessing” (34:26). How have these words come true in your life?

Ezekiel 34:26 — I will make them and the area around my hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to fall at the proper time. Blessings will pour down like the rains.

Comment 1: One way to respond is to think about what we have learned about Jehovah. This book allows us to know his justice, his mercy, and his desire to care for his servants. Having that guidance is a blessing that we can personally value. It helps us make decisions with a reliable standard instead of depending only on our own ideas.

Comment 2: We can also think about the opportunities we have to meet together to worship Jehovah. Faithful Jews valued such meetings even in Babylon. In our case, it is good to recall a specific occasion when listening to the Scriptures strengthened us. In this way, our answer will not be general but a sincere expression of gratitude for a blessing we have actually received.

Comment 3: The hope Jehovah offers can also be a very personal blessing. Knowing that he fulfills his promises and wants a peaceful future for his servants gives us reasons to keep going. As we prepare this comment, we can think about how that hope has truly helped us, without implying that serving Jehovah removes all difficulties.

a. Why is Ezekiel called “son of man”? (3:17; nwt glossary). Who else is called that in the Bible? (Mt 20:28).

Ezekiel 3:17 — “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; and when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them from me.

Comment 1: By calling Ezekiel “son of man,” emphasis is placed on his human condition. Although he had received extraordinary visions and an important commission, he was still a human serving Jehovah. His authority to warn Israel did not come from himself but from the One who had appointed him. He had to transmit what Jehovah told him.

Matthew 20:28 — Just as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.”

Comment 2: At Matthew 20:28, Jesus also uses that expression to refer to himself. In that context, he explains that he came to serve and to give his life as a ransom. Therefore, we should not conclude that Ezekiel and Jesus had the same function simply because a similar expression is used. The context enables us to understand what is emphasized in each case.

Comment 3: These passages also help us to maintain a humble attitude when serving Jehovah. Ezekiel had to communicate the message he received, and Jesus emphasized serving others. If we are entrusted with a responsibility, what matters is not drawing attention to ourselves but carrying it out faithfully and thinking about the good of the people.

b. How was Ezekiel 17:16 fulfilled? (Jer. 52:11).

Ezekiel 17:16 — “‘“As surely as I am alive,” declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, “he will die in Babylon, in the place where the king who made him king lives, the one whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

Comment 1: Jehovah announced that Zedekiah would die in Babylon, in the place where the king whose covenant he had broken lived. The box explains that this is exactly what happened after the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophecy did not merely announce the king’s downfall; it even indicated where his life would end.

Jeremiah 52:11 — Then the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with copper fetters, brought him to Babylon, and kept him imprisoned until the day of his death.

Comment 2: Jeremiah records the fulfillment: The king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, brought him as a prisoner to Babylon, and kept him imprisoned until his death. By comparing the two accounts, we can clearly distinguish the prediction from the event that fulfilled it. This is a concrete example of how other Bible books confirm Ezekiel’s prophecies.

Comment 3: The prophecy also mentions that Zedekiah had despised an oath and broken a covenant. It does not present his end as an event unrelated to his conduct. This reminds us that Jehovah takes commitments seriously. At the same time, the exact fulfillment strengthens our confidence that none of his warnings go unfulfilled.

c. How does the genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 show that Jesus had “the legal right” to receive “the crown”? (21:26, 27).

Ezekiel 21:26-27 — This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not remain the same. Raise up the low one, and bring low the high one. A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it. And it will not belong to anyone until the one who has the legal right comes, and I will give it to him.’

Comment 1: Ezekiel announced that the crown would belong to no one until the arrival of the one who had the right to receive it. The genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 links Jesus to David’s royal family. That is why it is important: It does not present Jesus as someone unrelated to the promised line, but as the descendant in whom the prophecy is fulfilled.

Comment 2: The long period during which the throne was vacant did not cancel Jehovah’s promise. The genealogy helps us see the continuity between David and Jesus, while Ezekiel had announced that Jehovah would give the crown to the one indicated. Together, these facts remind us that the passing of time does not cause God to forget what he has promised.

Comment 3: This connection helps us to appreciate Bible genealogies. They may seem to be lists of names, but in this case they provide essential information for identifying the promised Messiah. In addition, they harmonize with what Luke says about David’s throne. Our confidence in Jesus as King rests on Jehovah’s promises and on how they were fulfilled.

a. How can what Ezekiel 18:21, 22 says help you if you feel bad about mistakes of the past?

Ezekiel 18:21-22 — “‘Now if someone wicked turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps my statutes and does what is just and righteous, he will surely keep living. He will not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed will be held against him. He will keep living for doing what is righteous.’

Comment 1: This passage reminds me that Jehovah does not define a person forever by his mistakes. If a person repents, abandons what is bad, and acts righteously, he takes that change into account. So if we have taken those steps, we do not have to think that our past permanently prevents us from receiving his approval or enjoying a good relationship with him.

Comment 2: The text also helps me distinguish between feeling regret and being paralyzed by guilt. Jehovah points out a path: Stop practicing wrongdoing and do what is right. So I can focus my efforts on obeying him now. This does not mean minimizing sin but accepting that his mercy makes real change possible.

Comment 3: If memories of past mistakes return, I can compare my feelings with what Jehovah assures us here. Feeling bad does not necessarily mean that he is still condemning me. His words help me not to distrust his forgiveness when there is sincere repentance. The basis for regaining peace is not forgetting everything but trusting in his merciful way of judging.

b. How is Ezekiel 3:18, 19 related to the preaching work?

Ezekiel 3:18-19 — When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him, and you fail to speak in order to warn the wicked one to turn from his wicked course so that he may stay alive, he will die for his error because he is wicked, but I will ask his blood back from you. But if you warn someone wicked and he does not turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked course, he will die for his error, but you will certainly save your own life.

Comment 1: Ezekiel had the responsibility to transmit Jehovah’s warning. He could not remain silent simply because the message was difficult to deliver. This helps us take the preaching work seriously. Sharing the Bible’s message is not insignificant; it shows that we value the responsibility of helping others learn what Jehovah says.

Comment 2: The passage distinguishes between the messenger’s responsibility and the listener’s decision. Ezekiel had to warn, but he could not force anyone to change. This encourages us when we preach and the response is limited. Our responsibility is to work hard to communicate the message well; each person’s reaction is not under our control.

Comment 3: The warning was intended to move the person to leave his bad way and keep living. Thus, we should not focus only on our responsibility; the good of those who listen also matters. When we preach with that concern, we try to speak clearly and respectfully, sincerely wishing that the message will help them draw close to Jehovah.

c. What can elders learn from Ezekiel 34:11-16? (1Pe 5:2).

Ezekiel 34:11-16 — “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Here I am, and I myself will search for my sheep, and I will care for them. I will care for my sheep like a shepherd who has found his scattered sheep and is feeding them. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered in the day of clouds and thick gloom. I will bring them out from the peoples and collect them together from the lands and bring them into their land and feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and by all the dwelling places of the land. In a good pasture I will feed them, and the land where they graze will be on Israel’s high mountains. They will lie down there in a good grazing land, and they will feed on choice pastures on the mountains of Israel.” “‘“I myself will feed my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down,” declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. “The lost one I will search for, the stray I will bring back, the injured I will bandage, and the weak I will strengthen; but the fat one and the strong one I will annihilate. I will feed that one with judgment.”

Comment 1: Jehovah takes the initiative to search for and care for his sheep. Elders can imitate him by taking an interest in those who need help instead of always waiting for them to ask for it. The passage mentions lost, injured, and weak sheep. This reminds us that not everyone needs the same thing and that care should take each person’s situation into account.

Comment 2: Jehovah is also concerned about feeding his sheep and giving them a place where they can rest. For elders, this highlights the importance of providing spiritual food and treating the brothers in a way that strengthens them. Shepherding does not consist merely of handling organizational matters but of helping people feel cared for and draw close to Jehovah.

1 Peter 5:2 — Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers, not under compulsion, but willingly before God; not for love of dishonest gain, but eagerly;

Comment 3: Peter adds that elders should shepherd willingly and eagerly, not under compulsion or while seeking personal benefits. The flock belongs to God, and they have the privilege of caring for it. Remembering this helps them examine their motives and view each brother as someone valuable to Jehovah, not as just another task to handle.

4. WHAT OTHER VALUABLE POINTS HAVE YOU FOUND IN THIS BIBLE BOOK?

Comment 1: I find Ezekiel’s example of obedience valuable. Jehovah assigned him difficult and unusual tasks, but he carried them out with humility and courage. This moves me to examine how I react when a responsibility is difficult for me. Instead of thinking only about my discomfort, I can focus on the opportunity to demonstrate trust in Jehovah.

Comment 2: I am struck by the importance of the measurements in the temple vision. The material explains that Jehovah was highlighting his righteous standards and assuring the restoration of pure worship. For me, the lesson is that it is not up to us to decide on our own how to worship him. We must know his standards and gladly respect them.

Comment 3: Another treasure is seeing how Jehovah gave hope just after Jerusalem was destroyed. He did not hide the seriousness of what had happened, but neither did he leave his people without a future. This teaches me something about the way he helps: He can correct firmly and at the same time provide reasons to get up and move forward.

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