Ezekiel 36 is a chapter of promise after judgment. God speaks to the mountains of Israel, announces that the land will be restored, and then reveals that the restoration is for the sake of his own holy name. These questions are for small groups, Sunday classes, and personal study, with a leader’s note under each question to help the discussion stay anchored in the text.
Ezekiel 36 at a Glance
The chapter moves in three movements. First, God addresses the mountains of Israel and rebukes the nations, especially Edom, for mocking and seizing the land (verses 1-7). Second, God promises that the land will be fruitful and filled with people again (verses 8-15), and that Israel’s shame will be removed. Third, God explains that the restoration does not rest on Israel’s merit but on his concern for his name, and promises a new heart and his own Spirit to make his people obedient (verses 16-38).
Keep this arc in mind as you move through the questions. The early verses describe what God sees, the middle verses describe what he will do for the land and people, and the final verses describe what he will do within them.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to specific words and verse numbers, and to resist explaining why. Observation grounds the rest of the study, so give it time and let people read the chapter aloud again if needed.
Ezekiel 36:9
For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.
(WEB)
This verse gives the clearest statement of God’s personal commitment to the land and people. Reading it aloud sets the tone of divine initiative that runs through the whole chapter, and invites the group to hear God speaking directly to them.
Ezekiel 36:22-23
22 “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord the LORD: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord the LORD, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes.
(WEB)
These verses state the central reason behind God’s restoration, which is his concern for his holy name. Reading them together prepares the group for the interpretation questions about God’s motives and the public witness of his people.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.
(WEB)
This is the heart of the chapter’s promise of inner change. Reading the new heart and the indwelling Spirit aloud gives the group a common image to discuss in the application questions.
Ezekiel 36:31-32
31 “‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord the LORD. “Let it be known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.”
(WEB)
These verses balance grace with honest self-examination, showing that a restored people still remember their former ways. Reading them aloud helps the group hold together God’s mercy and the call to repentance without tipping into either shame or complacency.
Ezekiel 36:36
Then the nations that are left around you will know that I, the LORD, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
(WEB)
This verse closes the restoration section with a public declaration that the nations will recognize the Lord’s work. Reading it aloud ends the reading portion on a note of hope and invites the group to think about their own witness.
Memory Verse for Ezekiel 36
Ezekiel 36:26
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
(WEB)
This verse captures the chapter’s central promise of a new heart in one sentence. Memorizing it gives the group a short, portable reminder that restoration begins with God changing the inner life, which is useful in prayer and in moments of discouragement.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who often feel scattered, worn down, or unsure whether you can make anything new in us. Thank you that you speak to desolate places and promise to rebuild them. Thank you that you act for your own holy name and not only for our merit, and that your faithfulness does not depend on how well we have done. Give each person here a softer heart, a clean conscience, and a willingness to be honest before you. Put your Spirit within us, so that we walk in your ways and become a people through whom others can see your goodness. Amen.
