Episode Overview

Podcast: A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace
Episode: S4: Week 40 Day 1: Annotating Ezekiel 34:7-16
Hosts: Beth and Alexa
Date: September 29, 2025

Main Theme:
In this episode, Beth and Alexa guide listeners through an annotated reading of Ezekiel 34:7-16, exploring how God’s promises in the Old Testament point forward to Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The discussion focuses on the repeated assurances God gives (“I will”), His heart for His people, and the connections across Scripture revealing Christ at its center.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reading and Reflecting on Ezekiel 34:7-16

[01:20-02:58]

• Beth reads the full passage aloud, highlighting God’s indictment against Israel’s unfaithful shepherds and His declaration that HE will personally shepherd His people.
• The text repeatedly features divine promises—God saying “I will” to assert His active role in rescuing, gathering, healing, and shepherding His flock.

2. Annotation Exercise: Counting the “I Will” Promises

[02:58-03:44]

• Alexa dives into the annotation prompt, which encourages counting how many times God says “I will” and listing each promise.

  “One of the prompts asks us to count how many times God says I will… I counted about 12 times.” — Alexa [02:58]

• She lists the explicit promises:

  • “I will demand my flock.”
  • “I will rescue my flock.”
  • “I will search for my flock, and I will look for my flock.”
  • “I will rescue them.”
  • “I will bring them out from the people, gather them from the countries and bring them to their own soil.”
  • “I will shepherd them.”
  • “I will tend to them in good pasture.”
  • “I will tend my flock and let them lie down.”
  • “I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak.”
  • “I will destroy the fat and the strong.”
  • “I will shepherd them with justice.”

3. Attributes of God and Connections to Christ

[03:44-04:53]

• Alexa reflects on how God’s desire to give His people rest reveals His love and mercy:

  “Something that stood out to me was God’s desire to give His people rest, which I think comes from His love and mercy.” — Alexa [03:54]

• She links Ezekiel’s words to Psalm 23:

  “The language in this verse reminds me of Psalm 23, when David says that God makes him lie down in green pastures.” — Alexa [04:10]

• Alexa draws a connection forward to Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28:

  “It also, I think, points us forward to Matthew 11:28, when Jesus says, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.’ So Ezekiel 34:7-16 shows us God’s heart to give His people rest and He has ultimately provided that rest through Christ.” — Alexa [04:18]

• Beth expresses delight at seeing these Scripture connections:

  “I’ve never made that connection between Psalm 23 and Matthew 11 before, and those are two of my favorite passages.” — Beth [04:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alexa [02:58]: “I counted about 12 times… Here are the promises that we see in the passage…”
• Alexa [03:54]: “Something that stood out to me was God’s desire to give his people rest, which I think comes from his love and mercy.”
• Alexa [04:18]: “Ezekiel 34:7-16 shows us God’s heart to give his people rest and he has ultimately provided that rest through Christ.”
• Beth [04:53]: “I’ve never made that connection between Psalm 23 and Matthew 11 before, and those are two of my favorite passages, so I love that you drew out those connections there.”

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Introduction & Episode Theme | 01:02-01:20| | Passage Reading (Ezekiel 34:7-16) | 01:20-02:58| | Annotation Exercise (“I will” Promises) | 02:58-03:44| | Connections to Psalm 23 & Matthew 11 | 03:54-04:53| | Closing Thoughts & Preview of Next Episode | 04:53-05:13|

Conclusion

This episode gently guides listeners to see how God’s promises in the Old Testament are not abstract or obsolete but are vividly fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. By closely annotating Ezekiel 34:7-16, Beth and Alexa demonstrate that God’s “I will” declarations foreshadow Christ’s coming as the Good Shepherd who seeks, heals, and gives rest to His people. The thoughtful Scriptural links—in the hosts’ own words—equip listeners to see Jesus “on every page of Scripture.”

Encouragement to Listeners:
Listeners are invited to join the following day’s episode for further exploration of Ezekiel’s context and a deeper dive into how God’s shepherding heart is revealed throughout the Bible.