A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace

Episode: S4: Week 41 Day 1 – Annotating Ezekiel 36:26-27
Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Beth and Alexa

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Ezekiel 36:26-27, focusing on how God’s promise of a new heart and spirit in the Old Testament points to Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. The hosts guide listeners through annotating these verses, highlighting God’s initiative in transformation, and introduce the ongoing theme of seeing Christ throughout all of Scripture.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Structure and Importance of "I Will" Statements

• Beth observes a recurring motif in prophetic texts: God's repeated use of "I will," which underscores His sovereignty, faithfulness, and power to fulfill His purposes.
  • “We have all probably noticed a pattern…that is the use of the phrase 'I will.'…it shows us God's power, His faithfulness, and his determination to bring about his sovereign plan.” (Beth, 02:17)

2. God as the Initiator of Transformation

• God commits to enacting every part of the renewal described in Ezekiel 36:26-27—giving a new heart, a new spirit, and guiding obedience.

  • “God is the one who is doing the action here. He is the One who will bring about the results…” (Beth, 02:52)

• The hosts outline the four specific promises God makes:

  • Give a new heart and a new spirit
  • Remove the heart of stone
  • Give a heart of flesh
  • Place His Spirit within, causing obedience

3. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Obedience

• Alexa cues in: the annotation instructions prompt drawing attention to "Spirit" in the text.

  • “What is the role of the Holy Spirit in this passage?” (Alexa, 03:34)

• Beth explains:

  • The role of the Spirit is to cause people to follow God’s statutes, not by human effort, but by divine empowerment.
  • “The people will obey God…but it’s not by their own strength or volition…The Spirit that is within them is going to be what’s going to cause them to do all of that.” (Beth, 03:39)

4. Encouragement in Prophetic Passages

• Alexa reflects on the comfort found in God’s continual promises, especially during spiritually dark or challenging times detailed by the prophets.
  • “Seeing the continual phrase 'I will' helps us when maybe the prophets start to feel a little bit depressing because that phrase reminds us that God is still working and promising…” (Alexa, 03:10)

5. The Trinity Present in Old Testament Promises

• Alexa notes the presence of both God the Father and the Spirit, hinting at the work of the Trinity across Scripture.
  • “I also just love seeing the Trinity at work in different ways throughout Scripture. So I love that we see God and the Spirit at work here.” (Alexa, 04:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We have all probably noticed a pattern…that is the use of the phrase 'I will.'…it shows us God's power, His faithfulness, and his determination to bring about his sovereign plan."
  — Beth (02:17)

• “The people will obey God…but it’s not by their own strength or volition…The Spirit that is within them is going to be what’s going to cause them to do all of that.”
  — Beth (03:39)

• “Seeing the continual phrase 'I will' helps us when maybe the prophets start to feel a little bit depressing because that phrase reminds us that God is still working and promising to bring good things about, even if the situation at the moment is…pretty dim.”
  — Alexa (03:10)

• “I also just love seeing the Trinity at work in different ways throughout Scripture. So I love that we see God and the Spirit at work here.”
  — Alexa (04:14)

Important Timestamps

• 01:00 – Introduction to the week’s passages and their Christ-centered connections
• 01:52 – Reading of Ezekiel 36:26-27
• 02:17 – Discussion of “I will” statements and God’s initiative
• 03:10 – The encouragement of God’s promises in prophetic books
• 03:34 – Annotation focus: the Spirit’s role in obedience
• 04:14 – Reflection on the Trinity at work in Scripture

Tone and Closing

The conversation is warm, encouraging, and focused on helping listeners deeply engage with Scripture. Listeners are invited to continue reflecting and return for deeper discussion in following episodes.

Next Episode Preview:
The hosts will dive further into the meaning and application of Ezekiel 36:26-27, continuing to trace the threads that run from the Old Testament to Christ and the empowering work of the Spirit.