Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: November 20 (Ezekiel 10–11; Psalm 119:97–104; Ephesians 2–3)
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Crossway

Episode Overview

This episode features selected readings from Ezekiel 10–11, Psalm 119:97–104, and Ephesians 2–3 (read in the ESV translation). There is no commentary or additional discussion—the format consists solely of scripture readings. The passages center around the themes of God’s glory departing from the temple, God's judgment and promise of restoration, a deep love for God’s word, and the profound grace and unity found in Christ as revealed in Ephesians.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Glory Departs: Ezekiel 10–11

(00:00–11:30)

• Ezekiel’s Vision of the Cherubim and Glory (10:1–22)

  • Ezekiel witnesses a striking vision of cherubim, mysterious living creatures supporting the throne of God.
    • The imagery is vivid, with “something like a sapphire in appearance, like a throne” above the cherubim (00:12).
    • The cherubim interact with “wheels full of eyes,” signifying God’s all-seeing presence.
    • The scene climaxes as “the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house… and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord” (01:10).
  • Dramatic movement: The glory of God leaves the temple, signaling judgment on Jerusalem (10:18–19).

• Prophetic Judgment Against Leaders (11:1–13)

  • Ezekiel is transported to the east gate where 25 officials are called out for “devis[ing] iniquity and… giv[ing] wicked counsel” (03:10).
    • Metaphor of the city as a “cauldron and we are the meat”—God rebukes their false sense of security.
    • Direct judgment: Pelatiah son of Benaiah dies mid-prophecy (05:20), prompting Ezekiel’s anguished prayer, “Ah, Lord God, will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” (05:27).

• Promise of Restoration (11:14–25)

  • Even amidst judgment, God promises, “Though I removed them far off… yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while” (06:10).
  • Looking ahead: “I will gather you from the peoples… I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them… I will remove the heart of stone… and give them a heart of flesh” (07:07).
  • Relationship renewed: “They shall be my people, and I will be their God” (07:23).

2. Delighting in God’s Word: Psalm 119:97–104

(11:31–12:30)

• Deep Love for God’s Law
  • The psalmist expresses, “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (11:35).
  • Value of scripture: God’s commandments bring wisdom—“Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,” “I have more understanding than all my teachers” (11:46, 11:50).
  • Practical application: Obedience leads to understanding—“I hold back my feet from every evil way in order to keep your word” (11:57).
  • The law’s sweetness: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (12:15).

3. Grace, Unity, and the Mystery of Christ: Ephesians 2–3

(12:31–19:00)

• Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:1–10)

  • Human condition: “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind” (12:35).
  • God’s mercy: “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (13:07).
  • Distinction: Salvation “is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (13:37).

• Unity in Christ (Ephesians 2:11–22)

  • Division healed: Gentiles once “separated from Christ… having no hope and without God,” now “brought near by the blood of Christ” (13:57).
  • Peace through Christ: “He himself is our peace… has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (14:22).
  • New identity: “You… are fellow citizens with the saints… Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (15:03).

• The Mystery Revealed (Ephesians 3:1–13)

  • Paul describes the “mystery of Christ” as Gentiles being “fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise” through the gospel (15:40).
  • Paul’s mission: “To preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ… so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known” (16:30).

• A Prayer for Spiritual Strength (Ephesians 3:14–21)

  • Paul prays “that… [God] may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (17:20).
  • Heart of the prayer: “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (18:00).
  • Doxology: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think… to him be glory in the church” (18:42).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ezekiel’s Vision:

  • “And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.” (01:24)
  • “I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” (07:07)

• Psalm 119:

  • “Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day.” (11:35)
  • “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (12:15)

• Ephesians 2–3:

  • “But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us… made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (13:07)
  • “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (13:37)
  • “He himself is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” (14:22)
  • “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (15:40)
  • “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (18:00)

Important Timestamps

• Ezekiel 10–11: 00:00–11:30
• Psalm 119:97–104: 11:31–12:30
• Ephesians 2–3: 12:31–19:00

Summary & Takeaways

• Divine Presence and Judgment: The glory of God dramatically departs Jerusalem, but there is a promise of restoration for a repentant people.
• Transformation: God’s law brings wisdom and delight, pointing the way to transformed hearts.
• Salvation and Unity: Ephesians 2–3 offers the beautiful truth that salvation is a gift of grace, without boasting, and that God has reconciled Jews and Gentiles into one body through Christ.
• The Love of Christ: The closing prayer points listeners toward the infinite love of Christ and the unimaginable abundance God provides.

This episode immerses the listener in God’s revelation of judgment, mercy, and grace—told through majestic visions, heartfelt psalmody, and the soaring promises and prayers of Paul to the early church.