Ezekiel’s famous vision, The Valley of Dry Bones, was given to him more than 2500 years ago for the Babylonian exiles. However, God’s question to Ezekiel, "Can these dry bones live?" is a question still addressed to us at the end of the twentieth century. At times we ask it of our lives, our marriages, our churches, our nations, the world...
This striking vision is a prediction and a promise from God that He would deliver Israel out of captivity and return them to their home.
Are your bones tired? Do you feel lifeless? Only God can give us real life. We are dead in our sins until God, through His Holy Spirit, breaths life into us. By the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God was able to bring life not only to the Jews but to all the world. You, too, can have the life of God's Spirit breathed into you. It all starts by accepting the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ. He died that you might be freed from the dead life of sin. Will you not have His life fill you today?
You’ll be relieved and delighted, I hope, to discover that I didn’t write this introduction – I found an article online which started with these paragraphs. I find it a little underwhelming and perhaps even depressing that a fantastic and powerful message is reduced to something which sounds so boring (although it doesn’t!) and so… ‘preaching by numbers’. It’s just so ordinary
If we know anything about the prophets of the Old Testament, if we’ve learned anything over these last few weeks of lessons, if we remember anything from Derek’s class on Ezekiel, then we know that the time of Ezekiel is quite different from, for example, that of Joshua. In the Bible Class, we’re seeing the optimism and hope Israel has as together with God she takes possession of the land promised to Abraham so long ago. Ezekiel, conversely, lives in captivity in Babylon – quite a reversal of fortune.
The Jews are down on their luck, they feel like they’ve hit hard times. The promise, the relationship… in ruins. A fitting parallel or analogy or vision might well be a valley of bones. Very dry bones, verse 2 says. As if bones aren’t lifeless enough, bones which are very dry are well and truly lifeless, and have been so for a long time.
"Can these bones live?" asks God – how many of you would’ve answered ‘Only you can know’? I don’t know that I would have – I’m more inclined to imagine my response as a slightly surprised, ‘No!’ with a slight air of ‘how don’t you know that?’! So you know what, undoubtedly the force of the chapter and the meat of the text is yet to come, but if you don’t listen past this, that’s OK. Because this point alone is for me a worthy point. Would more of us, more of the time, adopt Ezekiel’s approach and attitude. Deference to and reverence for God shapes his answer. If we update the text to modern-day parlance, Ezekiel would say "Only you know" and if we make it a less direct reply to God Himself, the answer fairly obviously becomes "God only knows". Understand that my point here is neither that we should respond with this sentence to every question, nor am I suggesting that every time you hear this phrase that it’s being uttered in the same manner that Ezekiel uses.
Am I going to get a job?
What’s the diagnosis, Doctor?
Are you telling the truth?
All can be answered "God only knows", which can carry the weight of Ezekiel’s response, or it can carry none of it. Why am I making such a song and dance about this? I think we need to be wary of two things – one, that our faith and trust in God is as alive and apparently alive as Ezekiel’s – that our initial and immediate reaction to such a question acknowledges and gives praise to God’s sovereignty and power… and yet also that we take care to protect that answer in order to retain the truth in it.
Thank God for my wife.
Thank God I wasn’t late for work.
One sentence praises God and truly gives thanks to Him, the other not so much. But which one is which?
Or do they both? Just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we can use these phrases with impunity.
However, because we are Christians, our lives and actions should manifest our solidarity with Ezekiel. Only God alone knows.
And breathe… ;o)
"Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of GOD!'" GOD, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am GOD!" I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them. He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'" So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army. Then God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they're saying: 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us.' "Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, 'GOD, the Master, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive--O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am GOD. I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am GOD. I've said it and I'll do it.
(Ezekiel 37:4-14 again, this time The Message)
A while back, John brought us the first lesson in this series and he gave us a maxim which has proved useful to me since. Anyone remember?
Old Testament = New Testament concealed
New Testament = Old Testament revealed
We can apply that to this passage too! Who thinks this passage is discussing bringing bones to life?
Or bringing people physically back from the dead? No, it’s so much more than that. This passage is a
statement from God that He will restore and revive His people. But His people aren’t dead – they may
be in exile and in disparate locations, but they’re still alive… nonetheless, God will breath life into
His people, dead and dusty, dry bones. He’ll turn them into a huge army and they’ll march straight into
the land of Israel… and that’s it, right?
Of course not: the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed.
Which major NT truth is expressed in giving dry bones life? Resurrection. Indeed, and importantly for us, which resurrection is of greater significance and importance? The resurrection of a physical body, or resurrection from spiritual death? It’s the latter, right? And how is this resurrection, this rebirth, this newness of life administered in Ezekiel 37? By the winds breathing on the bones, right (verse 9)? Interestingly, the Hebrew word for ‘breath’ can also be translated as wind or… Spirit. It’s not difficult, I hope, to make the connection here therefore that the breath breathed upon the bones symbolizes the Holy Spirit. And what does the Holy Spirit bestow upon us if not spiritual rebirth?!
The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. Now I should note at some point (here is as good as any) that I know what you’re maybe thinking – that Ezekiel prophesied to Jews around 600 years before Christ – and I’m suggesting that the prophecy is all about resurrection and spiritual rebirth? No… and yes. The immediate application of the prophecy does concern itself with God taking care of His exiled, captive people. But even that, you understand, is a cog in the machine – a detail in the master plan of salvation. To see how the immediate application of this prophecy slots into the grander application, read the rest of chapter 37. I would speak about that but we’d be here at least until 2pm… and I don’t want to rob you of some worthwhile study!
The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The bones only achieve fully attain life with the breath of God – the Holy Spirit – in them. Interestingly, this same scenario occurs back in Genesis 2 – Adam is formed, but only when God breathes into him is he brought to life. God’s breath turns the man into a living soul… so clearly, it isn’t *just* the kiss of life which God gives Adam.
So God gives Adam life, and he gives the bones of Israel life…
The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed…
Consider this passage, if you will:
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the
ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a]
and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of
his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with
him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable
riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:1-10)
So that which God performed upon Adam, and the bones of Ezekiel 37, Christ also has done for each of us. For why? For what purpose? For spiritual renewal and rebirth. But wait – are all three identical? Was Adam dead? Yes, but differently. Adam was given life by God and in that moment, was exactly what God had intended to create. Israel, and each of us, are not… until… I know that God is omniscient. I know we all know that God had the sacrifice of His Son at the crucifixion in mind, or planned, even before Creation. Nevertheless, there’s something even more powerful in Ezekiel 37, that God felt that was the right time, and that it was right, to say to His prophet, "tell the people this" which was a vision which had an immediate application for them and a figurative application, and which also acted as a marker for 2500 years up until the point you and I read it, which shows me God saying, "I’ve got my eye on you too – you’re OK, I’ve breathed on you too".
'GOD, the Master, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive--O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am GOD. I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am GOD.
I've said it and I'll do it.