The Valley of Dry Bones.
Ezekiel 37:1 “The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,”
Ezekiel is a captive of Babylon, and called to prophesy to the captives of Israel there. He has done so faithfully; rebuking the pride of Israel, and warning them to repent of their sin.
But he also tells the people of hope, if they do repent. This is one of these “hopes”.
(Remember hope is the confident expectation that God will do what He said. And God had said that their captivity would be seventy years. Jeremiah 29:10)
The valley of dry bones was Israel:
Ezekiel 37:11 “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, are bones are dry, and our hope is lost: we are cut off from our parts.”
That was their state under the chastening hand of their God, but God also promises:
Ezekiel 37:12-14. “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves.
And shall put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.”
Ezekiel was sent to see a valley of dry bones. Dry, so dry that there was no life in them.
But God was not going to leave them in this state.
He was going to revive them, and commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to these dry bones; for that was the means God was going to use for Israel, to bring them back to life.
How often we think the ministry of the Word of God; or the preaching of His Word, is useless.
We see no immediate results.
But God has said:
1 Corinthians 1:21 ” For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
Ezekiel 37:4 “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”
So Ezekiel, who had been faithful to his call to the people of Israel in captivity, speaks to a valley of dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:7-8 “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together; bone to his bone.
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.”
Ezekiel was to preach to them…..
And the Lord’s preachers have been told to do the same. Preach God’s Word to those dead in trespasses and sins;……
…or those who seem dry….as these dry bones, because they are caught up in sin, or depression.
When we preach His Word, in believing obedience to His command to us, He will honor it.
But God’s Word to His prophet was not finished; for the Holy Spirit must be present and working in the lives of His people.
Ezekiel 37:9 “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, Son of man, and say unto the wind, Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”
God does not do things in halves. His Purpose for His people in every age, is life. A life with Him.
Israel refused such a life, therefore they were driven out of the land God gave them, and were in a state of spiritual death.
But now, God was going to revive them; through His Words, and by His Spirit.
Are you like these dry bones; very dry?
Then hear God’s Word to you, and receive His Holy Spirit and be born again….
Or if you are born again……awaken to Christ’s Life,….again.
Christ Jesus said when He was here:
John 3:7-8 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
(You can see the results of the wind: leaves blowing, things blowing in the wind; but you can not see the wind.
To be born again is the same: you can see the results of the new birth within the life of a true Christian, but you can not see the Holy Spirit)
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
There is also the re-awaking of life within you: It is so easy for us to fall asleep in our Christian life.
Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
Again, Ezekiel obeyed God’s command:
Ezekiel 37:10 “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”
Real life comes through God’s Spirit coming within us, and empowering us, as He tells Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 37:13-14 “And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves.
And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live,…”
The Lord indeed did bring them out of the “graves” of captivity.
God spoke to a foreign king and he opened the door to return!
2 Chronicles 36:22-23 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem…..Who is there among you of all His people? The Lord his God be with him and let him go up.”
God’s Purpose for His people in every age is life; His life within us; and a life with Him.
Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
To have Spiritual Life, is to have the Spirit of God within you.
If you are as dry as this valley of dry bones, come to Jesus Christ. Hear His Word again, and stifle not the Spirit of God.
Hear His Word to you, and your soul shall live.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 