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Today we are reading from Ezekiel 37, about the valley of dry bones. Last time we met we learned about For His Name’s Sake. You can read more in my Ezekiel Studies here and here.
The Lord has taken firm hold on Ezekiel and brought him to a Valley of Dry Bones. Every where he looked there were bones… they were lying on the surface of the valley and were very dry.
God asked Ezekiel a simple question : “Son of man, can these bones live?”
Ezekiel didn’t really answer him other than to say “O Lord God, you know.”
The Lord then told Ezekiel to prophesy over those bones and tell them to hear the word of the Lord, telling Ezekiel that when he did so those bones would come alive.
Ezekiel did as he was told and behold
“there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
Can you imagine it? Being in a valley and all these dry bones being gathered together into bodies? I would seriously be freaked out. But Ezekiel is apparently made of sterner stuff than I as he did as he was commanded and there is no sign in the writing that he was freaked out.
God gave him the explanation for this vision.
The bones are the house of Israel.“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.”
Israel has been saying “‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’”
So God is telling his people, through Ezekiel, that he has heard them and is going to take action. Rising his people up from their graves and giving them his Spirit so they shall live.
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
You know something?
I hear these words this morning and I feel like a new hope is starting to rise up within me.
I’ve been feeling hard pressed lately.
Fretting about the future, fretting over the unkindness of some folks regarding hubby and his work situation, fretting about the critters, my lad, my work and so forth. Starting to feel beat up inside.
And here I find a Lord God who hears his people.
I am brought to mind of the books I’ve read this week… about my calling as a parent to raise a child with God-conciousness and a God-submission attitude, about prayer and how it can change a whole neighbourhood and how sin is sin and needs to be recognized as such…and today’s reminder of how God HEARS his people, he hears the cry of their heart and answers it.
It’s a reminder to me that God holds me close in his hand. He holds my hubby and my son and all I have to do is talk to him. Tell him my frets and he’ll hear them and he will take action. He will. His Spirit will be poured into me and I will have new life again.
I finished up Ezekiel a while back but still enjoy reading your take on passages. What a good job placing this in perspective in your own life as a parent. – Lori
You are much faster than I am….but I'll get there. 🙂