Written ~ 11-18-2023
Ezekiel 37:1-10
1 “The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “You alone know the answer to that.”
4 Then He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I spoke this message, just as He told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9 Then He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10 So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.”
Ezekiel was a prophet used by God during the time the Israelites were in exile because of their rebellion and sin. Ezekiel often spoke to the people, bringing encouraging words to them when he could. God gave him visions and messages to explain to the people everything that would happen to them. These people were in the midst of destruction and chaos. I’m sure they didn’t feel like they were going to get out alive.
Our passage today is the vision and message God gave to Ezekiel to tell the Israelites they would indeed be brought “back to life” and become a strong and mighty army once again. Can you imagine looking out onto a vast valley floor and seeing it covered with bones? I probably would wonder what in the world had happened to all those people. It would have looked like a devastating defeat of a great army! Here we have Ezekiel walking with the Lord, he is being led all around looking at dried out old bones scattered everywhere. Then the Lord asks Ezekiel a question, verse 37:3a,
3 Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
Now, if the Lord were to ask me that kind of question, I think I would have been speechless, seeing all those dried out bones just scattered about, I’m sure I would have my doubts that anything could be done with those bones. I have a feeling Ezekiel was maybe thinking the same thing, verse 37:3b,
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “You alone know the answer to that.”
After that, we see the power and majesty of the Lord in action. The Lord said to Ezekiel, “Speak to these dry bones, tell them the Lord is going to put flesh and muscles and skin back on their dry bones and I will breathe life into them so they can be a great army once again.” And just as Ezekiel spoke the Word of the Lord, the scene must have been incredible to witness. He heard rattling of the bones as the skeletons were reattaching themselves, then flesh and muscles and skin began covering each skeleton until the valley floor was covered with lifeless bodies. But that wasn’t the end, the Lord then said to Ezekiel, verse 37:9,
9 “Then He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
As soon as Ezekiel spoke the Word of the Lord again, this is what happened, verse 37:10,
10 “So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.”
Wow! You can’t tell me that this scene wouldn’t have been astonishing! The power of the Lord, bringing dried out bones to life! The message to God’s people was that restoration would happen, despair might be what was clinging to their hearts at the moment, but by the mighty hand of the Lord, they were going to be revitalized and renewed.
Let’s look at what the Lord says in verse 37:11,
11 “Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone…’”
Have you ever felt that all hope is gone when going through a particular situation? You have tried to see a way out on your own but it all just seems hopeless. Have you allowed the stressful circumstances that swirl all around you to completely drain the life out of you? Well, good news! Stop trying to work through your stress and anxiety on your own! The Lord is mighty, He is powerful, He will see you through every rough patch, but you have got to allow Him to breathe new life into your “dry bones.” Don’t remain in a state of “All hope is gone.” That’s not where victory is. Victory comes when we place our hope in the Lord’s hands. If ever you feel like just giving up, you’re tired, your energy has been zapped, you only want to lay down and let life pass you by, I need to be a voice of encouragement. The Lord can breathe life back into your deadened spirit, He can help you rise up out of despair and regain life, rejuvenated and restored! Look at what it says in verse 37:13 and 14,
13 “When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again… Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
No matter what we are going through, life can throw us some curve balls straight out of left field which have the potential to take us down, BUT… the Lord has spoken! He has spoken over your life, so whatever you are placing your hope in right now… MAKE SURE it is only the Word of the Lord.
“Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breath into these dead bodies so they may live again!”
~AMEN~