I remember a time when I was driving back to school for college. The gas gauge in my car didn’t work, and I’d used up all the cash I had filling up. The car lately had been getting much worse fuel efficiency than I expected and I wasn’t sure if I had enough gas to make it home. Those last 40 miles or so were nerve wracking.
As we look at Ezekiel 37 today, we’re talking about a people who had lost all hope. They were a people who wondered how much further they could go. They wondered if there was a future for them at all.
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Welcome to the Valley of Dry Bones
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Ezekiel 37:1-3 (NIV)
God brings Ezekiel to a very surreal place and asks a very odd question. There’s a valley full of dry bones, bones that were exposed to the sun for many years. It was odd enough to be there, but then God asks if those bones could live. Later on we get some context about what God is talking about.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’
Ezekiel 37:11 (NIV)
God is speaking of the state of the people of Israel. All of this happened after Jerusalem had been captured and destroyed by the Babylonians. The temple had been destroyed as well. Ezekiel was one of the many who were carried off into captivity.
Israel had a long history and proud legacy. They were the people of God. And yet, it was all over. Their hope was gone.
Have you been in that valley?
Have you been at that point where everything seems lost? When it all seems hopeless? All you know is despair and God asks if these bones can live and you’re not sure what to answer.
Our congregation has experienced some rough times in the past. And then COVID hits, and just when we think we’re getting better, we’re searching for a minister. Sometimes we can look at things and wonder, can these dry bones really live?
If you’ve been there, you can relate to Ezekiel saying “only you know.” You get that point in life where it’s hard to imagine things being good again.
If I were in his shoes, I’d wonder why God even brought me here. Is He trying to remind me how bad things are? Is He rubbing my face in my mistakes that brought me to this place? Does He really need to do this right now?
The purpose of being brought to the valley.
However, we discover that God isn’t doing this to kick Ezekiel when he’s down. In fact he’s doing just the opposite.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Ezekiel 37:4-10 (NIV)
The setting is creepy enough, but then we get this. There’s rattling and noise as God brings these bones to life. Fortunately it doesn’t stop with that, but God explains what He’s doing.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
Ezekiel 37:11-14 (NIV)
The purpose was not to remind Ezekiel of the despair, but to bring encouragement. God says “I know it feels like all hope is lost. I know it feels like the tank is empty and you wonder how far you can keep going. But I’m at work here and there’s something ahead to look forward to.”
God is still working
God gives a glimpse of a brighter future for Israel. That future isn’t just for Israel, but for all mankind.
First, God says Israel will return home one day. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of God’s people returning and rebuilding the temple and the city.
But then God takes it further out. He speaks of when His Spirit would be IN His people. This points us to the time of Pentecost and beyond, when God’s spirit would dwell within His people. Ultimately God points to the church as His kingdom.
If you keep reading in the latter half of Ezekiel 37, you’ll see God speak of how His kingdom would renew. David would once again rule, but he would rule forever. Leading into Easter, we spoke of God’s promise to restore His Kingdom. This passage in Ezekiel is one of those promises.
Easter week is essentially the story of Jesus marching on Jerusalem to do what needed to be done to secure His kingdom. However, he didn’t conquer with a sword and an army, but with humility, suffering, and sacrifice. The empty tomb marked His victory over death. Ezekiel points to this victory.
Can these bones live?
These past couple of weeks we’ve looked at the aftermath of Jesus’s victory over death and over hell. While we’re done with our series on Matthew, it’s appropriate to still looke at what’s next.
God points to the everlasting Kingdom and the indwelling of His Spirit. His Spirit brought these bones to life.
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
John 6:61-63 (NIV)
For there to be life, the Spirit needs to be part of it.
Can these bones live? Whether they are the bones of our own despair, our tiredness, our challenging situations, or if they’re the bones of Green Mountain Christian Church, the answer is consistent: There is life in the Spirit. God’s Spirit can bring things to life.
By God’s Spirit, these bones can live. They can do more than live: they can thrive!
There is hope in this story, but also a warning. The hope is that something lies ahead. God can deliver us from the situation. He can turn a small congregation into a powerful force for His Kingdom.
The warning is that we can’t do it alone. On their own, the bones can’t live. They’ll just lie there forever. On our own, we continue to struggle. It’s only by His Spirit that these bones will live.
Is it time to speak to the bones and invite God’s spirit into our lives? Is it time to speak to these bones and invite His Spirit to take over our church?
These bones can live. They can thrive. They can do amazing things. The question is if we’re ready to invite His Spirit into them so they can have that life.