The Valley of Dry Bones

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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.

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. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 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 and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Today I wanted to look back into the theme verse for TC this year. I think its a very powerful and compelling verse, from Ezekiel 37:23. It says,
23 They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.
I wanted to read more about what context it was in, but when reading Ezekiel 37, i found the first bit really intriguing, so today I want to talk about that. The Valley of Dry Bones.

Reading this passage, (verses 1-14) I am still a bit lost in what context it is in, but the scripture was very interesting. To sum it up, it talks about walking through a valley of bones and how the Lord will speak and breathe life into them. It even goes into detail with the tendon and flesh forming.

Two portions of this passage stood out to me,

verse 5-6,
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.’”

It says I will do this, I am going to do that, I, I, I meaning God. He is the one that is breathing in life into us. He is granting us the Holy Spirit and purpose when we believe in him. No one and nothing can give us that. No materialistic thing, no friend or relationship can give us that permanent joy and satisfaction.

I think there are three stages illustrated within this bit of the passage. First, we are all just dry bones (v.1). This is before we've come to Christ or even heard of him. We're dead, dry bones with no meaning, no purpose, not attached to anything, on our own. Then later in the passage when prophesied, the bones came to life, "the bones came together" "and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them", but the most important part, "there was no breath in them" (v. 7-8). I think you can take this stage as hearing about God, and starting to see his love, his life, his grace and his mercy for us. BUT, there is no breath in us. The last stage is when life is breathed into us. And when "breath enters them, they came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast army" (v. 10). When we've repented and have turned away from sin, fully committing and dedicating our life to our Lord and Saviour, that is when we can true stand up on our feet and be apart of this "vast army". An army for God as we fight for his glory, fight against the devil and the temptations Satan may bring our way.

verse 12-14,
12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 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 and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”

Like that verse (Colossians 2:13), we were once dead, but God has given us new life, and has "opened our graves", "causing us to rise again". By giving our lives to God, he has given us much more, a greater life, and a greater purpose. God has already gifted us with eternal life, and because of that, let us run the race, and fight the good fight!

verse of the day: Ezekiel 37:14
14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”

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