Making the Dry Bones Live
October 5, 2021
Commentary
In chapter thirty-seven Ezekiel describes his remarkably beautiful vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. He sees in his vision a valley full of dry bones, bones that are not joined together, and then when joined they have no breath in them (vv. 1-14). These dry bones represented the people’s spiritually dead condition (vv 1-5). Then God breathes upon them and they come to life again. This picture of God’s grace illustrates what God is going to do with the nation of Israel. From God’s perspective she has been lying there as a nation for 2,000 years in a state of death, but a day will come when God will breathe upon this nation. Like the valley of dry bones, it will receive new spiritual life, and God will use it to reestablish His kingdom on earth. As Eusocial was giving his prophecy he saw “the bones come together, bone to its bone” (v. 7), “flesh grew” and “skin covered them” (v. 8), “breath entered them,” and “they stood up” (v. 10).
The LORD was kind enough to give us the interpretation of the vision (vv. 11-14). The main purpose of the vision was the restoration of Israel. However, if God could bring a hopeless dead nation to life, it would be a small step to the realization that the same God could conquer man’s greatest enemy, death. This vision illustrates the promise of God to a nation restored both physically and spiritually. The dry bones are a picture of the Jews in captivity, scattered and dead Spiritually. Israel had been divided into the northern and southern kingdoms after Solomon. These scattered exiles of both Israel and Judah would be released from the “graves” of captivity and one day regathered in their homeland with the Messiah as their leader.
Application
It is possible for me to find myself in a group of people that seem like a heap of dry bones, spiritually dead, with no hope of vitality, but God has promised to restore me and give me new life. As a Christian I have more to be happy about than most anyone I know.
Ezekiel 37:1– 14 (NET)
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He made me walk all around among them. I realized there were a great many bones in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message. 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live. 6 I will put tendons on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied— I heard a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I watched, I saw tendons on them, then muscles appeared, and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath in them.
9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, —prophesy, son of man—and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. 14 I will place my breath in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord—I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”
Illustration: America Has Highest Boredom Rate
America is said to have the highest per capita boredom of any spot on earth! We know that because we have the greatest number of artificial amusements of any country in the world. People have become so empty that they can’t even entertain themselves. They have to pay other people to amuse them, to make them laugh, to try to make them feel warm and happy and comfortable for a few minutes, to try to lose that awful, frightening, hollow feeling, that terrible dreaded feeling of being lost and alone. (Billy Graham in Who Said What by George Sweeting, p. 72).