Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

As we start the readings from the 5th Sunday of Lent, we look into the Book of Ezekiel, at a very familiar passage of Scripture - the Valley of Dry Bones.  As we read the passage, the Lord God has taken Ezekiel in a vision to a valley filled with human bones, hundreds of them, all disconnected and scattered about.  I have seen pictures of bones, usually cattle bones, out in a dry desert, left in the sun and baking heat.  Dry, parched bones, lying in the sun, is a symbolic picture of complete lack of life.   

God then asked Ezekiel if these bones could live.  A dry bone is about as dead as one can be.  There is no way humanly conceivable to resuscitate them.  From a natural perspective, this was not something that could happen, but Ezekiel knew that God could do anything, and that if He wanted to, He could certainly cause these bones to live.  Our God is the God of the impossible.

Ezekiel was then told by God to prophesy to the bones, and tell them to hear the Word of God, that life and breath should enter into them (vs. 4 - 8).  He did as he was commanded, and just as God said, the bones started to come together.  Just like the children’s song, shin bone to knee bone.  Knee bone to thigh bone.  Muscles, tendons, and skin came upon the bones as well, so that they looked like human beings.  With no breath in them, though, they were lifeless.  God then commands Ezekiel to speak to the wind, that it would breathe life into these standing bodies.  This happens, and the bodies are now alive (vs. 9-10).

What does all of this mean?  God explains that the bones are the people of Israel.  They are spiritually dead, without any life spiritually, just like the bones.  God will call them, just like Ezekiel did, and they will rise up as a people, and come to life (vs. 11 - 14).   Half of this prophecy has taken place.  The Jewish people have been gathered together, coming from being scattered throughout the world, and brought together as a nation for the first time in thousands of years.  The people of Israel are still spiritually dead, though.  Except for a small number, the overwhelming majority of them have never accepted Jesus as their Messiah.  Someday the rest of this prophecy will be fulfilled.  In Zechariah 12:10 we read that they, as a whole people, will look upon the Lord whom they pierced, will mourn for Him, and God’s Spirit will come upon them.  Then they will come to have spiritual life.

Nothing is too hard for God.  He can take people who have turned away from Him, and turn their hearts around and breathe new spiritual life into them, like the people of Israel.  What about individuals?  This, too, can happen.  Are there people whom you have been praying for to come to accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior, praying and praying for many years, but there is no change?  There are many people I have been praying that they will get saved, for many years.  They are just like those dry bones, no sign of any spiritual life in them, seeming so unlikely there will be any change.  It seemed that way to Ezekiel, too.  But as he saw, God could bring life to dead bones.  Don’t stop praying, as the unlikely can happen.  Their heart can still be softened and they can turn to the Lord, and like those dry bones can come to life.   Pray for a revival, both with the lost in our families, for revival in our churches and in our countries.