Ezekiel 37:1-14

Prophet Ezekiel was prophesying to the exiled Jews in Babylon from 593 BC. Jerusalem was completely destroyed by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. God punished them as they were doing evil inspite of continuous warnings.(Please read Jer.52). Now God is speaking to Ezekiel and giving a message of hope and restoration. A dead nation will be restored to life.

A. The valley of bones. Vision of Ezekiel. Eze.37:1-3.

In a vision, God brought Ezekiel to a valley which was full of dry bones. The floor of the valley was so dense with dry bones.

The lives represented by these bones were not only dead; they were disgraced. These bones were denied proper burial.(The vision may have been prompted by the actual memory of seeing the Israelites dead, strewn outside Jerusalem or scattered along the desert road that led Ezekiel and his companions into exile.)

Can these bones live?. 37:3
No one hopes that scattered, detached bones might live.

Ezekiel had no hope in the bones but he did have hope in God. He was confident that God knows.(Eze.37:3).

B. Speaking life to dead bones. Eze.37:4-7.

a. Prophesy to these bones. 37:4.

In 37:3, Ezekiel deliberately left the matter with God’s power and wisdom. Then, God gave the prophet something to do. God commanded him to speak, to prophesy to the dry dead bones.

By all outward observation, this was a vain and foolish act.

b. Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
Ezekiel could preach this message only with full of faith in God.

c. I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. 37:5.
God promised to fill the dry bones with breath. He promised to bring flesh upon these bones and cover them with skin. God would make the once dead and dry bones live.

C. Dead bones assemble together. Eze.37:7,8

a. So I prophesied as I was commanded.
To human perception, this proclamation of the Word of God to dry bones was foolish, yet Ezekiel obeyed.
b. The bones came together, bone by bone.
When God restores, He put things together in the right way.
c. The sinews and flesh came upon them.
The reviving of the dry bones clearly happened in stages.

D. Prophesy to the bones to bring life and strength into it. Eze. 37:9-10

a. Prophesy to the breath.
Told to call upon the breath.

b. Come from the four winds, O breath.
Ezekiel was commanded to pray – to boldly prophesy to the Spirit.

c. So I prophesied as He commanded.
Now he prophesied and prayed for the work to be completed.

d. Breath came into them
The breath of God came into them and they stood upon their feet.

e. A vast army
Not to live for their comforts but to act under the order of the one who gave them life.

(Ezekiel 37:11-14, God explains the vision to Ezekiel. Not only Judah, the whole of Israel will be brought back to their land.)

Church was very strong and active in many countries. Because of sin virus, we can see only dry bones scattered all over. Let us pray and proclaim the Word of the Lord to these dry bones. God is able to give life to these dry bones. What is happening in the world today is an act of God. Millions of dry bones, all over the world are coming back to life.

Do we see dry bones all around us?
Are we willing to obey God (Matthew.28:18-20.) and preach the Word of the Lord to these dry bones?

Let us be an Ezekiel in our generation. If we do our part of proclamation, God will do His part by bringing life to these dry bones.

Rev.C.V.Abraham

Lockdown Reflections… 📝
Food from my Host’s Kitchen Table 🍽️🍯🥛🍴
Take a Break with Jesus in the Lockdown 🍞☕
Day 186, 270 Days Bible Reading, Saturday, 16.1.21.✒

In this Lockdown God is able to bring life into our dead situation… Ezekiel 37:1-8

🍃 I started my Lockdown reflections with Ezekiel in the last round of the 240 Days Bible Reading Programme, writing about the Valley of the Dry Bones, and I am still in Lockdown as I am writing on it in this round of the 270 Days Bible Reading Programme. The great difference between the two seasons is that I have still not surrendered to my surroundings. Still here after 11 months, learning, growing and seeking God, until the Covid-19 situation is brought to its conclusion. In this Lockdown season let us continue to look up to God and look into the Word, and let God bring us out of the Valley of Dry Bones with His Resurrection Power that is working in us.

🍃 The Book of Ezekiel was written after the defeat of the Southern Kingdom of Judah by the Babylonians. It was now the time of judgment for Judah. Judah became so wicked that there was really no difference between them — God’s chosen people, and the pagan people — that surrounded them. The truth is, God’s people were often worse. And so God sent His prophets. He sent prophets after prophets; those fiery, passionate men, who loudly and boldly proclaimed: “Thus saith the Lord.” They were not popular men. Anyone who came proclaiming God’s purity, holiness, human sinfulness and depravity were never going to be people-pleasers. And these prophets were often persecuted and killed. God’s chosen people chose to ignore and oppress God’s chosen messengers.

🍃 Child of God, Remember this, the vision which God gave to Ezekiel of a valley of dry bones, having flesh and blood and breath given to them by a Sovereign and Omnipotent God, still applies to us, even in this lockdown. This vision of life, coming to those long dead, applies to us now as well, because God is able to give us Life — a New Life. We can, by faith in the Resurrection Power, come out of the Valley of Dry Bones. Jesus is the life-giving Spirit, 1 Corinthians 15:45.

🍃 God has promised those who hear His voice, who listen to His Word, that they can have life and life to the fullest, John 6:63, John 10:10. We can have a New Life in our nation and in our personal lives; but only by the Spirit of God. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, coming to life, is a wonderful example of God’s resurrection power. It is a picture that speaks about our own Personal Resurrection that will come to pass when Jesus comes back in Glory and it also speaks of the Coming Resurrection of the Nation of Israel, when God will bring that Nation out of the ashes of history.

🍃 We, for so long, have blamed ancient Israel for going away from God. But, what about us today? Worship of the One True God, through Jesus Christ, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, has been replaced with all kinds of ideology, philosophy, gods and religions, entertainment.., which are added into the pure worship of the only Living God. We find in Ezekiel 37, once again, a Merciful and Gracious God. Yes, He will judge sin. But He will also forgive sin, if we truly repent, confess and return to God. And He will provide a new life for His people.

🍃 In this lockdown, God will use what Satan meant for death and destruction, for our good, to bring Life and Power in our dead situation… Amen. 🙏

anniekoshy@God’s Thirstydeer 🦌 Breaking the Chain with You… ⛓️

Ezekial 36:21-23 Then I was concerned for my holy name on which my people brought shame among the nation’s… I am bringing you back but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name… I will show how holy my great name is… then the nations will know that I am the Lord.

The people of other lands formed their opinion of God, based on the conduct of His people when they sinned, their behavior stood in contrast to the Holy God, they claimed to serve.To defend His own reputation, He was forced to send them out of the land. Foreigners would interpret their defeat as a sign that their God was weak.

To manifest His holiness and power in the sight of nations, He brought the exiles to their homeland though they did nothing to deserve. God will not share His glory with false gods. He alone is the one true God.

We have a responsibility to represent God properly to the rest of the world.

Cynthia Sathiaraj
Chennai