The Bones

Ezekiel is one of my favorites from the Bible. He was given the ability to see with God's vision and speak with the voice of the Spirit. In chapter 37, God asks Ezekiel to speak on His behalf and amazing change takes place. I remember the first time I read the first fourteen verses to my wife. She told me it was an interesting story about a bunch of dried up bones. She did not see the deep meaning of this bone story.

The Bible is filled with amazing stories and most people never discover that it is alive. What I mean is that Jesus is the Living Word. These stories come to life when we discover that we are part of the story and that Jesus is actually speaking to us. The Holy Spirit shows us how we are part of the story just as He showed me in my first Bible lesson (see earlier post).

Jesus does not have the time and space boundaries that we have. When we read the Bible, He is able to move from the pages we are reading to our hearts. This cannot be explained in human terms but the effects can be seen.

The story of the bones is a great example of how we can see changes in others when they invite Jesus into their hearts. I have witnessed this myself many times as I shared the meaning of the bones to others.

Before you read the story of the bones below, picture yourself in the middle of the plain that is full of bones. This chapter is for you. You are the bones and God is speaking to you as you read the story. This story can come alive inside of you. He is calling you out of your cave just as he called me out of mine just ninety days ago. It is time for you to live. He wants all of us to unite and be ready for Him when He returns just as He told the naked cave man. You are the star of the bones story.

The Spirit will come into your heart just as Jesus promises in the fourteenth verse, but only if you decide to unlock the door to your heart and let Him in. Are you ready to come out of the cave?

Ezekiel 37

The Valley of Dry Bones

1 The hand of the LORD was upon 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. 2 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. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath [a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 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.' "

7 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. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 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 from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O 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. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 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.' "

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 37:5 The Hebrew for this word can also mean wind or spirit (see verses 6-14).