This week in my Bible Study Fellowship lesson, we were reading from Ezekiel 37. As I read verses 4-6, I was stopped in my tracks by the truths in this verse that I had missed previously. I love it when this occurs because it affirms and confirms the power of God’s Word. His Word is alive and reaches us just where and when we need it.
Ezekiel 37:4-6 “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 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.’”
Let’s break this down:
- What does ‘prophesy‘ really mean? First, we have to make sure we are reading the word correctly. Prophecy is a noun meaning a message from God. Prophesy is a verb that means to proclaim a message from God. God instructed the prophet Ezekiel to give a specific message.
- The message was to be given to the ‘dry bones‘. While that may sound very strange, let’s dig a little deeper. Dry bones refer to them being lifeless. When I rode horses back in the day, there was an area of one particular pasture where the ranch hand brought all of the livestock bones. Riding through this field was odd as the bones were strewn all around. They were certainly dry and certainly lifeless.
- Ezekiel’s message to these bones was to ‘hear the Word of God‘! This is a directive from God that requires action. To hear means we must pay attention and then to respond.
- Next, Ezekiel says to the bones, ‘I will make breath enter you and you will come to life.‘ This is the part that rocked me. We all remember in Genesis 2:7, it was the breath of God that caused Adam to come to life. John 20:22 tells us that Jesus breathed into the disciples with the Holy Spirit. Breath can easily be seen as a clear function of living for humans. This was no ordinary breath that Ezekiel was instructing to be breathed onto the bones. Rather, this was the breath of the living, Holy Spirit.
- “You will come to life‘ follows the breath, This is so beautifully pointing to the power of life that the Holy Spirit offers to all believers. Dry and lifeless bones and people can be revived when they allow Christ into their lives Who will then breathe the Holy Spirit into them.
- Next, he says the tendons would attach and the flesh would return. Not only does God restore the breath, He also restores the whole person. When we accept Christ, we are renewed and reborn as new creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
- ‘You will know that I am the Lord.’ There is no doubt that God Almighty can and will do amazing things in our lives. And when He does, not only are you humbled, you are encouraged and empowered by the fact that there is NO doubt of His love, grace, and mercy in your life.
The lessons from Ezekiel 37:4-6:
- Like Ezekiel, when we are listening to God, He will speak to us. He has work for all of us to do. We must stay in His Word, listen in prayer, and be willing to step up and step in as He directs us. Is there a message that He has given to you? Go to Him and ask Him how He wants you to use and to deliver this message.
- Have your bones been dry? Perhaps you’ve been lost, depressed, hurt by a church, abandoned, or have simply allowed life to turn you away from God. No matter what you believe your current condition to be, God CAN and WILL restore your dry bones if you ask HIm into your heart. He will restore your dry bones into living flesh.
- When Ezekiel gave the message to the bones, he told them to ‘hear the Word of God.’ In order for any of us to ‘hear‘ something, we must be paying attention. Sometimes, this means getting away from all of the noise of life. Finding some time to be alone with God in prayer is just what you need to be able to hear from Him.
- Have you accepted Christ into your life? If so, His beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit was given to you. Maybe you need a resuscitation from His breath. This means a restoration to your life. He is there for you and will give you what you need if you just turn to Him.
- Are you really ‘living’ your life? Or, are you simply going through the motions? Christ needs each of us to be fully living for Him. This means we all have some Kingdom work to do. When you are living your life for a higher calling, this is when you can experience a life with meaning and that has eternal value. I am praying right now for a person I know who has proclaimed to be an atheist all of their lives. As they are in their final days on this earth, they are frightened to die. Rather than experiencing peace during the last days, their time is spent in fear and worry. This is not living! It is sad to witness. Yet, God has been calling their name, and if they would stop running from Him, He would restore those dry bones.
- We all need ‘new flesh’ daily. When we spend time with God, read His Word, and live for Him, we are renewed daily. 2 Corinthians 4:16.
- Do you KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW the Lord in heaven? He knows you, and He desires to be in every part of your life. He calls each of us to stay close to Him. When we do, our dry bones are restored to life!
This was such a powerful lesson for me. A great reminder that God does not give up on anyone. He desires to restore and renew. He is the only One who can bring forth death from life. If you have accepted Him into your heart, you are living and will live for eternity with Him. Who in your life has dry bones and desperately needs to hear the Good News of restoration? Ask God to help you know what you should say. He will equip you.
MAY YOU FULLY LIVE TODAY!