Dry Bones

Dry Bones

Once again, the Lord speaks to me through a sermon from one of His great servants. It was about Ezekiel 37; the Valley of Dry Bones. “The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.”

This is US. This is our church – your church – my church - today – right where we stand before God this morning. We are like a valley full of dry old bones. Lifeless; nothing to say; unable to move because of our lifelessness.

Much as we might want to move, there is no chance because we are without life. We are a dead church. “Oh, oh”, I hear you cry. “What about this? What about that?” I tell you that in God’s eyes, and from where He perceives us, most of us are, or may as well be, dead.

Does that mean God has given up on us? Not at all. There is still hope, even for us. “3And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” I don’t know about you, but God sometimes seems to ask some quite silly questions and then He answers Himself with quite outrageous answers. If God didn’t know the answer before He asked the question, then He is not God.

“4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”

Wow – now here is a real God-type promise. It is a promise that only He can fulfil. We are just not capable of the creative sort of miracle of which He speaks here. Putting flesh onto bare bones then putting breath into lifeless bodies?

Hmmm – Yet that is precisely what the Lord is promising His church today. He is saying that He will take us, just as we are – lifeless and stripped of all humanity right down to our bare bones – and He will rebuild us and create us anew to be people of God once again. His people.

“7So I prophesied as I was commanded; . . . . . but there was no breath in them.” Here the prophet foresees the time when God Himself will intervene on our behalf; He will take our wasted, bare boned state, and He will bring us back to life once more. Muscle and sinews back on dry bones, and then covered in skin – presumable and hair too. But wait, there is a twist here.

“9Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” He may have rebuilt our bodies but there is yet something missing – the breath of life. He has not yet breathed His breath, the breath of creation, the breath and power of His Spirit, into us. So He calls the prophet to call His Spirit from the four winds, from the four directions of the compass. This is one of the most exciting promises He makes to us today.

“10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

What an amazing concept. What an exciting prospect ..... To be recreated from bones, and brought to life with the power and Spirit of God within us as part of His great – dare I say it? – end time army.

“11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” Actually, what He said to me personally was “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Sleaford. This recreation is the church there. This army, filled with My power and Spirit, is what I am doing among you. If you are willing, then I am willing. If you will, then I will.”

That’s quite a challenge isn’t it? Are you willing today? Will you go along with God this morning? Will you claim this promise for your church in your town in your country?

The Lord is awaiting your answer – with bated breath.