Scripture
The Lord showed me a valley of dry bones, and everywhere I looked I saw bones that were dried out. He said, “Ezekiel, son of man, can these bones come back to life?”
~Ezekiel 37:2-3, CEV
Quote
Most, if not all that we see happening in the world today, has been prophesied in the bible.
~Ya’akov
Ezekiel lived in exile and his ministry was to a group of Jews who were filled with bitterness [blamed God for their circumstances] and despair. A part of his ministry was to confront them concerning their sins: they were living as defeated people because they had sinned against God and had refused to repent. Even though they had seen the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation itself; they continue to be rebellious and unrepentant. Ezekiel himself needed a message of hope and this is what chapter 37 is all about. In the vision of the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel and the LORD are walking among the bones of a defeated army. This army died in defeat and did not get a burial. It is a valley filled with skeletons; dry bones in every direction. After a brief walk through this bone yard, the LORD says to Ezekiel, “Do you believe these bones can live again?” Ezekiel said what I would have said, “LORD, only You know!”
Our conditions are probably not as bad as that of the Jews in exile but there are areas in our life where we struggle with hope. Take my word for it: I struggle with hope. The Jews were cynical and filled with unbelief: there was hope but they didn’t see it. Ezekiel literally preached Jesus to them but they didn’t get it. We cannot, we must not give in to despair and cynicism. Can I raise a skeleton to life? Of course not but God can and He will. Things that are out of our control or not out of His control. Things that are impossible for us are not impossible for Him.
There are two applications I want to make: the first regards the church and the second Israel. Our churches have become bone yards filled with dry bones. I am including myself among the dry bones. Our unbelief has muted us. When Gabriel told Zachariah that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son, Zachariah did not believe because he and Elizabeth were old. His unbelief rendered him speechless and I am afraid, this is has happened to us. We don’t even give God proper praise within the walls of the worship center. Every church I know desperately needs REVIVAL. Can Wade, Tim, or Franklin Graham make these dry bones come to life? NO! But God can. I pray for Revival everyday and I am going to keep on praying for Revival.
The second application is the nation Israel. Ezekiel and all the prophets make it clear that God will raise these dry bones. So much of Ezekiel’s prophecy has been fulfilled in our life time. Israel {Galilee} has become a garden. Beautiful fields of grain, fruit and vegetables. I have seen it. But like the exiles, the Jews are still filled with unbelief which renders them dry bones. This will change. I hope I live to see it: as sure as I am on this computer, these bones will come to life and when they do, it will constitute a mighty army. They will finish what we started. It will be an army of Apostle Paul’s getting the gospel to the ends of the earth. God is not through with Israel and He is not through with the Church. These dry bones will live!
We have to drive through a monsoon going to church last night. It was raining cats and dogs. We got some at the house, I don’t know how much. It didn’t start raining on us until we got to I-65 and then it rained all the way to Grace Point. PTL for the rain.
Lilly has gone back to St. Jude’s for a couple of days. I will try to touch base with Tracey B. tomorrow. Keep praying for a miracle.