The Dry Bones Live: Turning an Upside-Down World Right-Side Up

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14

 

Ezekiel 37:5

Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.

(NKJV)

 

The woke world in which we live is a world woke with an ungodly philosophy wanting is to become woke to the idea that abortion is not murder but a choice. We are to become woke to the idea that there are more than two genders and that one unhappy with their gender at birth can change it. This is an upside-down world that is dead like the dead bones of Ezekiel 37:1-14. It is time for the dead bones to come alive.

 

The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Ezekiel, and he is set down in the Spirit in a valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1). As the Lord takes Ezekiel through the valley of dry bones that are numerous, the Lord asks Ezekiel if the bones can live. Ezekiel answers with, “O Lord God, You know.” (Ezekiel 37:2-3). The Lord then commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, telling them to hear the word of the Lord (Ezekiel 37:4). The word of the Lord to the dry bones is that they will live and have sinews, flesh, and skin on them, so they will know the Lord is the Lord God (Ezekiel 37:5-6).

 

Ezekiel did as the Lord commanded and heard the noise of the bones coming together (Ezekiel 37:7). Then sinews, flesh, and skin covered the once dry bones, but they had no breath of life yet (Ezekiel 37:8). The Lord then commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, telling it to come from the four winds and breath on those slain that they may live (Ezekiel 37:9). Ezekiel did as commanded by the Lord and the bones lived, becoming an exceeding great army (Ezekiel 37:10).

 

The Lord then lets Ezekiel know what this vision symbolizes. The bones represent the whole house of Israel who are in the dryness of exile with no hope (Ezekiel 37:11). The symbolism of the bones coming to life is God opening up their graves of exile and hopelessness and returning them to the land of Israel (Ezekiel 37:12). It is this restoration of life to Israel that will cause them to realize the Lord is the Lord God (Ezekiel 37:13). The breath represents the Spirit of God that will be put in them so they will live in the land of Israel. This is a word from the Lord that will come to pass (Ezekiel 37:14).

 

After seventy years of exile, the house of Israel is feeling dead and hopeless. This imagery is a prophecy illustrating the miracle of the return of the exiles to their land. The imagery of dead bones coming to life seems to be a scene out of a horror movie, but to the people in exile for seventy years, the thought of life back in their homeland was comforting. Not only will they return to their land, but they will thrive in it (Ezekiel 36:33-36). In hindsight, we know this prophecy was fulfilled when King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree permitting the exiles to return, providing all they would need to rebuild (Ezra 1). The dead dry bones of exile did come back to life.

 

The Church that teaches the whole Bible is in exile in a fallen world, serving as ambassadors for Christ (Ephesians 6:19-20). The mission of the Church is to bring the message of life through freedom from sin to a world ruled by sin, making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 8:2). Unfortunately, many modern churches are like the Church of Laodicea, a lukewarm Church comfortable in their wealth and not believing they need anything (Revelation 3:14-17). Like all of us, this Church needs Jesus and the fire of the Spirit of God to bring it out of its lukewarmness. Fortunately, there is a remnant in the Church that worships God in Spirit and truth, the truth of God’s Word with the fire of the Holy Spirit within them (John 4:23-24). This was how the Church in the book of Acts worked, and they were accused of turning their world upside down (Acts 17:6). Our world today is already upside down and needs a Church of Spirit and Truth, committed to its mission of spreading the Gospel to turn it right side up.

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to make Jesus your savior or have grown lukewarm or cold in your walk with the Lord, I invite you to either commit your life to the Lord for the first time or rededicate your life to the Lord by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I invite you to let someone know of your decision or to comment on this post about your decision. I also encourage you to become involved in a Church that teaches the Bible and follow through with baptism as a public confession of your faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.