The hand of the Lord was on 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, “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 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, breath, from the four winds 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 people 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: 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.’”
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NIV)
Droughts can be a devastating natural phenomenon. They devastate the plants and vegetation in the area which is experiencing the drought. A ripple effect then occurs. If plants, trees, and other fauna are no longer present, the food supply for animals including humans is gone. This can lead to starvation. The absence of plant life and lack of water can also cause major dust storms because there is nothing to keep the soil in place when the winds blow. An economic impact also occurs since crops and livestock are wiped out. This impact affects those outside of the agricultural industry as food supply dwindles and prices rise to record levels. Life suffers when the land is too dry.
The well-known story we find in Ezekiel today speaks of a dryness and lack of life. The prophet has a vision which entails him going to a valley filled with dry bones. While in this valley, God gives Ezekiel three messages to deliver. The first message is to the bones in the valley. This message is that God will bring life back to the bones. While the prophet delivers the message, the bones come together and are given flesh to connect them and create a body. The second message is to the breath of life. While this message is shared, the breath enters the reconstructed bodies and gives them life. The third message is to the Israelites. It is a message of promise; the promise that God would bring Israel back to life and return the people to the land of their ancestors.
There are times in our own experiences when we can feel lifeless and dried up physically, emotionally, mentally and/or spiritually. The story of Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones can be an encouraging story for us during those times. It reminds us that when we are experiencing a drought in our life, God Is able to breathe new life into us. As God sends rain to a drought-stricken land, God will send us what we need to be restored. This is possible on an individual or a group level. The nation of Israel needed God to end their drought just as individuals within that nation needed it. Call on the Lord for new life whenever you are dry.
A Faith Understanding 