Dry Bones?
Another one...
“Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
“dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones…. Now hear the word of the Lord.”
Do you ever feel like you are dry bones? Israel did. In fact, God described their condition as “desolate indeed, and crushed… from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became an object of gossip and slander among the people.” (Ez. 36:3) Ever felt that way?
Israel had become dry bones as a result of their rebellion against God. God let them reap the consequence of their rebellion. They were exiled to Babylon and their beloved, sacred city of Jerusalem was destroyed!
Then one day, God breaks Ezekiel’s silent exile in Tel Aviv in order to give Israel a message. “I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.”
What is this? God is going to bring life again to Israel? In order for the world to know that God is still the great God of Israel, God is going to restore Israel! “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act.”
God is great at restoring life! Isn’t that what the Easter story is all about – the restoration of life? It seems that at times, things must die in order for life to be revived. We plant a dormant seed in the ground and soon we see its sprouts. Jesus dies on the cross, and at his resurrection life is given victory over death. And at times aspects of our lives must die in order to make way for the new.
Are your bones dry? Feel like there is no life left in you? Hold on to hope, because Life is coming! If I know anything about God’s character, it is that the God we serve, the God of the universe, finds pleasure in bringing life to dry bones!
Almighty Restorer of Life, these bones are dry and they need some refreshing. Amen.
“Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
“dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones…. Now hear the word of the Lord.”
Do you ever feel like you are dry bones? Israel did. In fact, God described their condition as “desolate indeed, and crushed… from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became an object of gossip and slander among the people.” (Ez. 36:3) Ever felt that way?
Israel had become dry bones as a result of their rebellion against God. God let them reap the consequence of their rebellion. They were exiled to Babylon and their beloved, sacred city of Jerusalem was destroyed!
Then one day, God breaks Ezekiel’s silent exile in Tel Aviv in order to give Israel a message. “I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.”
What is this? God is going to bring life again to Israel? In order for the world to know that God is still the great God of Israel, God is going to restore Israel! “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act.”
God is great at restoring life! Isn’t that what the Easter story is all about – the restoration of life? It seems that at times, things must die in order for life to be revived. We plant a dormant seed in the ground and soon we see its sprouts. Jesus dies on the cross, and at his resurrection life is given victory over death. And at times aspects of our lives must die in order to make way for the new.
Are your bones dry? Feel like there is no life left in you? Hold on to hope, because Life is coming! If I know anything about God’s character, it is that the God we serve, the God of the universe, finds pleasure in bringing life to dry bones!
Almighty Restorer of Life, these bones are dry and they need some refreshing. Amen.
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