Dry Bones

Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
"Oh, hear the word of the Lord."
The toe bone connected to the heel bone,
The heel bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

While doing my reading the other night for our "How to Read the Bible" group, this song immediately popped into my head and I have yet to get it out. That was 3 nights ago. It's a song a lot of people are familiar with. It's catchy (perhaps a little too catchy), but do you understand the passage it's talking about in Ezekiel? Personally I had no idea prior to reading chapter 37 this week. It's a fascinating and incredible passage to read. Bear with me and read on.

¹ The hand of the LORD was upon 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, "O 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 ^a]">[a] 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 from the four winds, O breath, 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 whole house 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: O 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.' "

For just a little bit of a background, this particular passage is symbolizing the restoration of Israel and Judah after being in exile for many years and their recovery from their present unfaithfulness as a people. Israel and Judah have experienced the wrath of God as they have failed to remain faithful to the covenant, but despite their wickedness, God continually extends grace and mercy upon them (not without punishment for their sins though). God breathes new life into His people, His spirit dwelling among and within them.

Isn't it an amazing passage? The imagery and the story is fantastic. As children of God we are commonly described as nice things (ie - sheep in the fold of God). Rarely are we depicted as something as raw and unappealing as dead bones. But isn't that picture of dry bones in a pit more fitting for us? It isn't until God breathes life through the Holy Spirit that we become desirable creatures. I love the picture of God hovering over a valley of dead, dry bones, taking a deep breath in and blowing breath over the mass of bones. I imagine them one by one slowly taking form and coming to life, not because of anything we have done or deserved, but rather just because God desires to be in relationship with us. It's a beautiful and majestic picture of the grandeur and holiness of God.

Without the presence of the Holy Spirit moving within us, we are just a composition of bones, but when the spirit enters we are given a new life. We become purposeful. It's a beautiful thing!

"My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever. "