February 18, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Ezekiel? Here’s today’s reading:
Ezekiel 37 (NIV)
The Valley of Dry Bones
1 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?”.......Continue Reading
What an amazing picture of restoration and new life given through this prophecy of Ezekiel. More than simply raising the dead, God took the decayed and dry bones and gave them flesh and breath. They were restored under seemingly impossible circumstance….that amazing power of God to bring us back to life in Him no matter how far we have fallen.
And His restoration of His people will be all inclusive as the next prophecy showed us with Israel and Judah restored both together as one. One nation under God!
Ezekiel 37
AMAZINGLY BONES STARTED RATTLING AND muscles and tendons reattached themselves then skin went over the bodies. Lastly the wind from all sides blew life breath into each body! The Lord said let all nations know I am returning my people to their land and will be joining them.
What a fantastic sight to see. God can do the impossible of bringing life into people like he did in the New Testament. For example when Jesus died the graves were opened and many bodies of saints which slept arose. They went into the city and appeared to many. But in Ezekiel 37 I believe it is figurative. Verse 11 seems to clarify this that these bones are the house of Israel. They were dead spiritually and were to come back to the land of Israel from other Nations where they had scattered. All to worship God. I think this is during the 1000 year reign of Christ. God will give them a new spirit and they would live. In verses 24,25 when it refers to David is really talking about Christ. He will be their prince forever.
Ezekiel 37
Ezekiel 38
What an incredible vision this is, one fit for the movies! The answer to God’s question is obvious from a human perspective, but Ezekiel answers correctly only you God can tell whether bones can live. And by His power, they can. What a juxtaposition between the dead, decaying, disastrous state of what the Jews have caused, and the awesome, overcoming, life giving power of God to radically transform things. Things are not dead until God says they are dead. Things are not fished until God says they are finished. God always has the ability to turn things around and bring great things out of nothing. And as incredible as that picture is, how awesome is the picture of a united Israel. The division between Judah and the Northern tribes is something God never wanted. And they had been divided so long, they probably didn’t imagine how they could come together. And yet God will do that to. Call them together to live in the land promised to Abraham under a king that God has ordained, David. A little of this happened in the return from exile, but it seems the ultimate fulfillment will be during the millennial reign of Christ.
This is an amazing chapter. I found myself very moved as we read it aloud together. The power of God to bring the dead…..bones dead…back to life and to establish His kingdom. I have heard several times that David here refers to Christ, but I wonder, why wouldn’t we think that God actually means David….since He can bring the dead to life? David will be part of the eternal kingdom with a new body, I suspect, like we are told…the dead in Christ shall rise.
Ezekiel 37
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” God reigns supreme over all the universe. He is in control of everything, and he can do anything. He can even raise dry bones to life. We can rest in the assurance of his love for us, he is on his throne, and he has a perfect plan for the world and for each one of us. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
Amen, Shelly!