The prophet Ezekiel moved mightily in the Spirit and the Lord gave him a vision that holds a timely message of spiritual awakening for the church today. As was true of most Old Testament prophets, Ezekiel served Israel’s king, which meant traveling with the king’s army and witnessing the horrors of war. But Ezekiel received a vision so terrible that it surpassed anything he had ever witnessed in real life.
God told Ezekiel, “Sit down, I have something to show you” (see Ezekiel 37:1). The Hebrew word for “sit down” as used here is the same word found in Luke 24:49 when Jesus instructed his disciples, “Stay [sit down] in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The meaning in both instances is, “Lay down your plans and strategies and then wait on me to fill you with my power.”
In Ezekiel’s vision, he was led into a valley filled with dry bones: “[He] set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many … and behold, they were very dry” (37:1-2). What a terrible scene — a vast stretch of land filled with skeletons as far as Ezekiel could see. As Ezekiel surveyed the scene in front of him, God asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (37:3). And Ezekiel responded, “O Lord God, You know” (same verse). Ezekiel’s answer was one of complete trust — just the answer God was waiting to hear.
You may be experiencing many difficult things in your life and, if so, Christ asks the same question of you today: “Can the dry bones of your situation come to life? Do you believe it can happen?”
God told Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones that they might live and he asks the same of us. Once our faith is engaged, he calls us to action, to speak life into our families and our various challenges. “Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live” (37:6).
Out of chaos, Jesus produces life; out of ashes, he produces beauty. And into a horrific situation that the enemy means only for destruction, Jesus breathes new life!