March 24, 1996
Ezekiel 37 - The Valley of Bones
John 11 - The Raising of Lazarus
"I am the resurrection and the life . . ." - John 11
The prophet Ezekiel is not the usual fare for devotional Bible reading. Ezekiel is sort of the surrealistic painter of the Bible, who gives us word pictures we could compare with Salvador Dali, or even Picasso. When we think of Ezekiel, if we think of him at all, we wonder where he got the strange visions of wheels within wheels, and descriptions of strange creatures that appear again only in the Book of Revelation. But absolutely none of Ezekiel's visions are more graphic— and yet more absolutely TRUE— than the virtual reality of The Valley of Dry Bones.
EZEKIEL'S VISION
GOD takes the prophet "in the spirit (Spirit)" to a valley. The valley was full of bones. Why the bones were lying on the surface of the ground Ezekiel does not say. he does say that in his vision they were very dry. They would be very unclean to a kosher Israelite.
GOD then asks a "silly" question of the prophet. In spite of the hopelessness of the scene God asks: "Son of man, can these bones live?"
In his vision Ezekiel answers very well indeed: "O Lord God, YOU know!"
GOD then gives a direct command, with promise: Give these bone THE WORD OF THE LORD— tell them there is HOPE— tell them God CARES—
Then in his vision the bones come together— they become bodies—But there still was no breath in the re-created host; so the Spirit spoke again and said, "Call for the WIND— the RUACH— the Spirit—" and the Spirit came into the assembled host. The resurrection was complete. They were hale and healthy before his eyes. This is the vision of The Valley of Dry Bones.
GOD EXPLAINS THE VISION to Ezekiel— this valley of dead, dry bones is where my people are right now— and I am sending you to tell them "I will put my Spirit in you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own place, your own possession— the place I want you to be!"
This is a story about HOPE, and about GOD, and about the power of God's WORD: THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD
John 11 repeats the message. There is HOPE when God speaks! Only this is no vision. Jesus demonstrated his authority over life and death. That miracle carried His disciples into what lay ahead. The raising of Lazarus is about HOPE and about GOD and about the power of God's WORD: it is our reminder in these days before Good Friday and Easter that Jesus is Lord, and that He is in charge even on His way to the Cross.
DRY BONES AND GOD'S WORD TODAY
So how do these two stories apply to us on March 24, 1996? What do they tell us to help us where we are on our spiritual journey right now? I SEE TWO POWERFUL POSSIBILITIES:
Sometimes we may have to identify with the BONES! Or maybe with Martha or Mary. Or even good old Thomas, who said "I'll go along with Jesus but I can't see anything good..."
Like the people of God in Ezekiel's time there may be times we think our situation is hopeless, or that God has forgotten. Yes, MAYBE there are times when WE ARE THE DRY BONES. We identify with the sisters, or even Lazarus.. waiting for the word of God to penetrate— listening— responding. And I believe the word of God still moves in darkness and chaos and dryness and death.
But sometimes GOD may call on us to identify with Ezekiel himself! There are times when God lets us get into the valley of dry bones because He needs a prophet who can speak His word.
ILLUSTRATION:
It must have been 15 years or more, during prayer meeting, a recent E.N.C. grad who was doing Social Work in the toughest sections of inner city Boston stood to testify. Her name was Cindy Knox, and I had a lot of confidence in her character and her walk with God. She gave a testimony that night that in my mind has become a classic.
She was in a particularly unpleasant, unhealthy situation, where children were neglected or abused. She said she actually said half aloud, "Oh God! Where are YOU!" And she almost had anger in her voice in the prayer,
But then Cindy said immediately she had the answer, almost as if God had spoken audibly. He said, "I'm in YOU, Cindy!"
"I AM IN YOU, CINDY!" God challenged Cindy to bring His Presence where she went, and through that challenge, which I never forgot, God challenged those of us who heard her testimony as well.
ILLUSTRATION
Three weeks ago Helen and I were in Florida for a week's rest. During that week I saw posters all over the place— in Sarasota, Bradenton, the Sun Coast— about an interdenominational evangelistic campaign with an evangelist, Steve Wingfield. As I was dressing on Sunday morning we turned on the TV and in the broadcast service of Sarasota First Baptist worship, there was this Steve Wingfield preaching from the book of Joshua. Then we ate breakfast and went to Bradenton First Nazarene , and guess who was the speaker that morning? Steve Wingfield.
I thought Steve Wingfield preached a good sermon that day. But what I remember was his personal testimony. I spoke later with Bradenton pastor Thurl Mann about Evangelist Wingfield. He was just as impressed as I was. It reminded me of this challenge God gave to Cindy Knox. God called Steve Wingfield to a valley of dry bones, too:
Steve Wingfield told about his own conversion, which interested me, because he was the son of a minister (Methodist.) He rebelled quite a while, and was saved in his early 20's.
He told of how when he was saved he worked for an ambulance service in Virginia; and told how he hoped God would help him get a different job before he went away to seminary because he had been one of the gang that was pretty rough in words and actions...
God challenged him to go back and witness to every one of the 18 employees. It must have been like Ezekiel felt, being told to preach to a valley of dry bones.
The toughest one for Steve was his partner. They were good friends, but he got an awful hard time from him. Then one night shift when they were on call his partner shook him awake and said, "I have been troubled. i want what you have been talking about." The Spirit of the Lord was blowing over the dry bones. (ALL 18 GAVE THEIR HEARTS TO THE LORD BEFORE A YEAR WAS OVER...)
I wish I knew all the details of Steve Wingfield's story. Maybe sometime you can get to meet him yourself.
There is great POWER in the word of the Lord.
God's WORD called this world into being. God's WORD brought Lazarus from his tomb.
God's WORD is in your heart— and in your mouth it can bring HOPE where you are!
IF IN OUR WORLD WE WONDER, LIKE CINDY KNOX, "WHERE IS GOD?" IT MAY BE WE WILL HEAR HIM SAY TO US "I'M IN YOU! SPEAK MY WORD TO THESE DRY BONES!"
Prayer: 543 Let Your Heart Be Broken or No 572 He Hideth My Soul
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Dr. Russell Metcalfe is Pastor Emeritus of the Wollaston Church of the Nazarene. Permission to reprint or publish this material is GRANTED as long as the reprinting or republishing is not-for-profit.
You can access more of Dr. Metcalfe’s sermons at his scripturally indexed sermon archives web site. Now with MP3 audio sermons and audio bonus material. http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/Sermons/Sermons.htm
