“Can Dry Bones Live?”
Ezekiel 37:1-10
INTRODUCTION: Read Ezekiel 37:1-10.
Let’s take a look at the BACKGROUND for this Scripture.
God had called His people, the Jews, out of captivity in Egypt. For over 100 years, they had been in Egyptian captivity. God brought them into the Promised Land, and gave them a land and a King, and made them a nation. BUT … they turned against God, and God allowed them to go into captivity once again.
Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army invaded Israel. They had reduced Solomon’s Temple to ashes, and had taken many of the Jewish people back to Babylon as captives. This is the condition that Ezekiel is in. The nation of Israel is DEAD. BUT … God has a vision for Ezekiel.
37:1-2 – Ezekiel is carried to a valley full of very dry bones. I want you to imagine this scene with me. These bones are scattered everywhere … very white …very dry. Bones all over the place … scattered by the wild animals so that there is nothing but miscellaneous bones as far as the eye can see.
For Ezekiel, this is a vision of the nation of Israel … 37:11. There was no way that Israel could get themselves out of Babylonian captivity. They were like these dead, dry bones … in a graveyard … dead … in a hopeless situation.
Maybe this describes some of you here this morning. You look around you, and it seems hopeless. Everything seems to have gone wrong. Your life is a mess … OR … at least it’s not what you want it to be. You see yourself in a valley of dead, dry bones.
37:3a – Look at the question. Ezekiel is looking at millions of dead, dry bones … scattered about 100’s of square miles … AND … God asks him, “Can these bones live?” How would you answer that question?
When you look at your situation … AND … all you see is a valley of dead, dry bones … you don’t see much hope, do you? It’s hard to imagine those dead, dry bones having life. It’s hard to imagine your situation ever getting better. It’s hard to imagine life, beyond our present circumstances.
Israel has been taken captive by Babylon … Ezekiel can’t see much hope for his people. BUT … he answers God’s question … 37:3.
“Can these bones live?” “I don’t see how … if they do, it will be up to You, Lord!”
Ezekiel is telling God that God is in charge … in control. God can do whatever He wants to do. With God, nothing is impossible. If God wants these dead, dry bones to live, they’ll live!
Let’s get to some APPLICATION here. I see 2 areas where I see dead, dry bones.
1.- In The Life Of the Church
2.- In The Life Of The Lost.
1.- In The Life Of The CHURCH
What kind of bones do we see in the Church today? Listen to the way Dennis Cocks describes bony Christians in the Church today.
1.- The Tailbone Christian – Who just sits, and lets everybody else do the ministry in the church. If God had wanted you to sit around and do nothing, He would have taken you on to Glory the minute He saved you. 1 Cor. 15:58 - “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
“Can these bones live?” Yes, as soon as they get off their tailbones!
2.- The Fingerbone Christian – Who are always pointing their finger at everybody else, not taking responsibility for their own actions. They blame everybody else for the circumstances they find themselves in. “Can these bones live?” Yes, as soon as they see that they are reaping what they have sown.
3.- The Jawbone Christian – Who runs off at the mouth … who puts his mouth into motion before his brain is in gear … who spreads gossip … who intentionally causes trouble by stirring up strife. “Can these bones live?” Yes, when they snatch their tongue from the Devil, and give it to the Holy Spirit. Ephes. 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
4.- The Hipbone Christian – Who sits on his wallet every Sunday when the offering plate is passed. “Can these bones live?” Yes, when the heart is converted, the wallet will be converted too. Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
5.- The Drybone Christian – Whose Christian life has withered up, because he/she isn’t in the Word of God. “Can these bones live?” Yes, when we immerse ourselves into the God’s Word, the Water of Life.
6.- The Wishbone Christian – Remember when you were a kid, and you got to pull on the wishbone of the Thanksgiving turkey? If you got the bigger piece, your wish was granted (supposedly). For some of us, that describes our prayer life … gimme, gimme, gimme. We come to God with our “wish list” … AND … that pretty much describes our prayer life. “Can these bones live?” Yes, when we realize that prayer is a relationship with God that involves, not only asking, but thanksgiving, praise, fellowship, and worship.
7.- The Backbone Christian – Who has convictions … knows what they are … and stands on them. The Christian with BACKBONE, won’t live his life to please the world … won’t live her life to blend in with the world … won’t live their life to conform to the standards of the world. “Can these bones live?” Yes, and they do live, as a testimony of the grace of God.
8.- The Kneebone Christian – Who realizes that victory in the Christian life, comes only through a life of prayer. “Much prayer, much power … Little prayer, little power … No prayer, no power.” “Can these bones live?” Yes, and the Kneebone Christian is the one who is living the life of VICTORY.
There’s another area where there are dry, dead bones. That’s …
2.- In The Life Of The LOST – As we look out over the valley of dead, dry bones, we see DEATH … HOPELESSNESS. Every lost person is as dead as those bones. Romans 3:10 – “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Once again, the question is asked, “Can these bones live?” Ephes. 2:1 – “And He has given you new life, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” Yes, these dead, dry bones can live …
Ezekiel gives us the 2-Fold Plan Of God, to bring life to these bones.
1.- The Word - 37:4 – Ezekiel is told to preach to these dead, dry bones. Can you imagine, preaching to a bunch of bones? Ezekiel begins to preach to these dead, dry bones, and says, “Dry bones, listen to what God has to say.” He must have felt rather foolish!
Ezekiel continues to speak to all these bones – 37:5-6.
THEN … something begins to happen … right before his eyes – 37:7-8. The bones came together (imagine the noise) … muscle & flesh & skin began to surround the skeletons. Laying before him were 1000’s of corpses! Bodies, but no life.
What is PLAN 1 … to give life to these old dead bones? What is PLAN 1 to give life to Christians who have lost hope … who see themselves in a hopeless situation … surrounded by dead, dry bones. What is PLAN 1 to give life to those who have never trusted Christ … who are spiritually dead?
PLAN 1 is THE WORD OF GOD – 37:4.
CHRISTIAN, if you are struggling … if your Christian life seems dry & dehydrated … if you are spiritually thirsty … THEN … dive into the Water of God’s Word. That’s where you’ll find spiritual refreshment..
If you’re LOST here this morning, there’s only 1 way to come to faith in Christ. Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God’s Word tells you that Jesus is your only hope for Heaven. Without His forgiveness of your sins, you will carry them to Hell with you for all eternity.
What’s PLAN 2? Ezekiel had 1000’s of corpses laying on the ground … with no life in them. Something MORE is needed than just the preaching of the Word of God.
2.- The Holy Spirit – 37:9-10 – Remember Genesis 2:7 – “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
It’s not my responsibility to save anyone. I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. What’s MY responsibility … what’s YOUR responsibility? Romans 10:14 – “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” This isn’t just a call to be a Pastor … it’s a call to give out the Word of God.
It’s the Holy Spirit who takes the Word of God, and gives it the power to give life to a dead soul. It’s our responsibility to give it out … SO … the Holy Spirit can use it to give life.
Do you know someone who is struggling … who is discouraged … who is all dried up … who is in need of a friend, or a word of encouragement? God is calling YOU to be the tool, or instrument for the Holy Spirit to use to bring life to their thirsty soul
Do you know someone who is lost … who is going to spend eternity in Hell … who is without eternal life, without hope, without Christ? God is calling YOU to be the tool, or instrument for the Holy Spirit to use to bring His Word, and life, to their lost soul.
CONCLUSION: Can dead, dry bones live? With God, nothing is impossible. Sometimes we look around us, and all we see is a valley of dry, dead bones. It looks pretty hopeless … it looks pretty devastating … it looks pretty grim.
BUT … God’s got a PLAN. Get into His Word, and He’ll speak to you. Yield to the Holy Spirit, and He will give you a new life.
Can dead, dry bones live? With God, nothing is impossible. If you have never trusted Jesus to save you, you are still living in the graveyard of dead, dry bones. God has a PLAN. Believe His Word, when it says that Jesus paid your sin-debt on the cross. Trust Him to save you, and the Holy Spirit will give you a new life.
Can dead, dry bones live? That’s up to you!
STAND – PRAYER
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Can Dry Bones Live?”
Ezekiel 37:1-10
INTRODUCTION: The Babylonian army had invaded Israel and taken them captive.
37:1-2 – The valley of dry bones pictures the hopeless condition of Israel – 37:11
- Do you see yourself in a valley of dry bones?
37:3a – Ezekiel doesn’t see much hope … only dry, dead bones.
37:3b – With God, nothing is impossible.
There might be dry bones:
1.- In The Life Of The CHURCH
• The Tail-bone Christian – 1 Cor. 15:58 – We are to work.
• The Finger-bone Christian – Take responsibility for your actions.
• The Jaw-bone Christian – Ephesians 4:29 – Give your tongue to the Holy Spirit.
• The Hip-bone Christian – Matthew 6:21 – When our heart belongs to the Lord, so does everything in our life.
• The Dry-bone Christian – Immerse yourself in the water of God’s Word.
• The Wish-bone Christian – We are to pray, not just to ask, but to worship, praise and fellowship with our Father.
• The Back-bone Christian – Live your Godly convictions.
• The Knee-bone Christian – Victory comes through prayer.
2.- In The Life Of The LOST
- The lost are as dead as these bones – Romans 3:10.
- New life is available in Christ – Ephesians 2:1
God’s 2-Fold Plan To Bring Life:
1.- The Word – 37:4, 5-6 – Ezekiel preaches to the bones.
- The bones come together to form lifeless bodies – 37:7-8
- Christians will find Spiritual refreshment in God’s Word.
- The lost will find Jesus in God’s Word – Romans 10:17
2.- The Holy Spirit – 37:9-10
- Only the Holy Spirit can give life – Genesis 2:7
- It’s our responsibility to give out the Word of God … it’s His responsibility to give it power – Romans 10:14
- God uses you as a tool, an instrument to bless others.
CONCLUSION:
- God has a PLAN to make dead, dry bones live.
- Are you willing to trust Him to give you life?
