SERIES: “EXCERPTS FROM EZEKIEL”
TEXT: EZEKIEL 37:1-14
TITLE: “A REVELATION OF REVIVAL IN THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES”
INTRODUCTION: A. There was once an explorer who was deep in the Amazon jungle. He became lost
in the thick foliage and stopped to get his bearings. As he looked around, he found
himself surrounded by a group of bloodthirsty cannibals. Quietly to himself, he said,
“I’m doomed!”
As he pondered his situation, a thought came to him: Wait! You’re not doomed
yet. Pick up that big stone at your feet and hit the cannibal in front of you in the
head. He looks like the chief. So he did.
He hit the chief with a few swift blows and looked down at the chief’s limp body.
The rest of the cannibals stared silently at the explorer. As he stared them in the eye,
he had another thought: Okay. NOW you’re doomed.
B. Today is the last of our messages from Ezekiel
1. We’ve studied the rebellion and unfaithfulness of God’s people and God’s removal
of His hand of protection and provision because of it.
--What they had taken for granted was taken away from them.
2. Because of their sinfulness, Israel found themselves in what seemed to be a
hopeless situation
--They felt doomed and desperate
C. Before we get into the text this morning, let’s review the circumstances in which
Ezekiel was called to be a prophet:
1. Israel had become a divided nation: the northern kingdom called Israel and the
southern kingdom called Judah
--The northern kingdom quickly left behind their devotion to God and God sent the
Assyrians to defeat them and discipline them
2. The southern kingdom managed to maintain a relationship with God for awhile but
eventually became as wicked and idolatrous as the northern kingdom
3. Because of their wickedness, God sent the Babylonians to defeat and take captive
the southern kingdom
a. Jehoichim was king of Judah at the time
--He subjected himself as an underling to Babylon and their ruler
Nebuchadnezzar
b. After three years, Jehoichim rebelled and within four years, Jerusalem was
surrounded and under siege.
c. At a very critical point in time, Jehoichim died
--His 18-year-old son Jehoichin became king and surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar
d. Jerusalem was plundered but the temple was not harmed
e. Though under Babylonian domination, Judah remained an entity with her own
king
f. However, Jehochin, his officers, the fighting men, the craftsmen and artisans, as
well as all the leading men of Judah were deported to Babylon
--Ezekiel went to Babylon with this first group of exiles
4. During this time, Zedekiah was made king of Judah and he also rebelled against
Babylon
a. In a desperate attempt to escape, Zedekiah led his army through a break in the
wall at night and fled into the plain where the Babylonian army pursued and
overtook them
b. The king’s sons and a large part of his army were slaughtered
c. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple burnt down – all of its
implements and articles of worship taken to Babylon, and many more were taken
into captivity
5. What a truly discouraging and disappointing time
D. Judah and Jerusalem were no more
1. Everything the people had placed their hope in had been destroyed
2. They were dead as a nation and dead as a people
3. They needed REVIVAL
a. Webster; “the act or state of being restored or returned to consciousness or life;
becoming or making active or flourishing again; to bring back into use; to
renew”
b.
E. Our churches need revival
1. Revival doesn’t come to a church without the individuals that make up that church
experiencing revival in their own lives.
2. One old-time preacher was asked, “How can we have a revival?” He replied, “Take
a piece of chalk, draw a circle on the floor. Then step inside the circle and pray,
‘Lord, send a revival inside this circle.’”
F. TITLE: A REVELATION OF REVIVAL IN THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES
1. God has presented His program for revival for His people in our text this morning
2. Let’s see what wee need to do to have revival in our lives
I. REALIZE YOUR SITUATION
--Ezek. 37:1-3 – “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. 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. He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these
bones live?’ I said, ‘O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.’”
A. A lawyer got somewhat distracted on his drive home and rear-ended the car in front of him at a traffic
light. Thinking to head things off at the pass, he got out of his car, strutted up to the driver of the other
vehicle and says, “Boy, are you in trouble! I’m a lawyer.”
The driver of the other car looks at the lawyer and replies, “No, you’re in trouble. I’m a judge”
1. You need to realize that without a vibrant and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, you’re in trouble.
2. Israel’s situation is depicted by God as being “bones”
a. Notice that God had Ezekiel walk back and forth among these bones to verify there was no hope of
life in them
b. The bones are described with three terms:
1). Dry – picked clean by the vultures and other predator; dehydrated and desiccated by the sun and
the wind
--Ezekiel describes them as being “very dry”
2). Scattered – no longer connected; thrown about
3). Numerous – seemingly impossible to sort out and put together again
B. Apparently a large army had been defeated here
1. Perhaps this is the same valley where King Zedekiah’s sons and army were put to death?
2. We’re not told but it could very well be that Ezekiel was taken to a place where Judah had fought and
lost
--It’s quite possible that Ezekiel was looking at the bones of his own countrymen
3. Wherever this valley was located, the symbolism of the bones is clear: The people of God ire dead – as
dead as all those dry, white bone
a. In fact, the people in the despair of the Exile identify themselves much the same way
--They say to one another in Ezek. 37:11 – “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone, we are cut
off.”
b. They felt like skeletons picked clean to the bone
c. When I was in high school, there was a rock ballad that I really liked. It had a haunting melody and
expressed what life was like without Jesus Christ
--It was written by Kerry Livgren and performed by him and his band – Kansas:
I close my eyes, only for moment, and the moment’s gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won’t another minute buy
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.
d. Sometimes, experiencing “dry bones” – realizing that “all we are is dust in the wind” is but a prelude
to something more
--A time to realize we have no other place to go but to God
C. I believe that there’s a valley of dry bones in the Christian life
1. It’s a dry place – there’s no joy there
2. It’s a dead place – there’s no fruit there
3. It’s a dangerous place – no Christian should stay there
D. Spiritual death is a slow but consuming path
--How we become spiritually dead:
1. Sin gets in the way
--We’re having way to much fun or we’re in too deep to realize what’s happening in our lives
2. Life gets in the way
a. There’s so much to look at in our world today
--Unfortunately too much of it takes our eyes off of Christ
b. There’s so much to do in our world today
--Unfortunately, little of it would please the Lord
c. There are so many tasks vying for our attention as believer
--Unfortunately few of them are tasks God has laid out for us
3. Boredom sets in
a. There was once a time when we enjoyed reading the Bible – couldn’t’ get enough.
--Now it’s a struggle to read a chapter or two and remember anything we’ve read
b. There was once a time when prayer was an important time in our life – we looked forward to
communicating with God
--Now we just never get around to praying – we know we need to but there is so much else to do
c. There was once a time when being with the people of God in worship and fellowship was a priority
We freed our schedule to attend and participate
--But thee are all kinds of activities that fill our schedule; activities that seem so much more
important than the sacred assembly of God’s people
d. We know we’re supposed to be living holy lives. We know we’re supposed to be telling others
about Jesus Christ. We know that God has called and equipped us for service to His glory. But
there is o much more interesting and important things that we can do.
4. Eph. 2:1 tells us that when we wallow in our sins and transgressions, we are spiritually dead.
E. As Ezekiel survey this gruesome scene, God asks him a surprising question: “Son of man, can these
bones live?”
1. In the original language, the question is phrased in such a way that the only possible answer is “No.”
--“No, God. These bones cannot live.”
a. They’re white and dry. The heat of the sun and the wind has long since sucked out all the moisture
b. The marrow is dried up and dead. The bones are old and chipped and cracked
2. That’s the answer we expect but it’s not the answer Ezekiel gives
a. Ezekiel says, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know”
b. Ezekiel has seen some strange and wonderful things and he can’t dismiss the possibility of God doing
something with those bones
3. Ezekiel knows that the power of God transcends the power of the grave.
--1 Sam. 2:6 – “The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raise up.”
II. RELENT TO THE SERMON
--Ezek. 37:4-8 – “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 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.’ 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. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered
them, but there was no breath in them.”
A. One British preacher put it this way: “Ears may have bones, and I’m told they do. But bones certainly
don’t have ears. So what’s the point of Ezekiel being asked to do this?”
1. God tells Ezekiel to preach to the bones
2. I try to imagine myself in this pot. I see myself preaching to those who claim to be the people of God
but in the seats in front of me are nothing but dry dead bones.
3. And God says to me, “Preach to these bones”
--My answer would probably be, “You’ve got to be kidding, God. You want me to preach to people
so spiritually dry and spiritually dead?!?”
4. Then I remember Jesus’statement in Mt. 4:4 – “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.”
--So I preach
B. One black preacher describes the situation this way:
All of a sudden, Ezekiel saw foot bones that stood in the way of sinners. He saw ankle bones that walked
in the counsel of the un-godly. He saw knee bones that didn’t heed the word of God when it said, “At
the name of Jesus every knee must bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” He
saw hipbones that sat in the seat of the scornful. He saw back bones that refused to carry each other’s
burdens in the heat of the day. Shoulder bones that would not bear the cross. Neck bones stiff in sin.
Head bones that was too head strong in sin. Arm bones that refused to hug their brother in love. Hand
bones that refuse to shake one another’s hand..
When the bones came together, all of a sudden there was hope for a hopeless situation.
C. Heb. 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow,; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.”
--Ezekiel obeys and the results are amazing
1. The scattered bones being to clank and clink and rattle
2. They move toward each other and are joined together forming human skeletons.
3. Miraculously, muscles and flesh are fitted to each skeleton but they’re still dead
a. When Ezekiel first preached to these bones, the result was something that LOOKED alive, but
wasn’t yet alive
b. Obviously, something else was needed.
--Ezekiel says, “There was no breath in them.”
III. RELY ON THE SPIRT
--Ezek. 37:9-14 – “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.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and
stood up on their feet—a vast army. 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. 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. 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.’”
A. God commands Ezekiel to speak to the wind
1. Addressing the four directions of the earth, the prophets calls for the “breath of God” to blow over
the bodies and give them life
2. As he speaks it happens
--The bodies stand up, alive, a virtual army where moments before had been only dry, bleached
bones
B. There’s a play on words here in this section of our text
1. The Hebrew word ruah can mean breath, wind, or spirit
--as in the breath of God – the Holy Spirit
C. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis introduces us to four children who find their way
into a wondrous land through the back of a wardrobe in their uncle’s sprawling manor house. Peter,
Susan, Edmund, and Lucy enter this mystical place called Narnia – complete with rolling hills,
towering mountains, rich deep forests and populated with the most remarkable beasts all of whom
speak.
1. We’re also introduced to a wicked queen; usurper to the throne of Narnia
a. She’s also a witch empowered with very strong but very evil magic
b. She holds Narnia under her spell – a curse of perpetual winter
2. At last we’re introduced to a lion named Aslan
a. He’s a mysterious and wondrous beast who comes from beyond Narnia and even beyond time
b. He’s spoken of in hushed and reverent terms
c. Lucy, the youngest child, asks one of the creatures: “Is this lion safe?” and the creature responds,
“Safe? Oh my, no! But he’s good.”
3. This lion is a symbol of Christ
--He lays down his life for Narnia, dies on a stone table, and then rise from the dead more glorious
and majestic than ever
a. Wherever he goes, he reverses the effects of the curse on Narnia
b. You don’t need to see him to know he’s near
--Trees begin to thaw, the crocuses begin to bloom, the flowers break the surface of the snow
4. Toward the end of this story, the brave beasts of Narnia are war with the witch; she’s not aware that
Aslan is alive
a. While everyone is on the battlefield, Aslan enters the courtyard of Narnia’s castle, which is strewn
with stone statues
b. The statues are those who refused to follow the witch and have been turned to stone under her
spell
c. Aslan approaches one of the statues and lowers his regal head near it
--He then breathes on the statue and as the breath touches the stone, the stone ripples into flesh
d. As Aslan breathes on each of the stones, they awaken and begin to celebrate the glories of the one
who made them live again.
5. What a beautiful picture of what God does when we allow His Spirit to control our lives
--When the very breath of God instills us with renewed life!
D. This scene in Ezekiel reminds me of the creation of humans in Genesis
--It’s a similar two stage procedure
1. First, we read about how the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground
2. Then we read about how the LORD God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
--It’s only then than man becomes a living being
3. In the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel witnesses God’s creative power at work
a. What God did there in that valley is the same as what He did on the last day of Creation when he
made human beings
b. Jn. 6:63 – “The spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are
spirit and they are life.”
CONCLUSION: A. Tim Timmons told about a special encounter on a toll road
If you’ve ever gone through a toll booth, you know that your relationship to the person
in the booth is not the most intimate you’ll ever have. It’s one of life’s frequent non-
encounters. You hand over some money; you might get change; you drive off. I’ve
driven through every one of the seventeen toll booths on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay
Bridge on thousands of occasions and never had an exchange worth remembering with
anybody.
Late one morning in 1984, headed for lunch in San Francisco, I drove toward one of
the booths. I heard loud music. It sounded like a party or a concert. I looked around.
No other cars with their windows open. No sound trucks. I looked at the tollbooth.
Inside it, the man was dancing.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “I’m having a party,” he said. What about the rest of
these people?” I looked over at other booths; nothing moving there. “They’re not
invited.”
I had a dozen other questions for him, but somebody in a big hurry started punching
his horn behind me, and I drove off. But I made a note to myself: find this guy again.
Months later I did find him again, still with the loud music, still having a party.
Again I asked, “What are you doing?”
He said, “I remember you from the last time. I’m still dancing. I’m having the same
party.”
I said, “Look. What about the rest of the people?” He said, “Stop. What do those
look like to you?” He pointed down the row of toll booths.
“They look like … toll booths,” I said “Nooooooo imagination!” “Okay I give up.
What do they look like to you?” He said, “Vertical coffins.” “What do you mean?”
He said, “I can prove it. At 8:30 every morning, live people get in. Then they die for
eight hours. At 4:30, like Lazarus from the dead, they re-emerge and go home. For eight
hours, their brains are on hold, dead on the job. Going through the motions.”
I was amazed. This guy had developed a philosophy about his job. I couldn’t help
asking the next question: “Why is it different for you? You’re having a good time.”
He looked at me. “I knew you were going to ask that,” he paused. “I’m going to be a
dancer some day.” He pointed to the administration building. “My bosses are in there,
and they’re paying for my training.”
Sixteen people on the job, and the seventeenth – in precisely the same environment –
figures out a way to live. That man was having a party where you and I wouldn’t last
three days.
He and I had lunch later, and he said, “I don’t understand why anybody would think
my job is boring. I have a corner office, glass on all sides. I can see the Golden Gate,
San Francisco, the Berkeley hills. Half of the Western world comes here on vacation.
And I just stroll in every day and practice dancing.”
B. You have a choice: You can choose a coffin or you can dance to the music of the King
--In Dt. 30:19, God says to His people – “This day … I have set before you life and
death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live!”
