Introduction

Good morning, beloved congregation. I want to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you. It's always a joy to gather with you, to worship and to break open the Word of God together. We are family, bound together by the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and it's in that spirit of unity that we come together today.

We find ourselves today in the book of Ezekiel, specifically Ezekiel 37:1-10. This passage, my friends, is a powerful testament to the life-giving power of our God. It's a vivid illustration of His ability to breathe life into what appears lifeless, to revive what seems beyond repair, and to instill belief in resurrection where there is despair.

Before we read the Scripture, I am reminded of a profound statement by the renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon, who once said, "I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need." This, dear friends, is the heart of our faith. We are in great need, and we have a great Savior who meets that need.

Now, let's read the passage together:

"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, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 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. 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.”

Breath of Life

In the heart of this passage, we find a valley filled with dry bones. These bones represent a state of lifelessness, a condition of utter despair and hopelessness. But God, in His infinite power and mercy, doesn't leave these bones to their fate. He steps in, and with His word, He brings about a transformation that is nothing short of miraculous.

God's word, as spoken through the prophet Ezekiel, is not just a message or a command. It's a force, a divine energy that brings about change. When God speaks, things happen. Stars are born, seas part, walls crumble, and yes, dry bones come to life.

The first transformation that occurs in this passage is physical. The bones, previously dry and lifeless, are covered with tendons and flesh. They become bodies, complete and whole. But they are still lifeless. They are bodies without breath.

This is where the second transformation occurs. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, to call it forth from the four winds. And when he does, the breath enters the bodies, and they come to life. They stand up, a vast army, no longer a valley of dry bones, but a living, breathing testament to the power of God.

This breath, this life-giving force, is a central theme in the Bible. It's present in the creation story, where God breathes life into Adam. It's present in the New Testament, where Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." It's a symbol of God's life-giving power, His ability to revive and renew, to bring life where there was once death.

The breath of God is also a symbol of His presence. In the Bible, the word for spirit is often the same as the word for breath or wind. When God breathes life into the dry bones, He's not just giving them physical life. He's filling them with His Spirit. He's making His presence known to them.

This is a powerful reminder for us today. We may find ourselves in a valley of dry bones. We may feel lifeless, hopeless, in need of revival. But God's breath, His Spirit, is available to us. He wants to fill us with His life, to make His presence known to us.

But how do we receive this breath of life? How do we experience this revival? The answer is found in the passage itself. The breath comes in response to the word of God. It's the word that brings about the transformation. It's the word that calls forth the breath from the four winds.

This tells us something important about the nature of God's word. It's not just information. It's not just a set of rules or guidelines. It's a life-giving force. It has the power to transform, to revive, to bring life where there was once death.

But it's not enough to simply hear the word. The dry bones didn't come to life until Ezekiel prophesied to them, until he spoke the word to them. In the same way, we need to engage with the word, to let it speak to us, to let it work in us.

This engagement with the word is not a passive process. It involves our whole being. It involves our minds, as we seek to understand the word. It involves our hearts, as we allow the word to touch us, to move us. It involves our wills, as we choose to respond to the word, to obey it, to let it shape our lives.

So, let's not be content with a superficial engagement with the word. Let's not just read it or hear it. Let's allow it to penetrate our hearts, to transform us, to bring us to life. Let's allow it to call forth the breath of God in us, to fill us with His Spirit, to make His presence known to us.

And as we do this, let's remember the promise in this passage. The dry bones didn't just come to life. They stood up, a vast army. This is a picture of the church, the body of Christ. When we allow the word to bring us to life, when we allow the breath of God to fill us, we become part of this vast army. We become part of God's mission in the world. We become agents of His life-giving power, bringing hope and life to the valleys of dry bones around us.

So, let's embrace the word. Let's welcome the breath of God. Let's stand up, a vast army, ready to bring life to a world in need.

Bones Revived

As we turn our attention to the bones in the valley, we find a scene that is both eerie and intriguing ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO