The Valley Of Dry Bones

The prophet Ezekiel was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. God had a particular mission for Ezekiel. After the Babylonian exile, Jeremiah ministered to the children of Israel who were still in Jerusalem. But Ezekiel was carried off with the second group that was taken to captivity by the Babylonians in 598 BC, and he ministered to the people in exile.

Nearly three thousand years ago, God gave the prophet Ezekiel a scary vision. Ezekiel says, “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” (Ezekiel 37:1-2).

If we visualize the scene, it’s quite scary. God brought Ezekial in spirit to a valley full of bones. And God doesn’t just make Ezekial stand over there. He makes him walk back and forth among the Thousands of bones were spread out across the valley. This valley was a place where intense battles used to take place in the past, but now there is nothing but bones scattered across the valley.

The bones are in bad shape. They are scattered, disordered, and very dry. When do bones become very dry? Scientists say it takes on average at least 18 years for a dead body to completely lose all flesh and become dry and be a skeleton.

What do the bones represent? We find the answer in vs 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

These dry bones represented the hopeless condition of the people of Israel. Just as these bones had no life in them, the people of Israel had no life in them. There were enormous bones in the valley but they were completely useless. In the same way, the people of Israel were enormously spread through the land of Babylon but useless. They had no power whatsoever. They were living as captives in a foreign land. The bones that Ezekial saw represented the brokenness, hopeless, fear and dry condition of the people of Israel.

And God asks Ezekial a radical question. Vs. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I think Ezekial probably was a hundred per cent sure these bones cannot live. They did not have one flesh sticking to them. No nerves. Totally dry. Ezekial could have answered, No God, these bones cannot live. One word that would have come to his mind would be IMPOSSIBLE.

However, Ezekial knew if God had brought me to this valley of dry bones there would be a purpose. But he didn’t have the courage to answer YES to God. So he gave a smart response.

Vs 3 - I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Sometimes it is better to trust God with the answers than try and answer on our own. While our answer would be a sure No, God’s answer would promise to open the closed doors. God’s answers are sure to amaze us. Jeremiah 33:3 - 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

And now that’s exactly what God is about to do to Ezekial.

Vs 4 - Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

Ezekial was asked to preach and prophecy to these dry bones. Only an insane person will speak to inanimate objects. I think he was the only preacher to preach to a dead crowd. Ezekial actually spoke to the dead bones.

That is the power of God’s words. God’s words can penetrate even through lifeless situations. We may think this chapter is over. This is dead. This is gone. This dream of mine will never be fulfilled. God’s word can penetrate through these dead situations.

John 6:63 – Jesus says, the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” They are not ordinary words. They are Spirit and life.

When Jesus commanded the dead Lazarus, ‘Come Out’, the dead man heard the voice of God.

John 11:43,44 - When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Ezekial 37:5-6 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.’”