09/06/2017 DEALING WITH THE HEAT
Ezekiel 37:1-3 The Power of the LORD was upon me and I was carried away by the SPIRIT OF THE LORD to a valley full of old, dry bones that were scattered everywhere across the ground. He led me around among them, and then he said to me: “Son of dust, can these bones become people again?” [Living Bible Translation]
I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” Then He said to me, “Prophecy to these bones….”
[New International translation]
Summary
Ezekiel was an Old Testament priest. His calling was to preach GOD’s WORD to a people who were in rebellion against GOD, a difficult task. But since he was “called” by GOD, GOD prepared Ezekiel for this assignment. Ezekiel’s preparation involved experiencing the SPIRIT OF GOD through a number of visions. In verse 37, Ezekiel has a vision of a valley of dead bones. These bones were very dry bones (New International translation) and very scattered. In other words, the fact that these bones were dry was compounded by the additional problem of these bones being disjointed, confused, fragmented, and mixed up. Ezekiel saw what looked like “Death Valley,” a mass graveyard, a place with no life.
The first thing that GOD did for Ezekiel was to cause him to open his mind up to the possibility of “seeing beyond the visible.” Ezekiel needed a lesson in faith. There are many situations where faith doesn’t come easily. For most, “seeing is believing.” But Ezekiel needed to “believe even though he was not seeing it.” Ezekiel needed to see that GOD can take “dead situations” and give them life. Ezekiel needed to know that the “dead bones” (representing God’s people) could live again just as GOD promised.
In his vision, Ezekiel did exactly what GOD told him to do. Ezekiel spoke to the bones. He prophesied to the bones. He told those bones about the power of GOD and followed GOD’s instructions. Ezekiel told the bones about GOD’s plan to raise them up once again as a nation and about GOD’s plan to provide them with ONE SHEPHERD, JESUS CHRIST. (See verse 37:34).
And, GOD did exactly what HE said HE would do.