The Valley Of Dry Bones

"And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord GOD, you know.' " Ezekiel 37:3 ESV

Take a look at the field of dry bones (the dead structure of a promise from God) and answer God out loud. Ezekiel gave the right answer. It was health to Ezekiel's bones to answer with a faith answer. He didn't say 'Yes'. That would have been a hyper-spiritual lie. He didn't say 'No' because He knew He was conversing with The Almighty God. Ezekiel was ready to witness a miracle if that is what God had in mind. Are we?

"The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord GOD, you know.' Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.' So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had 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 the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.' " - Ezekiel 37:1-14 ESV

I see stages here. I see stages of edification and faith. A vision dies and leaves full grown bones but then God has a person speak faith over that dead vision and the bones take form and get covered with sinew, muscle and skin. Then in another stage breath is given by words of faith. Then hope.

Bones are out there in a field like that because there was a battle and the ones who fell in that battle were left out there to rot and get bleached by the sun.

Our world is filled with valleys of dry bones. People have souls that resemble a field of dry bones.

We, the ones who believe, are the ones who look out at the disaster and say 'O Lord GOD, you know.' and speak the life found in the finished work of Christ by faith.

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