Title: Can these bones live again?
Text: Ezekiel 37:1-10
Jokingly, we often say that Ezekiel was called to the worst congregation any preacher has ever faced.
However, it pictures something many believers face in their Christian experience – the "hopeless situation."
Introduction:
At this time in history, both Israel and Judah were ruined politically, Assyria had scattered Israel, and Judah had been captured by Babylon. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah predicted a return from captivity, but Ezekiel’s vision goes even further down the years. He sees the time when the dead nation would come alive again. In the vision, he saw very many bones in the open valley and they were very dry. It was the picture of utter defeat, with the bones of the armies drying and unburied. What a vivid description of the Jewish people at this time in history. But through the power of God’s word, the bones came together and formed men; and through the power of the Spirit (wind), life was given to them. This pictures the future revival of the nation when the Jews will be brought up out of the graves of the Gentile nations where they have been scattered. Politically this took place May 14, 1948, when the modern nation of Israel entered into the family of nations again. Of course, the nation is dead spiritually; but one day when Christ returns, the nation will be born in a day and be saved,
This scripture may not have any reference to the church, but it can be used to describe the serious problem that exists within the modern churches. Here one can also see the only solution to our problems.
Let’s look for a moment at the vision of Ezekiel, May we learn and be blessed of the Lord!
Just as we see the destructive force of sin in the vision of Isaiah, we see deterioration in our homes and churches because of neglect of God’s truth.
Illustration: Where do children get their sense of values ?
Question? Where do children get their sense of value? When you give your child a dime for the offering plate and a dollar for cokes, candy, ice cream, etc., you are showing your sense of values to your child. When you insist that your child do his public school homework, but complain if the church sends home some Bible reading and memory work, you are showing your sense of values to your child. When you stay home to putter around the house instead of going to Sunday School and Church, you are showing your sense of values to your child. When you put sports and pleasure events ahead of your duties and responsibilities to the church, you are showing your sense of values to your child. When you allow your child to stay up late and watch TV, orstay out late for a sports or pleasure event, and have no concern in their attending youth meetings at the church, you are showing your sense of values to your child. When you insist that your child go to public school, but not to Sunday School and church, you are showing your values to your child.
I The Pitiful Condition “valley full of bones”
A. God is concerned for the people
-God has always and will always be concerned for the spiritual well-being of mankind, regardless of
their disobedience and lack of trust.. It was a shame that a people would allow themselves to digress
to such a pitiful spiritual state,
B. Ezekiel sees the most tragic scene. (Ezekiel in a vision, we in actual experience)
-This was a most heartbreaking picture – a valley full of bones. There once had been life and activity,
but now there was nothing. Perhaps, the feeling that you would have as you walked alone through a
cemetery reading the epitaphs on the tombstones.
- Of course, no more tragic a scene than what we see in many of our modern churches.
C. Ezekiel’s heart bled for his people.
- This was a nation – his people. Would it not stir his emotions?
- His heart bled, but perhaps no more than mine and yours as we look at our own churches full of dry
bones. They function physically, but they are dead spiritually.
D. Ezekiel desires to do something.
- I am sure that Ezekiel wwished and prayed that there was something that he could do. For such a
problem, man is powerless within himself. He must wait upon the Lord and His power.
- We, too, are powerless, but if we allow God to work through us, we can see life in the valley.
II. The Probing Question “can these bones live?”
How strange a question was this to put concerning dry, whitened bones! When Jesus said of the damsel:
"She is not dead, but sleepeth," they laughed him to scorn; but here were not bodies newly dead, but
bones— bare, whitened bones; nay, they were not even skeletons, for bone was separated from its bone;
and yet God asks: "Can these bones live?" Had he asked this question of the world, they would have
laughed a louder laugh of scorn;
A. What benefit is a valley of dry bones? (detrimental to the cause of Christ..)
- As Ezekiel looked, he perhaps thought that it was hopeless, it would be foolish to waste one’s time
trying to do anything here. Perhaps he started to leave and God said, “where are you going?”
Ezekiel responded, “somewhere that I can do a work for you!” God said, “Don’t leave, you’re going
to do a work here.”
- Many times I have felt like leaving. It seems that you were facing impossible odds, but the Lord
said, “no! stay right where you are. We’re going to do a work here.”
B. Can lifeless bones bring glory to God?
- No, of course not, that’s the reason something needs to be done. God’s people should be full of life,
enthusiastically involved in the work of the Lord. Our lives are to bring glory to god.
C. Can the world around us be helped or blessed by a valley of dry bones?
- The only logical answer to that question is no! What can a dead, lifeless person do? Before this
could be reversed, something must be done to activate life.
- Dead bones of the church.
1. not faithful to pray
2. not faithful to study
3. not faithful in attendance
4. not faithful to tithe and give offerings
5. not faithful to visit
These are all signs of spiritual deadness within the church or body of Christ. When these things are
lacking, can the worl really be blessed by the church?
I have known godly Christians who fell prey to sin in their lives, and never recovered. Maybe it was guilt,
maybe it was feelings of failure, maybe it was the belief that they had besmirched the name of Christ and
could therefore no longer live openly for Him...whatever their reasons, they quit serving. Unfortunately, many believe it will never happen to them:
Illustration - In 1982, "ABC Evening News" reported on an
unusual work of modern art--a chair affixed to a
shotgun. It was to be viewed by sitting in the chair
and looking directly into the gunbarrel. The gun was
loaded and set on a timer to fire at an undetermined
moment within the next hundred years. The amazing
thing was that people waited in lines to sit and stare
into the shell’s path! They all knew the gun could go
off at point-blank range at any moment, but they were
gambling that the fatal blast wouldn’t happen during
their minute in the chair. Yes, it was foolhardy, yet
many people who wouldn’t dream of sitting in that
chair live a lifetime gambling that they can get away
with sin. Foolishly they ignore the risk until the
inevitable self-destruction.
I believe that there is a valley of dry bones in the Christian life.
1. It is a dry place - there is no joy there.
2. It is a dead place - there is no fruit there.
3. It is a dangerous place - no Christian should stay
there.
- Okay, this is the condition, what can we do? Is there any hope? Well let’s continue to read and see
what our God can do through us.
III The Power of God’s Word “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord”
Had the prophet walked by sight, and not by faith, he would have staggered at the promise, through
unbelief. Had he been a worshipper of reason, he would have argued: These bones have no ears to hear,
why should I preach to them, "Hear the word of the Lord"? But no — he believed God rather than
himself. He had been taught "the exceeding greatness of his mighty power;" and therefore he obeyed:
"So I prophesied as I was commanded."
This scripture teaches us teaches that the preaching of Jesus, though foolishness to the world, is to be the
means of their awakening, and that prayer to the all-quickening Spirit is to be the means of their new
life. It teaches that when these means are used with them, God’s ancient people shall yet stand up, and
be an exceeding great army—shall be as they used to be when they marched through the wilderness,
when God went before them in the pillar of cloud; that they shall then be led back to their own land, and
planted in their own land, and not plucked up any more. But another, and to us a more important,
application of this vision, is to the unconverted souls in the midst of us.
A. The Word of God quickens Heb. 4:12; Eph 2:1
- Ezekiel did not know what to do, he is told to preach! To a valley of dry bones? Yes to this valley.
He perhaps starts to leave and God asks, “Where are you going?” “To the library, to the
denominational leaders etc. to find out what to preach. God says, “No!, stay here, I will give you
what to preach, verses 4-6
- We must realize that the Word of God is never lacking in power.
B. The bones must hear the Word of God.
- Ezekiel is the spokesman for God. He instructs the bones to hear the Word of the Lord.
- We must realize whoever stands befoe us to teach or to preach, we are to listen to the thus sayeth
the Lord.
- For the work to be accomplished, the congregation must be attentive and the spokesman must
preach the Word. In the average church, the reason for dried, bleached bones, the congrgation
occupies themselves with other things. They turn a deaf ear to God’s message. Then they want to
blame the preacher if the church doesn’t grow. The success of the church is dependant upon the
whole church body.
C. The bones must believe and accept the word.
- Ezekiel could only preach the Word. The results that followed was dependant upon the hearers.
- Too often people try to rechannel the message to someone else. We try to justify our own lives and
what we do or don’t do.
Eventually, there comes a time in people’s lives when The Lord will no longer offer the healing power
of His Word. It is called blasphemy of The Holy Spirit, the only unpardonable sin.--Gen 6:3--"My
Spirit shall not always strive with man....."
IV. The Presence of the Lord “there was a noise, and behold a shaking”
A. When the Lord is allowed to move, there will be a noise and shaking
- Ezekiel witnessed a wonderful thing. The Word of the Lord was preached and the Lord moved in
the congregation as the bones heard the Word.
- When people listen and allow God to move, there will be a response (tears, testimonies, amens,
etc.) There will be eventual results of souls being saved, new members, baptisms, financial
sufficiency, and etc.
B. The bones began to move together to form a skeleton with sinew, flesh and skin.
Illustration:
How often is a people outwardly reformed! Instead of Sabbath breaking there is Sabbath
observance—instead of drunkenness, sobriety—the form of godliness, but none of the power—the
bones, and sinews, and flesh, and skin of godliness, but none of the living breath of godliness. This is
the way with our congregations at this day? abundance of head knowledge, but, where is the lowly
heart that loves the Saviour? Abundance of orthodoxy and argument, but, where is the simple faith in
the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints? Does not the Saviour say, when he looks down on our
Churches: "There is no breath in them"? Oh! then, brethren, let us, one and all, give heed to the
second command to the prophet: "Prophesy unto the Spirit, son of man; say, Come from the four
winds, O Spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live - unknown
- Perhaps Ezekiel could not believe his eyes. Can you imagine his joy as he witnessed the becoming
together?
- In churches, broken, shattered lives can be brought together, homes and churches brought together
and even nations.
- These are the things that can be accomplished and must be accomplished before the work of God
can be done to its fullest.
V. The Pleasant Results “they lived and stood upon their fet, an exceeding great army.”
A. The Holy Spirit moved upon them.
- Ezekiel continued to preach and the bones received life and power
- To be a spiritual success, we need the power of the Holy Spirit.
B. They stood up ready to move forward for God.
- Ezekiel saw here the miraclous power of God working in the lives of believers.
- So we must stand ready to do the will of God. Changed lives filled with the Spirit.
C. An army able and ready to fight.
- God has mobilized a great army.
- God has mobilized a great army of believers to fight the good fight of faith for the souls of men,
women, boys and girls.
Conclusion:
Let’s stop and this tonight, where do we stand in this picture? Have we been enpowered by the Spirit of God? Are actively involved in the work of the Lord? Are we striving to tell the good news of salvation to all that we meet? Are we satisfied to let the peacher and a few do the work that we have all been called to do? If we find ourselves dead and dry in the servive of the Lord, we can never be of benefit to the Lord until we allow him to breath upon all. Let the breath of God fill your spirit lives tonight and go and do the work of the Lord.
The dry bones picture "the whole house of Israel." Though things seemed so hopeless to Ezekiel and to his contemporaries, yet God had their salvation in view.
The dry bones also picture the lost. There are many of them, and they are dead in their sins. Perhaps you
are one of them... if so, please know that Jesus can save you today, right where you are...Perhaps you are
concerned for loved ones who are lost, and think they are hard cases, and nearly impossible to ever see saved... "Son of man, can these bones live?" YES!
The dry bones also picture the dried up Christian. They picture me sometimes. Do they picture you? God, help us believers to be revived in our faith... to experience the joy of salvation once again, to see
the dryness and the deadness when we are in the midst of it, that we might seek your face, your forgiveness, and your vitality once again. Revive us Oh Lord, that we might serve Thee.
