David Bahn – Reflections

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Today’s readings: Ezekiel 37-39, Psalm 90.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

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. ² 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. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ⁵ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶ 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.”

⁷ 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. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.” ¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ 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.’ ¹² 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. ¹³ And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴ 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.”

It’s too late. There is no more hope. The flowering plant has had too much sun and too little water. The house we wanted to buy has already been sold. The job opportunity I had set my hopes on has evaporated. The disease is too far spread. The marriage is ruined. The savings are depleted. There is no more hope. It’s too late.

But God says otherwise. The dead plant suddenly shows green leaves. The house is back on the market. The job is offered after all. Hope is reborn. This is a legitimate message we can take from this wonderful—unusual, disturbing, strange—vision of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones. That which was thought to be dead and dry is brought to life by the word of God.

These are all good things—wonderful turnarounds, delightful reversals. There is, however, a greater truth here. If you’ve been reading through Ezekiel these last few days, you have been treated to one chapter after another of stark warnings, jarring judgments, and absolute ultimatums. The level of disobedience on the part of Judah, Israel, Babylon, Egypt, and other nations is confronted by God through the prophet. The natural conclusion is that God’s judgment was to be so complete there would be no hope of revival. They are a valley of dry bones. No life. No breath. No sinews. No hope.

Son of man, can these bones live? Trick question or object lesson?

God speaks to Ezekiel and commands him, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’” And that is the moment you realize this was an object lesson. Something is going to happen at the word of the LORD. Bones don’t hear. Nor do they begin to rattle. Nor do they stand up and form a mighty army. Unless. Unless God speaks.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Genesis 1:3–4: God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. I use it as a witness on my personal email because I am a follower of Jesus and a photographer. When I sent an email to the Ansel Adams Gallery years ago, the person who replied remarked about what a great Bible verse that was for a photographer. It is, after all, all about the light.

But there’s much more. When God speaks, things happen. His Word calls into being things that are not—and gives life where there is only death.

This is the message of Ezekiel 37. It’s not just about how seemingly irreversible things can be reversed. It’s about how God can reverse terrible decline and bring things to life when it seems there is no hope. If God intervenes, even the whole house of Israel can be restored. When God speaks, things happen.

The restoration of the dry bones of Israel was only the start. The bones would come together. Israel would be restored. Six hundred years after this prophecy, Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend Lazarus and said, “Lazarus, come out!” And the man who had been dead walked out of the tomb, still wrapped in his grave clothes (John 11).

This was, of course, only a warm-up, for Jesus himself would lie in the tomb for three days, and then his dead body would come back to life. He would rise from the dead. And because he lives, death will not have the final word for those who trust in him. And he has given us the Holy Spirit so that we may believe that.

It’s not too late. There is yet hope. No matter what you might be facing, God can raise the dead. He’s done it before, and he will do it again.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.