Study from God’s Word… Ezekiel, Chapters 37 – 39 … Passage for Reflection: Ezekiel 37: 4 - 5 … NIV 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 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.' "
My Journal for Today: What a bazaar picture described in today’s devotional text, … that famous passage about the dry bones coming to life which inspired that great Negro Spiritual, which you may have sung, somewhat jokingly, “the toe bone connected to de foot bone, … the foot bone connected to the ankle bone,” and so on. But though God’s sense of humor may seem to be on display here, I like Dr. LaGard Smith’s exclamation that in this word picture God, to Ezekiel, was being “dead serious.”
God wanted Ezekiel, His Prophet, to see in this miraculous display a picture of the nation, Israel, being raised from death to life; but for us, in Christ, the Lord has taken this picture one step further, by bringing our Redeemer, Jesus, back from the dead to be the Lamb of God Who was resurrected to bring any who believe on Him back from death (in sin) to life (in Christ). In both instances we see the power of God to bring life out of death; and as the old spiritual acclaims, “… hear de word of de Lord!”
God was trying to show Ezekiel a picture of hope that showed him, beyond even his imagination, how to believe that the God of Israel was very capable of having victory over death. I think about Jesus showing a select few His ability, as the God-man, to conquer death when he raised Lazarus from the grave. And He showed his inner Disciples His power – as the Son of God – to have power over creation when He walked on the water. Even Ezekiel, as God’s prophet, apparently needed this type of over-the-top, wildly bazaar, image to see that God would one day raise the defeated children of God from the death grip of their sinfulness back to life to live in the land God had promised to them.
But how do we apply all this imagery to our lives today? And Dr. Smith asks the very pertinent question at the end of his devotional for today: ”If God can bring even dry bones to life, is there anything about my spiritual deadness He cannot wholly transform?”
Really, my friends, … .how much do we really believe? You may have believed enough to be sealed for eternal life; but do you believe that God can transform you from deadness into a life transformed into Christ’s own image? Do you believe enough to KNOW that God is bringing you back to complete life in Himself so that you can join the army of God just as the picture of the dry bones coming back to life depicted God restoring the Israelites into His chosen army, walking in march step to God’s way for God’s glory?
My friend, I revel in the thought that God saw fit to breathe His life back into my dead bones; and I walk today with Him rather than in the deadness of my sin. And that happened because He saw fit to die and be reborn into life, showing me that my dry bones can walk again in life through Him. Will you join me in my prayer today, by seeing your life in Christ, which has resurrected your dry bones into a living soldier for His glory? And if so, say with me …
My Prayer for Today: Hallelujah, Lord, … HALLELUJAH!!! Amen
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