September 7, 2012 … Dry Bones Restored

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 251

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Ezekiel 37-39 To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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You Tube - Delta Rhythm Boys singing “Dem Dry Bones” … go to this link … 

Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 37: 1-6; 20-22; 24-28 : [NLT] … 1 The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” … 4 Then he said to me, “Speak to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” … 
 20 Then hold out the sticks you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation in the land. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations. … 
24 “My servant David [i.e., reference to The Messiah] will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws. 25 They will live in the land of Israel where their ancestors lived, the land I gave my servant Jacob. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And since my Temple will remain among them forever, the nations will know that I, the LORD, have set Israel apart for myself to be holy.”  
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Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 38: 1-4: 21-23 : [NLT] … 1 This is another message that came to me from the LORD: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 3 Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: Gog, I am your enemy! 4 I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. … 
21 I will summon the sword against you throughout Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn against each other in mortal combat. 22 I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! 23 Thus will I show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD! 
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Highlight Passage: Ezekiel 39: 1-6; 25-29 : [NLT] … 1 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. 3 I will knock your weapons from your hands and leave you helpless. 4 You and all your vast hordes will die on the mountains. I will give you as food to the vultures and wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. 6 And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the LORD. … 
25 “So now the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people£; I will have mercy on Israel, for I am jealous for my holy reputation! 26 They will accept responsibility for their past shame and treachery against me after they come home to live in peace and safety in their own land. And then no one will bother them or make them afraid. 27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, my holiness will be displayed to the nations. 28 Then my people will know that I am the LORD their God—responsible for sending them away to exile and responsible for bringing them home. I will leave none of my people behind. 29 And I will never again turn my back on them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon them, says the Sovereign LORD.” 
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Cross Reference Passage: Matthew 24: 36 : [NLT] … [Jesus’ prophesies about preparing for His return] “However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” 

My Journal for Today: These three chapters from my chronological read through Ezekiel’s prophesies, Chapters 37-39, follow from Chapter 36 [see my journal entry of 9/6], where God gives His remnant of faithful in Babylon His clear prophesy of their restoration as a nation and their renewal of relationship with the Lord, as their Good Shepherd, forever. And in today’s reading/study, we see God, through Ezekiel, gives a colorful and powerful message about this deliverance, especially from the worldly battles which will take one day prior to the Lord’s return (see Chapter 39 highlighted above).

But the most colorful of all of the visions and prophesies given to Ezekiel in today’s reading is that of Ezekiel 37: 1-14 in the vision God gave the Prophet of the “dry bones.” And if you’ve even had the delight, as I have in my college glee club days, to sing old African-American Spirituals, one of those spirituals, ”Dem Dry Bones”, written in the early 20th century by African-American activist, James Weldon Johnson, gives a delightful musical gospel picture of Ezekiel’s vision. I’ve linked any readers here to one version of that old spiritual song, sung on You Tube by the Delta Rhythm Boys. Please take a couple of minutes and see/hear this delightful old spiritual.

But though this song may seem somewhat light and almost frivolous, the vision that God gave Ezekiel was quite serious, because it represented the truth that God – and only God – would restore His broken people to one, united and restored personhood as a nation. God, through the Messiah, the ultimate Davidic King, would restore the broken bones to flesh and blood again one day.

When this will take place, we don’t know, as Jesus made clear in His one prophetic statement about the end times (see Matthew 24: 36 copied above). But just as Ezekiel was prophesying to give restorative hope to His peoples in Babylon, Jesus has come, died, been resurrected, and has promised that He, as our Messiah, will come again to see all of God’s people, … i.e., His dry bones …, restored to their wholeness to be with Him forever.

Yes, “dem dry bones” will be restored to flesh and blood to be with and in Christ … FOREVER!!!

My Prayer Today: … Glory, glory, glory … HALLELUJAH!!! Amen