Can These Bones Live?

EZEKIEL 37:3-10

And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also 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 breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Ezekiel’s visions always seem, at least to me, to have a cinematic quality to them. They are visually striking to the imagination and communicate the truth beyond the words in an extraordinary way. What struck me forcibly were the words “Prophesy to these bones…”, that is ‘to speak or sing by inspiration’, by ‘Divine breath’. In this way the dry bones are brought from death to life. Utterly restored.

‘Prophesy’ appears 75 times in the New King James Version [NKJV], and 78 times in the King James Version [KJV] of scripture. These numbers are related — their basis is 70 — signifying ‘perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power‘ [source: E W Bullinger]; 75 meaning ‘all His kindred’ [from Acts 7:14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 78 indicates ‘perfect spiritual order’ allied with new beginning; new life — all of which raises the significance of prophesy to an even greater height, and reveals that even in the God-breathed fabric of Scripture, the nature and purpose of Resurrection Life is being deeply woven.

And He said to me, “Son of Man, can these bones live?”
The Lord God spoke in the Holy Spirit to Ezekiel, naming him Son of Man, which of course is a name which Jesus called Himself. We read this in Matthew 16:13…
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
This leads us to understand that when we are truly hearing from the Holy Spirit, it is indeed just as in the words of the song…

If that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead
Dwells in you, dwells in you.
He shall quicken your mortal body
If that same Spirit dwells in you.

All things in The Bible point to Jesus Christ, and show us that the prophesying words in the Old Testament are fulfilled in the person of Jesus in the New Testament and in His life written in the hearts of those who believe and receive His Holy Spirit to realise the Third Testament, which is His Kingdom on Earth and in Heaven forevermore.

Ezekiel’s message is as relevant to us today as it was when The Lord our God breathed that prophetic vision into being — Holy Spirit to hearing spirit — so that we may be utterly restored. Hallelujah!

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
JOHN 11:23-27

DRY BONES COME ALIVE — Paul Wilbur

PRAYER REQUIRES… SIMPLICITY

LET THE WORDS come home to us personally in their New Testament setting. "When you pray, do not use vain repetitions." Our Lord prayed the same prayer, using the same words, three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He gave the disciples a form of prayer which He knew would be repeated throughout the Christian centuries; so it cannot be mere repetition or the form of words that he is referring to. The latter half of the verse comes home better for personal purposes — for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking — that is, do not rely on your earnestness as the ground for being heard.
[from ‘Christian Discipline Volume 2’ by Oswald Chambers]

LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION HERE…

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