Reading this morning from this passage in Ezekiel something that is probably familiar to many of you, but I wanted to make a few short comments. I know, when I say “short comments”, many of you are probably rolling your eyes…Here is the text to begin with. It is found in Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NASB is quoted here):
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again 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 that you may come to life. 6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin 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 come to life.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
God explains the meaning of this vision that He gave Ezekiel in the following verses. Verses 11-14 contain that explanation, but I am not looking specifically at the details for the meaning of the vision that Ezekiel saw, but rather a few principles that may be helpful to some of us. At the very least, I can say that this meaning is what God speaks to me as I am reading this passage.
The first thing I want to point out is that before Ezekiel was called to the task by God, he was spiritually aware of God’s presence. In other words, Ezekiel was communing with God in such a way that he was able to recognize that God’s hand was upon him and moving him to see something of Spiritual importance in his life. This is very important for us to recognize. I know from my own experiences that if I fail to read God’s word and talk to him on a regular basis, then I very quickly move to a place in my life where I become less and less aware of his work in my life. Beyond this, I find that I tend to do less and less work on behalf of his kingdom here on earth, as I am commanded to do. So, the first important principle to note from this passage is that an encounter with God begins with our willingness to continue in communication with him, both in prayer and bible study and LISTENING for him to speak!
In verse 3, God asks Ezekiel an interesting question. God says, “Son of man, can these bones live?” There are several reasons that I call it an “interesting” question. First, God already knows the answer to the question. It is obvious that God isn’t seeking to gain some new knowledge from Ezekiel as he asks this question. Even so, there is obviously an important reason for the question, so what could it be? This brings me to the second important principle that we can take away from this text. Simply stated, it is this: Often, situations, decisions and circumstances are placed before us so that we can learn to rely on God. We can only truly learn this reliance when we face situations where the ONLY hope for recovery lies not in OUR hands, but in the wisdom and power of God alone, . Note how Ezekiel answers this question. Ezekiel knew without question that if it was up to him to raise these dry bones to life, that it would not be in his own power that it came about. He also knew that it was well within the power of God to make them live again, but Ezekiel had no way of knowing if this was what God would do at this time, so he simply said, “O Lord God, You know.” This is much more than a simple “I do not know” answer. This is a mighty statement of faith on Ezekiel’s part where he recognizes the power and wisdom of God.
In verses 4-6, we find the next important principle. Here, God speaks to Ezekiel and commands him to speak to the bones and tell them what God will do. When I first read this passage, I missed this, so bear with me as I try to share this truth with you. Pay attention to what God is asking Ezekiel to do. He told Ezekiel to tell the bones to “hear the word of the Lord.” And then, God continues to give that word, which was to be repeated to the bones all around them. The principle here is this: God used Ezekiel to do something that he (God) could have done all on his own. Now, this may sound like a bit of an oversimplification, but it is very important to note. God does not NEED my help to complete his plan, but he CHOOSES to use me for this purpose. I must be prepared (principle number one) and I must recognize that I cannot do it on my own (principle number two), but the work is ALL God’s design and His to carry out. I must become an empty vessel and allow Him to use me as HE desires if I am to be effective. Even then, it is not ME who is effective. Rather, it is God’s plan that will be completed by my obedience.
In verse 7, Ezekiel indicates that he was obedient to God’s command. He didn’t question that command, but did exactly as God commanded him. Even as he was doing so, God began to work. This brings me to the fourth and final principle that I learned from this text. If we are simply obedient to the calling that God places on our lives, then HE will use us to do a glorious work in our circumstances. The specifics of the circumstances are not relevant, because God is bigger…The difficulty of the situation is not relevant, because God is bigger…the nature of the decision does not matter, because God is bigger…No matter WHAT, God is bigger! We are simply called to be obedient to do as God commands us to do and HE will complete the work.
So, here is the takeaway from what God showed me this morning:
- Be ready by continuing to talk with God (prayer) and by listening to Him speak (through his word and spirit).
- Realize that we must learn to rely on God to complete the work he calls us to, because it is by HIS power and strength that he will complete his work.
- Recognize that, though God does not NEED my help, he chooses to use me. My only responsibility in that is to be obedient
- If I am obedient to God, reliant upon God and fill my heart and mind with God, then he can use me to bring glory to himself.
The end result of following these principles is that God can use you AND you will be able to see first hand the glory of God. I can imagine no greater blessing than to be a part of God’s work in this world.