What it Takes for Dry Bones to Live

What it takes for dry bones to live...

When I speak to men like Dr. Leighton Flowers or Mr. Jaques the thing that will come up more often than not is the question of man's inability. Unfortunately, those who defend Total Depravity can't usually do it out of the Old Testament. But there are great and powerful passages from the Old Testament that speak definitively about the nation of Israel and their depraved state. Let's have a look.

Ezekiel 37 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Valley of Dry Bones
37:1 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.”

This is a powerful passage... Sometimes when I read it to myself I'll dramatize it to make it more exciting to me. But what is it saying?
Ezekiel is in the middle of a valley that was once a battlefield. The valley is filled with thousands of skeletons that were once a great army that was defeated in battle. The Lord told him to prophesy to the bones that he (the Lord) will raise them up to flesh... Ezekiel did and the bones returned to flesh... After that the Lord told him to prophesy to the breath (winds) and he did and the breath of life was breathed into the flesh bodies and soon there stood before Ezekiel a grand army of risen soldiers... This was a vision of Israel and the miracle that the Lord will work in his people. And so it is with us as well.
Man kind are these dry bones. For us to live spiritual lives, we must first be raised to new life then the breath of life will enter into us upon our salvation.

Soli Deo Gloria!