Seen from high on its rim at first light, a wide empty valley floor far below, scattered with pale dry stones, a thin haze of dust over it, under a calm pale sky.

Dry bones live

Ezekiel 37

Have you ever felt your hope was dried up?

28 verses≈ 6 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeatedChapter 37
40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel

At ground level in a wide valley of pale dry stones and cracked earth under a white midday sky, dust lifting in a hot wind, a lone man walking far off, seen from behind.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry.

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God

Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?”

Ezekiel

“O Lord GOD,” I replied, “only You know.”

God

And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

God

This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life.

Ezekiel 37:5

God

I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

Ezekiel

So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was suddenly a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked on, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

God

Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!”

Ezekiel

So I prophesied as He had commanded me, and the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet—a vast army.

God

God

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’

God

Therefore prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O My people, I will open your graves and bring you up from them, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

God

At dawn, exile families with donkeys, bundles and small children walk up a stony road into terraced hills, seen from behind, the first sun on the terraces ahead, under a calm pale sky.

I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.’”

0:12

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Question

Quick question

Think back to the valley and what the LORD said it meant.

What did the LORD say the dry bones were?

From bones to a people

Whiteboard

The word first, then the breath: what the LORD says, His Spirit makes alive.

One Nation with One King

God

Close in warm morning light on a woven wool cloth: two short plain rods of olive wood laid end to end in one straight line, meeting so that they look like a single stick.

Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “And you, son of man, take a single stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Judah and to the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and to all the house of Israel associated with him.’ Then join them together into one stick, so that they become one in your hand.

God

When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these?’ you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick, and they will become one in My hand.’

God

Morning over ridge after ridge of terraced limestone hills with olive trees, small flat-roofed villages on the spurs, cooking smoke rising, a single road running along the ridges.

When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people, you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

God

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

God

Evening on a hill pasture: one large flock of sheep and goats going into a single low fieldstone fold, a shepherd seen from behind at its open gap with a plain wooden staff.

My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.

God

They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.

God

God

Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’”

Pray

Lord GOD, only You know whether dry bones can live. Breathe on what is dead in me, put Your Spirit in me, and make me one with Your people, Your dwelling among us. Amen.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 37

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A verse to carry with you

This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life.

Ezekiel 37:5

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