“Can These Bones Live ? ”
“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, you know. Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O you dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah. Thus says the lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.” - Ezekiel 37:3-5
“And you did he make alive, when you were dead in your trespasses and sins." - Ephesians 2:1
The vision of the valley of dry bones is perhaps the most well-known vision of the Old Testament. It vividly portrays our inability to live apart from the Spirit of God. Adam began to live by the breath of the Lord, his disobedience brought death to all, and only the Lord can revive us. We must receive the Lord's Spirit to live again.
Through Isaiah, the Lord spoke with different metaphors to reveal our condition. 61:1-3 says the Lord's Servant will come to open the eyes of the blind, and set the captives free. Jesus indicated those words were fulfilled by him (Luke 4), and l ater he said,
“ You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”- John 8:32
The truth about ourselves keeps us hiding from God and each other. Our behaviors are no better than Adam,
trying to hide among the trees of the garden. We need the Covering of Jesus' life, and the breath of his Spirit, to live again.
Jesus said, “Except you are born from Above, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” - John 3:3
Today, many churches do not hear words that call the dead to live , and confession has virtually vanished from the churches (James 3:2, 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9 ). Jesus said of Sardis, “You have a name that you live, and you are dead.” – Revelation 3:4 Without confessing our sins to one another, we will remain blinded and bound by them, and as lifeless as the dry bones in the vision given to Ezekiel.
“And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and you shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it and performed it, says Jehovah.” – Ezekiel 37:13-14
