Son of man, can these bones live?
– Ezekiel 37
What a question! Ezekiel had been carried into the wilderness to a valley filled with dried bones. Human bones. It had been the scene of a great carnage. Years had elapsed. All that remained was bleached dried disjointed bones. And the Spirit of LORD asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”
What would you have said?
You might have looked upon the hopelessness and desolation and asked in return, “Are you kidding LORD?” We should be guided by Ezekiel’s response. Ezekiel was not amazed. He said, “O LORD God, thou knowest.” What faith! He did not doubt. His reply was simply as I said, “O LORD God, thou knowest” which is a King James English way of saying, “Lord, you know you can do it!”
Then the LORD said to Ezekiel, “If you will preach to them; I will breathe into them, and they will live.” Ezekiel did and God did, and they did. The noise started in the distance. It was a rattling sound; almost musical… a tinkling sound of one bone striking another. Then another followed by another.
More noise followed by more noise until a whole cacophony of notes filled the valley. The ground swarmed with bones as each disjointed and scattered piece made its way back to its original skeleton. Then sinew was followed by flesh and then skin covered each skeleton until the valley was filled with thousands of lifeless bodies. There was no breath in them. Finally, from all corners of the earth there came the sound of a mighty rushing wind.
It filled the valley, and it filled the bodies, and each began to breathe as they rose up and stood. They formed a mighty army, which fell into marching order. There was then the sound of a thousand feet marching in step. As the Bible says, “it was an exceedingly great army!” Ezekiel’s message was that God would raise the Israelites even from the grave.
Though the hope of Israel was dead and buried, God would breathe into it the breath of life. So, it is with us. He gives us life through the breath of his Holy Spirit. Pentecost has been called the “church’s birthday.” One might even say that Pentecost is the day the church took its first breath.
Shalom,
Gary
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