Ezekiel 37:1-14
The dry bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision represented Israel in a spiritually deadened state. God had been ministering through Ezekiel about holiness, but Israel seemed powerless to change their ways. God even spoke to Ezekiel concerning the New Covenant in the previous chapter to show a time when He would change the heart of man (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).
How could Ezekiel expect dead bones to rise up when he preached to them about holiness? Of course he shouldn’t have expected much, and we should expect no more today. When holiness messages are delivered to people who are unsaved they are wasted; but they are just as useless on people who are saved, but are attempting to be justified by works. Paul said, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died…For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Romans 7:9, 11). When we urge people to keep the commandments without showing them the mighty power of the New Covenant we are actually strengthening sin inside of them for they are helpless using their own works.
When you serve God under the Old Covenant, though you are a born-again believer, you are still “dead”. You are powerless to please God through your own righteousness, having passed on the righteousness offered by Christ’s finished work.
When Ezekiel spoke to the bones, he was ministering New Covenant to them; where they would be given form and substance based upon no work of their own. After this initial experience the valley was full of bodies that held no life or “no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:8). This is just like many saints who hear of the New Covenant of God’s goodness and grace but they are far from living the abundant life.
Ezekiel then speaks to the wind (Ezekiel 37:9), telling it to blow into these slain that they may live. As soon as he does this, the wind blows the breath of life into them and they stand on their feet, “an exceeding great army” (verse 10). By speaking to the wind, Ezekiel is calling on the breath of God to do what has been promised that it will do. He is speaking to the wind, but more importantly, he is speaking of God’s covenant. What God promises that He is going to do, He is most definitely going to do, however you and I need to know it, and believe it!
God’s promise in the valley of dry bones is not limited to Israel, for verse 14 says, “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it…” (Ezekiel 37:14). The word here for “your own land” is ‘solid ground; a place of firmness that is unshakeable’. God is promising that the blessings of the New Covenant will place you on unshakeable ground!
Later in the chapter, God confirms the covenant with the former dry bones by saying, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” (Ezekiel 37:26). Paul introduced us to the God of peace in Romans (5:1), and we know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Aren’t you excited to see yet another New Covenant promises nestled secretly into the Old Testament. Wow, how our God loves us!
The dry bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision represented Israel in a spiritually deadened state. God had been ministering through Ezekiel about holiness, but Israel seemed powerless to change their ways. God even spoke to Ezekiel concerning the New Covenant in the previous chapter to show a time when He would change the heart of man (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).
How could Ezekiel expect dead bones to rise up when he preached to them about holiness? Of course he shouldn’t have expected much, and we should expect no more today. When holiness messages are delivered to people who are unsaved they are wasted; but they are just as useless on people who are saved, but are attempting to be justified by works. Paul said, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died…For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Romans 7:9, 11). When we urge people to keep the commandments without showing them the mighty power of the New Covenant we are actually strengthening sin inside of them for they are helpless using their own works.
When you serve God under the Old Covenant, though you are a born-again believer, you are still “dead”. You are powerless to please God through your own righteousness, having passed on the righteousness offered by Christ’s finished work.
When Ezekiel spoke to the bones, he was ministering New Covenant to them; where they would be given form and substance based upon no work of their own. After this initial experience the valley was full of bodies that held no life or “no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:8). This is just like many saints who hear of the New Covenant of God’s goodness and grace but they are far from living the abundant life.
Ezekiel then speaks to the wind (Ezekiel 37:9), telling it to blow into these slain that they may live. As soon as he does this, the wind blows the breath of life into them and they stand on their feet, “an exceeding great army” (verse 10). By speaking to the wind, Ezekiel is calling on the breath of God to do what has been promised that it will do. He is speaking to the wind, but more importantly, he is speaking of God’s covenant. What God promises that He is going to do, He is most definitely going to do, however you and I need to know it, and believe it!
God’s promise in the valley of dry bones is not limited to Israel, for verse 14 says, “And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it…” (Ezekiel 37:14). The word here for “your own land” is ‘solid ground; a place of firmness that is unshakeable’. God is promising that the blessings of the New Covenant will place you on unshakeable ground!
Later in the chapter, God confirms the covenant with the former dry bones by saying, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” (Ezekiel 37:26). Paul introduced us to the God of peace in Romans (5:1), and we know that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Aren’t you excited to see yet another New Covenant promises nestled secretly into the Old Testament. Wow, how our God loves us!
