Sunday Sharing: Dry Bones Come To Life

My scripture highlight this week is just something I thought was a cool vision Ezekiel had that God used to communicate His intentions of restoring Israel.  It is commonly referred to as the vision of dry bones.

I felt the power of the Lord was on me.  He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord.  And he put me down in the middle of a valley.  It was full of bones.  The Lord led me around among the bones.  There were many bones on the bottom of the valley.  I saw the bones were very dry.  Then he asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?"

I answered, "Lord God, only you know." [God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones.]

So I prophesied as I was commanded.  While I prophesied, there was a noise and a rattling.  The bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked and saw muscles come on the bones.  Flesh grew, and skin covered the bones.  But there was no breath in them.

  Then the Lord said to me, "Prophesy to the wind."  Prophesy, human being, and say to the wind:  'This is what the Lord God says:  Wind, come from the four winds.  Breathe on these people who were killed so they can live again.'"  So I prophesied as the Lord commanded me.  And the breath came into them, and they came to life.  They stood on their feet.  They were a very large army. --Ezekiel 37:1-11

This reminds of skeletons at Halloween.  I was a skeleton for many years.  Sorry, I digress.

Israel was depressed.  Verse 11 says:

Then the Lord said to me:  "Human being, these bones are like all the people of Israel.  They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope has gone.  We are destroyed.'  

Then in verses 12-14, God tells Ezekiel to prophecy this message of hope to Israel:

So, prophesy, and say to them:  'This is what the Lord God says:  My people, I will open your graves.  And I will cause you to come up out of your graves.  Then I will bring you into the land of Israel.  This is how you, my people, will know that I am the Lord.  I will open your graves and cause you to come up from them.  And I will put my Spirit inside you.  You will come to life.  Then I will put you in your own land.  And you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it, says the Lord.'"

God did not forsake Israel and he won't forsake me.  Whenever I get depressed or overwhelmed, I immediately start praising God, and quote Colossians 3:2 which says, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."   I say a prayer of thanks and it always relieves my stress.  When we know God, there is no reason to be depressed! 

(All scripture is from the International Children's Bible because I can understand it better and don't have to think so hard early in the morning when I first arise.)

Feel free to share a scripture highlight you came across this week in the comments.  I'd really love to hear it or just comment on this post.

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