Ezekiel 37:1–6 NASB95

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 “Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel 37:1-6 There's one thing I do know and that is I just don't know

All of us

have had situations

problems, trials, and tribulations

where we have

done our best

Said all you can say

Done all you could do

And things still

Don’t workout

Or come together

So you come

To this conclusion

“You just don’t know”

And that is the one thing

That you do know

That you just don’t know

Marriage—Children—Health—Single Parenting—Job

And when you just don’t know

Things become

Frustrating — Aggravating — Agitating

And when you just don’t know

Not knowing makes you

[ Angry — Tired/Drains you — Lonely — Depress — Fussy — Cussing ]

Note: This familiar text has nothing to do with the resurrection of men or that it has to do with the FOOT Bone connected to the Ankle Bone & the Ankle Bone connected to the calf Bone .............. For “these bones are the whole house of Israel.”

One of the most amazing and well-known prophecies in the Old Testament is found in chap. 37.

Few other passages have suffered more from the extremes of interpreters

who see either too much or too little

in both meaning and application of the figures, symbols, and types of this text.

This vision illustrates the promise of chapter 36—

New life and a nation restored,

Both physically and spiritually

The dry bones are a picture of the Jews in captivity—

Scattered and dead.

The two pieces of wood in (37:15–17)

Represent the reunion of the entire nation of Israel

That had divided into

Northern and southern kingdoms after Solomon

The scattered exiles of both Israel and Judah

would be released from the “graves”

of exile and one day regathered

in their homeland

with the Messiah as their leader

This vision has yet to be fulfilled

Ezekiel felt he was speaking to the dead

as he preached to the exiles

because they rarely responded to his message

The Role of a Prophet

1 Call out the sinful practice of the people

2 Warn nation of impending judgment

3 Call people back to repentance

4 Comfort in restoration

But these bones responded!

And just as God brought life to the dead bones

he would bring life again to his spiritually dead people

Ezekiel is asked

a question from God

and instead of answering

the question

Ezekiel gives

a safe response

God, only you know

And that is

the right response

when you just

don’t know

is that

God only you know

Because the truth

of the matter is

only God knows

the outcome of our

every situations

Explain: Ezekiel

When the Prophet

Said to God

“ O Lord God, thou knowest “

I believe

That the Prophet

Gave this wise answer

Because he knew

He was in a place

Where he, the Prophet

Could not get any results from this Dead & Dry place — But God

Quote: “ Duty is ours; results are God’s.”

John Quincy Adams

The book of Ezekiel can be summed up with “The expectation of the nations religious restoration by Christ”

The meaning of our text,

as opened up

by the context,

is most evidently,

if words mean anything,

FIRST,

that there shall be

a political restoration

of the Jews

to their own land

and to their own nationality;

and then, secondly,

there is in the text,

and in the context,

a most plain declaration,

that there shall be

a spiritual restoration,

a conversion in fact,

of the tribes of Israel.

When just don’t know

1st: Ezekiel was Subject to God (v.1A)

Ezekiel 37:1 NASB95

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

The hand of the Lord

denotes the overruling

divine influence

The hand of the Lord

denotes the power

of God

The hand of the Lord

symbol of God’s

active and personal

involvement

in human affairs

When the only thing

that you know

is that you don’t know

you have to be

subject to the Lord

Quote: “God’s sovereignty is going to be your Sanity”

Too many time

we’re dealing

with our situation

not under God’s authority

It’s when things

have become

dead & dry

like these bones that represent the nation

You have to be

subject to the Lord’s

guides & authority

When just don’t know

1st: Ezekiel was Subject to God (v.1A)

2nd Ezekiel had to Survey the Scenery ( V. 2 )

Ezekiel 37:2 NASB95

2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

Note: Don’t talk / Don’t put your hands to it

Note: The prophet walked “back and forth” (lit. “around”) in the valley taking care not to touch any of the bones. As a priest he would have taken such precautions since touching a dead body, including these bones, was forbidden (Lev 21:11).

Note: Do you ever take time to survey your scenery ????

Note: To really SEE what you are dealing with

When just don’t know

1st: Ezekiel was Subject to God (v.1A)

2nd Ezekiel had to Survey the Scenery ( V. 2 )

3rd Ezekiel didn’t have a Solution for God (v.3)

Ezekiel 37:3 NASB95

3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Note: Step back and let God be God

Note: It’s good just when God knows

Because we can’t do nothing

We can’t say nothing

And we can’t go ahead of Him

When just don’t know

1st: Ezekiel was Subject to God (v.1A)

2nd Ezekiel had to Survey the Scenery ( V. 2 )

3rd Ezekiel didn’t have a Solution for God (v.3)

4th Ezekiel Spoke what God told him to Speak (vs. 4-6)

Ezekiel 37:4 NASB95

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’

Ezekiel didn’t step out

And spoke what he wanted to

He OBEYED the voice of God

In spite of how things

Had looked to Ezekiel

When just don’t know

1st: Ezekiel was Subject to God (v.1A)

2nd Ezekiel had to Survey the Scenery ( V. 2 )

3rd Ezekiel didn’t have a Solution for God (v.3)

4th Ezekiel Spoke what God told him to Speak (vs. 4-6)

5th Ezekiel Seen the Sovereignty of God (vs. 7-10)

God is a PROMISE KEEPER

Most Israelites may have doubted God’s promise of restoration. Their present condition militated against the possibility of that being fulfilled. So God stressed the fact of His sovereign power and ability to carry out these remarkable promises. Their fulfillment depended on Him, not on circumstances. Ezekiel reported the vision (vv. 1–10) and then interpreted it (vv. 11–14).