Army of God, Arise!

Ezekiel 37:1–10 NKJV

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

The Valley of Dry Bones

This past Wednesday, February 21st, when I awoke, my heart and mind were focused on Ezekiel 37.

The hand of the LORD came upon Ezekiel, both priest and prophet, and brought him out in the Spirit of the LORD.

The LORD set Ezekiel in the midst of the valley. It was a valley of dry bones!

Who are these “dry bones”?

These bones are the “whole house of Israel”.

Ezekiel 37:11 (NKJV)

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’

This passage has typically been understood as having a two-fold meaning and application: one to the resurrection of the nation of Israel after their dispersion, and two to individual resurrection from the dead.

Who is the “whole house of Israel?” The nation of Israel or the Israel of God composed of believers from Israelite and Gentile backgrounds? (Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 2:11-18)

The condition of the people:

“Our bones are dry”: “Dry” speaks of the complete absence of the moisture of life.

“Our hope is lost”: This refers to absolute hopelessness.

“We ourselves are cut off”: This refers to being removed in judgment from the blessings and inheritance of God’s covenant people.

Can these bones live?

“O Lord GOD, You know!”

Only God has the power to give life.

Prophesy to the Bones!

“Hear the Word of the LORD!”

God calls those which do not exist as though they did!

Romans 4:16–20 NKJV

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Restoration!

Bone came to bone

Sinews and flesh covered them

Skin covered them

There was no breath in them

Prophesy to the Breath!

Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain.

Revival!

Breath came into them!

They lived!

Army of God, Arise!

They stood on their feet—an exceeding great army!

Response to the Word