Valley Of Dry Bones
Lessons From Ezekiel • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 13 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greeting…
We are finishing up our series this morning on “Lessons From Ezekiel” by turning to Ezekiel 37.
In Ezekiel 37:1-14 we find an interesting vision that Ezekiel is given often titled the “Valley Of Dry Bones.”
Let’s dive right in by first examining…
The Context
The Context
Vision From God.
Vision From God.
Ezekiel is taken by the Spirit of the LORD and set down in the middle of the valley wherein he was surrounded by dead men’s bones.
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
God asks Ezekiel if these dry dead bones could live to which Ezekiel responds, “O Lord God, you know.”
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
God then asks Ezekiel to go and preach for him.
Ezekiel was to first preach to the dry bones.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
Ezekiel was then to preach to the breath.
9 Then 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.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The point of this vision was to visually demonstrate to Ezekiel what he was to preach to the Israelites that God would raise them up again and give them again the breath of life.
That Israel would be restored.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Summary
Summary
This vision must have been something amazing to see.
Witnessing God “knitting together” humans right in front of his eyes.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
There are several great lessons we can learn from this powerful vision.
We would be remiss if we did not start with easily recognizable lesson of we must…
Obey God Regardless
Obey God Regardless
It Won’t Always Make Sense.
It Won’t Always Make Sense.
Ezekiel’s instructions from God did not seem to be a very rational thing to do.
Ezekiel 37:4 (ESV)
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”
But because God commanded it, it needed to be obeyed.
There is nothing expected of us that God does not give us “some indication” of why he is having us obey a certain way but how much we understand or if we understand the “why” of God is not required.
There are many things we as Christians, especially as babes in Christ, might not understand at first but obedience has far more value to God then wisdom in the why.
23 I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It is at these times that we must, as the Proverb writer perfectly put it.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Summary
Summary
Again, I must point out that even though obedience does not require us to “understand” why God is having us do or act a certain way, that doesn’t mean we cannot know the answer to such questions.
God is not one to leave us confused and wondering what he is up to rather he wants us to realize that if we don’t yet understand we must not lean on our understanding but his, because…
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Another powerful lesson from this passage on “The Valley Of Dry Bones” is that we find there is…
No Hopelessness With God
No Hopelessness With God
Do Not Get Discouraged.
Do Not Get Discouraged.
In this old sinful world we live in, it can sometimes seem “hopeless.”
By that I mean it can feel like we are hopeless beating our heads against a brick wall in many ways.
We can feel hopeless sometimes trying to help the lost come to Christ.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
We can feel hopeless sometimes trying to live a pure life here in this corrupt world.
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
However, because there is nothing possibly, that is impossible for God we, his beloved creation, must realize that there is no hopeless with God.
Ezekiel was asked to preach to a bunch of dried up bones and told to tell them live; what a seemingly hopeless task.
However, because Ezekiel did what God asked the “seemingly impossible” became possible.
When we are feeling like the Israelites in Ezekiel 37:11, “our hope is lost” we must remember that there is no hopelessness with God.
How do we do this, we remember…
God must be the source of our hope.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
God must be the source of our peace.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Summary
Summary
When we let God lead us, strengthen us, and deliver us we will be able to fight the feeling of hopelessness.
The same God that could create a living army out of dried up old bones will keep us until that day we can spend and eternity with him in heaven.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Today, we have a seemingly impossible task much like Ezekiel did.
Help those that don’t even know they need help find their way to their Creator.
We have been told by God to “go and preach the gospel” to the dead world and help them see the hope that God offers of “life eternal.”
Through our reliance on “the source of hope” and our willingness to obey him who offers a peace that surpasses understanding we can “do the seemingly impossible” just like Ezekiel did.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
