Make Everyday A Epiphany

Introduction

background of the passage. the Israelites’ dry bones were due to their rebellion. Tithings, temple ritual, priesthood, Passover, distinction in meats,—all had disappeared. They were fast becoming amalgamated, in language, habits, and occupation, with their conquerors. As a body, they were utterly dislocated. Their several orders had vanished. The organism was broken up. Their national life was destroyed. Their condition was deplorable, fitly symbolized by dry and dissevered bones. Prospect of restoration there was none. The faithful few were sinking into despair. Vivid picture this of human nature severed from the living God. Compared with the purity and nobleness that might be, the condition is aptly figured by death. Filial love and trust are dead. Conscience, the sense of right, is dead. Heavenly aspirations are dead. The hope of immortality is dead. Departing from God, men become “earthly, sensual, devilish.” The captivity of the grave aptly symbolizes their estate. The high design of their being is frustrated. Severance from God is followed by the rupture of social ties, mutual discords, and mutual hate

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Ezekiel (Vol. 2, pp. 278–279). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

the context here is about the restoration and recreation of the nation of Israel, but taking it personally, there are lessons for us to learn.

what is your valley of dry bones in 2019?

how are we like the dry bones? not only corpses, but dry bones left to bleach in the sun - physically, emotionally, spiritaully dry. our most degraded, desolate, despairing condition. cold, dead, utterly indifferent. Spiritual death.

Can these bones live?

express the impossibilities, the answer is definitely a “no”. If the answer depended upon human sagacity, if the means to awaken life were such as are available to human wisdom alone, such as are known by human experience, there can be but one answer “Life is impossible!” Devoutly the prophet refers the question back to God. By proposing difficult questions to his servants, God stimulates them to reflection, concentrates their attention upon salient points, teaches them a modest estimate of their powers. It is only possible in the Lord.

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Ezekiel (Vol. 2, p. 279). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.It is only possible in the Lord.

Even the great amount of bones can also be turned over. not just a pile of heap, but scattered all over the valley.

Even the driest bones can also be turned over

Even the driest bones can also be turned over. they were very dry.

Even the driest bones can still hear the word of the Lord. they have been long exposed to the sun and wind without any action taken. some could be our long ignored problems in our lives.

Even the driest bones can still hear the word of the Lord

The question asked by God, whether these bones could live, or come to life again, prepares the way for the miracle; and Ezekiel’s answer, “Lord, Thou knowest”. Do we allow God to make miracles in our lives?

What to do?

allow God’s hand to open your graveyard － By a supernatural intervention on the part of God, Ezekiel is taken from his own home in a state of spiritual ecstasy into a valley which was full of dead men’s bones. We also need God to bring us out from our camplacency into the reality of our conditions. God grab you, bring back and forth - to view them from every side, in order that Ezekiel might have a clear view of them. we are in the valley of dry bones. we need spiritual enlightenment that reveal what is real beneath what is apparent. Where and how we receive spiritual enlightenment? sometimes, it is through the people around us.

By a supernatural intervention on the part of God, Ezekiel is taken from his own home in a state of spiritual ecstasy into a valley which was full of dead men’s bones

Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 9, p. 306). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.God grab you, bring back and forth - to view them from every side. we are in the valley of dry bones. we need spiritual enlightenment that reveal what is real beneath what is apparent. Where and how we receive spiritual enlightenment?

allow God’s word to speak to you - we have flesh, but we are not alive. A thundering noise and an earthquake followed his prophesying, and to his own amazement he saw bones come together—bone to his bone; he saw the bones clothed with sinews, flesh, and skin. This marvellous transformation was still unaccompanied by life. we might have heard a lot of powerful sermons, followed a lot of impactful speakers, but we are still dead, though we are not dry bones. the most is that we change from scattered skeletons to compact corpses. we are in the valley of death. we will never change, but merely listening to one sermon after another. we might have tried very hard to change ourselves but all efforts are in vain, because we do not allow the Spirit of God to fill us.

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Ezekiel (Vol. 2, p. 275). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.we might have heard a lot of powerful sermons, followed a lot of impactful speakers, but we are still dead, though we are not dry bones. the most is that we change from scattered skeletons to compact corpses. we are in the valley of death. we will never change, but merely listening to one sermon after another.

allow God’s spirit to breath on you. The wind - power of life, the Spirit of God. Life can only come from God’s Spirit. the most stirring preaching will not create it. To the mind that thinks deeply and justly it will seem still more surprising that our humanity, sunk in the slumber and the death of sin, should awake to newness of life, should receive the Spirit of God, and should become his living army of truth and righteousness. It was the purpose of Christ’s coming that we might have life, and that in abundance. It is the Spirit that quickeneth. Thus it may be said that the production, fulness, and increase of spiritual life is the main result of the advent of the Saviour and the gift of the Holy Ghost. it is through prayer. In Ezekiel, the dead bones were made to live in answer to prayer

the dead bones were made to live in answer to prayer

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Ezekiel (Vol. 2, p. 276). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

Application:

AGMC 2020 plan to help us to live as a living flesh, instead of a pile of dry bones

Conclusion

the meaning of Epiphany

Where are we now? Valley of dry bones, or death, or we are alive?

we will be like the dry bones, experiencing God’s healing layer by layer.

in 2020, we want to encourage all families to turn ur family from dry bones to flesh and to alive, through reading His word and praying together. Church’s plan for families - HC Sunday, Family altar, Alpha parenting, parenting group, WTTB together with family members, ministries with family members, prayer meeting with family.