The Valley of Hope
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Valley Living
Valley Living
Ezekiel 37:1-3
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 midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
And He caused me to pass round about among them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley or plain, and behold, they were very dry.
And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!
Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.
Valley Living can be harsh!
one can become discouraged!
Don’t we all wish we lived on mountain tops?
Valleys cause you to look up! to look for what you are missing.
Mountain tops cause you to look down at everything There is no higher place to go! you have reached the top… its over its done!
God wanted Ezekiel to see the valley… He wanted to show Ezekiel something about this place of discouragement and hopelessness.
God put Ezekiel right in the middle of it! In the middle of the valley and the dry bones.
Death! No hope! these weren’t just bones but dry bones...
really really no hope!
They had been killed! Defeated! There was a reason they were dead!
Rivers run in the valleys
harvests are in the valley
planting reaping all happen in the valley
For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
In The Valley we are to Speak a word inspired of God!
In The Valley we are to Speak a word inspired of God!
Ezekiel 37:
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
Speak to the thing that is dead and dry and say! Hear the word of the Lord!
Dry bones you need to hear this! this is going to be good! God has something to say to you!
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
God says you will live again! Breath will enter you again.
You are going to get your life back!
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.” ’ ”
Sinews - that which holds the bones together
Bring flesh - the substance of the body! It grows ! feels! bleeds!
Cover Skin - The covering that protects everything inside you
Breath - Life
When this happens you will know that He is Lord!
You only know that He is Lord when you have been through something you can’t explain, it doesn’t make sense. I shouldn’t have. but I did!
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.
Ezekiel 37
When we speak Hope where there is no hope! when we speak life where there is no life there is noise, there is a sound a disturbance… a rattling… the bones came together… they heard the word!
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.
First there was a sound now there is a visual...
as I looked… before my eyes… sinews… connections..
flesh … substance form shape
skin .. covering protection
but still no life...
sometimes your heard it you saw it but its still dead!
you are looking at it but its still dead!
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.” ’ ”
Now the instruction changed… speak not to the bones but to the spirit - wind
Come from where you are! the four winds.. 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.
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!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”