Hear the word of the LORD
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“Hear the word of the LORD”
“Hear the word of the LORD”
Death is something that most of us would rather not discuss. Because of the unavoidable pain connected with death, delivering that news is likewise painful.
Avoiding the discussion or delaying the news, does not lessen the reality of the death.
Mrs. Rhodes faithfully collected for flowers from neighbours.
Some of us have developed ways of coping, but sometimes those actions only defer the pain. In much of the developed world dealing with death has for the most part been transferred from the immediate family to others. I asked some of those whom I knew well, whether preparing a loved one for burial was too great a pain. Their response was as bitter as the process began, it became bitter sweet in that it offered a chance for the women involved do what was a integral part of life, that is death. They were the ones who provided most of the care for the new born and babies. Why should they not do the same for their loved ones who were dying.
The glaring realities of dying and inseparable interconnected health deterioration are almost always denied or at the very least downplayed. For some accepting the TLC are is seen as an admission of their fragile state.
Palliative Care ‘s changing definition
Hospice Care
Regrettably and ironically, that is the case both with both physical and spiritual death.
Life & people precious
Uncertainty re process
When we force ourselves to face that fact, we must also acknowledge that sometimes people and situations seem so far from God and spiritually dead, that we are prone to discouragement and more or less giving up with the lament that things have more or less deteriorated to the point of no return. Oddly, that might not bother some people.. But it should break the hearts of God’s people. If it doesn’t, their hearts might very well be broken.
Ezekiel, the prophet and priest, was part of about 10,000 people from Judah who were transported from Judah to Babylon - 597 BC - Jerusalem finally fell 586 BC. Wherever they looked, things seemed to have deteriorated both physically and spiritually. To them and Ezekiel, God explained that as hopeless as everything seemed, there was hope.
The LORD’s spiritual assessment of Israel/Judah - Ezek 37:1-2
Beyond this chapter most of Ezekiel’s ministry and message stemmed from the physical and spiritual decline of Israel/Judah. THEY WERE DYING.
Broader context:
United - 110 years - 1043 to 931 BC
Israel - north - lasted until 722/721 BC - fell to Assyria
626 BC Assyria fell to Babylon - Nineveh destroyed 612 to 605 BC
605 BC - Battle of Carchemish - decisive victory for Babylon over Egypt - NO SURVIVORS
Judah - south - 931 to 586 BC
605 BC Babylon led by Nebuchadnezzar began attack on Jerusalem and deportation of captives - including Daniel - Daniel 1
586 BC - again besieged Jerusalem - more captives including Ezekiel - 2 Kings 24:11-18; Ezek 1:1-2
586 BC final destruction of Jerusalem & defeat of Judah - final deportation
Judah - south - lasted until fell to Babylon - 605 to 586 BC
Babylonian captivity - 70 years - God’s promise delivered by Jeremiah.
“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.
False prophets repeated deceived the people - short captivity, soon return. Ezekiel confronted those false prophets.
the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
Context (immediate):
Before the Lord took Ezekiel to the valley of dry bone, the Lord directed Ezekiel’s and our attention to some contributing factors to the spiritual death and decay in Judah.
When the Lord directed Ezekiel to each of these factors:
The word of God came to Ezekiel.
It was the word of God that those who had contributed to this downward slide needed to hear.
And the Lord repeated declared that once again all who would listen needed to know that He was the LORD.
Shepherds and my sheep/Covenant of Peace - Ezek 34:1-31
The shepherds of Israel had fed themselves, not the sheep - 36:2 - They too needed to hear the word of the LORD - 34:7 - God would put a stop to their “feeding” His sheep - 36:9-10
The LORD would care for His sheep and send His servant David - Jesus - would be a prince among them - 36:24
The LORD God covenanted to banish wide beasts from their land, give them peace and showers of blessing - 34:25-31
And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”
God’s judgment of Mt Seir/Edom - Ezek 35:1-15
Speaking of beasts, Mt Sier/Edom/SE of Dead Sea- descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau - Gen 32:3; 38:6 - had continued to cause pain for Israel.
Ezekiel to prophesy - the Lord God was against them. He would lay out His hand against and make their land and cities waste -35:3-4 - because they cherished enmity with Israel and bloodshed - 35:5-6 - when Israel trying to escape Babylon - because determined to take and possess Israel & Judah - 35:10-11
God would intervene that they would know that “I am the LORD.” - 35:12, 15
Israel’s required regeneration to experience God’s promised blessings - Ezek 36:1-38
Ezekiel addressed the mountains/symbolic of the whole nation
Because you have suffered the reproach of the nations, they will suffer reproach - 36:7
You mountains of Israel will again be fruitful and multiply - 36:8
You shall no longer bear the reproach of nations - 36:15
The pain that they had suffered was because they, God’s people, the land, the house of God and God’s holy name - 36;16-21
God is about to act, not for their sake, but for His sake - 36:22-23
This would only when God brought them back, cleansed them and gave them new hearts and His Spirit - 36:24-27
Then they will know that I am the LORD - 36:38
Valley full of very many, very dry bones
This one of a number of visions that God gave to Ezekiel when he was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal - major canal off the Euphrates River, south of Babylon.
Others visions, this one the night before the messenger came with news of the destruction of Jerusalem - would have eased some of the gloom.\
These bones are the whole house of Israel who say their hope is lost - 37:11
To them through Ezekiel, God says that there is hope - 37:12
Valley full of very many dry bones, very dry bones
Wide spread, long term, very long term spiritual death and decay.
Those bones are scattered like Israel.
2. The LORD’s question, commands & promises - Ezek 37:3-6
“Can these bones live?” - Ezek 37:3; Eph 2:1, 4
The vision here was a very stark and some would say harsh cruel image of their situation as God saw them as a nation. They are dead, very dead.
“Can these bones live?” would have made no sense if the people were not aware of the doctrine of personal resurrection.
Through Elijah, the LORD raised the son of the widow of Zarephath - 1 Kings 17 - region controlled by the father-in-law of Ahab - center of Baal worship
Through Elisha, the LORD raised the Shunammite’s son - 2 Kings 4:1-37
Through Isaiah, the LORD repeatedly promised that He would swallow up death forever.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Daniel repeated that promise. Hosea did as well.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol;
I shall redeem them from Death.
O Death, where are your plagues?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
It is one thing to read God’s assessment of Israel’s spiritual condition, but they are not alone. ALL OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST, WHO HAVE NOT BEEN RENEWED IN CHRIST ARE DEAD.
Jesus explained that to Nicodemus - those who not look to Jesus, confessing their sin and believing only in Jesus, do not have eternal life, cannot come to the Father - Jn 3:13-21
Jesus the only way - Jn 14:6
Peter - Acts 4:12
Paul - one mediator/Jesus - 1 Tim 2:5
Before Christ, apart from Christ we are all DEAD - Eph 2:1-10
Can these bones live?
From the human perspective, no. From human efforts no. With human efforts and methods, no. But knows and graciously explains how they can live and only how they can live.
Ezekiel referred the matter to God. The Apostle John did the same when asked about the great multitude that no man could number, that we clothed in white robes - Who are these? Where did they come from?
I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Prophecy over these bones.” - Ezek 37:4
“Hear the word of the LORD” - Ezek 37:4
The word of God and hearing the word of the LORD is the answer - cc 36:1
Everything depends on hearing God’s word and recognizing it as God’s word. Some asks for signs.
So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
Rejecting of Jesus and the word in Nazareth - Lk 4:16-30
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
O DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD.
Our focus and content must be the word.
Word must central and allowed to speak.
The word and the word alone what penetrates brings life.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
“I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live...” - Ezek 37:5-6
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THE NEW BREATH IS THE WORK OF GOD.
Salvation not a shared effort between God and me. This is not about fine tuning and repair. It is total renewal of that which was beyond repair and any human efforts.
3. Ezekiel’s obedience/God’s message/explanation - Ezek 37:7-10, 11-14
So, I prophesied as commanded - Ezek 37:7-10
In the vision, Ezekiel did as commanded. The breath from God came into them and there was life.
There was no breath in them until God caused the breath to enter -37:8, 5
These bones are the whole house of Israel:
Resurrection & salvation of Israel - this first and foremost about spiritual - 37:13-14
This about them knowing that He is the LORD.
Coming back to what we began to ask ourselves a few months ago, “How far do you/we see - what do we see when we look around ourselves/Bethel/our Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria and our uttermost part of the world?”
Bones, dry bones:
Why are surrounded by dry bones?
Shepherds, dead shepherd and dead sheep
IN NO WAY WOULD I QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF THESE SHEPHERDS OR THE SHEEP.
But until the sheep are told and taught that they are dead without Christ, they will assume and celebrate that they are OK
It is impossible to separate shepherds from what they are taught, profess to believe and teach others
From some mainline churches in Canada I quote from their websites.
“To join the United Church, members are asked to profess their faith in the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and to commit themselves to faithful conduct in the church and in the world. Accepting the Bible as the shared standard for our faith, members are not required to adhere to any particular creed or formulation of doctrine.”
“The Bible is central to The United Church of Canada. As a source of wisdom, personal prayer, and devotion, we believe that reading and studying the Bible can bring us closer to God. It remains one of our best ways of experiencing God's continuing work of creation and liberation in the world, while offering us forgiveness, healing, and new life in Jesus.”
Being totally honest, some churches have comparatively sound statements of faith. BUT there is often a huge different to what is on paper and what is taught and believed.
Creation
Sin
Salvation - IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE DO OR CHRIST DID?
Miracles
Another church believes that they alone are the conduit for salvation purchased by Christ. Cults often feel the same way.
Rome teaches that Christ, having purchased redemption by His blood and death, delivered it to the Catholic Church to be distributed to men through her sacraments.
Baptism, things that men are required to do to receive this salvation.
Those who opposed God and God’s people cc Edom
Those who reject the necessity of new life, new heart and God renewing their lives.
Why are there many dry, very dry bones?.
Time
Lack of sharing the true message
Clouding the message - come to church
Forgetting that most of those whom we meet are dead, dry bones - deaf and blind spiritually
Isolation
2. Can these bones live?
God knows, but we must do what we are called to do
Spiritual CPR & first aid
3. Hear the word of the LORD!
What is God commanding us to do?