Restoration and Resurrection

Intro

This sermon series has been near and dear to my heart.

We have one more week of this series before we take a break for Christmas and begin John in January.

Back in 2013, I was blessed to get and visit England and Scotland.

On of my favorite parts of this trip was to get to visit old church buildings.

They are simply astonishing.

They were big.

They were echo-y.

They were certainly tourist traps.

Some of them even had gift shops.

(But that’s a topic for another day).

As unbelievable as they were in terms of architecture, on thing always stood out to me.

And it was the stained glass windows.

They were Amazing.

Now the spectacular thing about these stained glass windows is that they depict a story or scene from the bible.

Stained glass windows are typically made up of smaller panes of glass that are brought together to make a whole picture.

So if you zoom in you will see the individual pane, but when you zoom out you see the whole beautiful picture.

That’s what the story of the bible is like.

We zoom in and read individual stories of the bible story, but the scriptures are telling an overwhelmingly grander story.

And this is what this sermon series has been about.

Zooming into these little stories in the OT and zooming out to see how they fit into the story of Jesus.

Into the story of salvation.

Into the story and history of Redemption.

I hope and pray that this sermon series has given you an insight into the richness and depth of the Word of God.

And I pray that it spurs you toward a desire to learn and grow more in your knowledge of God and his revealed word.

With that being said, let’s jump into this mornings sermon.

This week I read about a Man that was training to be a minister.

Right before he was called into the ministry after years of training, his city was invaded by a foreign ruler.

This ruler raided the city and took all the all the best and brightest that the city had.

And unfortunately, this minister was one of those that was torn from his city.

He was forced to leave behind the only land he had ever known.

He was forced to leave behind his place of worship.

He was forced into service of this new ruler.

He was forced to move over 700 miles way from his home land.

That’s like from here to Springfield, Mo.

But God was Gracious and called him to minister to those in exile.

He called this man to preach the grace, mercy, and judgment of God to all those that were with him and to those who enslaved him.

Although he was faithful to God and to his word, his people despised him.

They hated him.

They rejected his mission.

He eventually gets word that his wife dies.

While he is separated from her and the land he calls home.

After over a decade of living in this foreign land.

Staying faithful to his calling.

This man gets word that his entire city has been leveled.

There is nothing left but ruins.

Everything he knows, loves, and hopes to return to has been destroyed.

Life seems hopeless.

That man, is who we are going to look at this morning in our text of Scripture.

His name is Ezekiel.

He was a prophet of God who saw some miraculous visions.

In fact, the vision we are going to read this morning is probably the most famous one.

If you have heard a sermon over Ezekiel it was most likely out of chapter 37.

So the immediate context of this passage tells us that the Israelites, God’s people are in Babylonian captivity.

They had disobeyed God’s commands.

They had rebelled against God’s design.

And the result is that God punishes them for Their disobedience.

This isn’t outside of God’s Purview.

God Tells them in Deut 30 and 31 that if they chase after other gods, and disobey his commandments that he will strip away the blessing of the land and scatter them among other nations.

And that’s exactly what happened.

And while some of them are exiled the city is conquered and the temple is destroyed.

Again we can feel the reality that all hope is lost.

But our God is a God of hope, grace, mercy, and peace.

So we know that this isn’t the end of the story.

So what we read in this text is a vision that Ezekiel receives from God.

Let’s pray

Ezekiel 37:1–3 CSB

1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. 3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I replied, “Lord God, only you know.”

Valley of Death

In the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel receives a total of 6 visions from God.

This is number five of Six.

God takes him to a valley full of dry bones.

One of the things we need to know is that valley’s are where battles are fought.

Next week we will go over David and Goliath, and that battle took place in a valley.

These are the battlegrounds of the Ancient world.

The armies would set up on opposite mountains or hills, and meet in the middle of the valley to fight one another.

And Ezekiel was brought to this valley by the hand of the Lord.

This is special language.

The Hand of the Lord or the Lord’s Hand is mentioned several times in Ezekiel’s book.

And it represents the power and presence of God.

So Ezekiel is whisked away in this vision by the power of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord and placed down in the middle of a valley.

We should expect by this language that God is going to do or show something great here.

But we see that the valley is full of bones.

There seemed to be a battle here that was lost and the bones are dead.

And God leads Ezekiel to walk to and fro, back and forth, and all around this valley to see how many bones were there.

And one of the things that Ezekiel notices is that these bones are “very dry”

Essentially, Ezekiel is walking a vast, desolate, and violate field where death is king.

The imagery should stir up in our imaginations that Ezekiel is walking around a mass grave.

Here’s one thing we have to know about the Hebrew culture.

Not being able to bury a body after death is viewed as a curse.

It is absolutely an abomination.

And these bones have not be taken to their proper place of burial.

And they are old.

I like to listen to true crime stories and one of the things you know when listening to them is it takes time for a body to decompose.

Then it takes more time for the bones to dry out.

We should also be aware that because these bones on out in the open the flesh off of them was consumed by the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

Which is seen as a curse upon those in the valley.

When I think about this scene, I think about all that death and carnage on the beaches of Normandy during WWII.

Just imagine if those bodies weren’t cleared off of there and they were left to rot, be eaten by animals, and waste away.

Nothing but dry, bleached bones left.

And here Ezekiel is walking to and fro in this valley, I’m sure pondering why God is showing him this.

I’m sure he’s thinking about his homeland that was destroyed.

All those that lost their lives during the seige of Jerusalem.

All those that died apart from their loved ones.

And as he looks around this valley all he sees is death, destruction, and hopelessness.

Knowing all the while that this type of vision awaits God’s people b/c of their disobedience.

Because they chased after idols.

Because they chose to worship someone or something other than God.

We’ve talked about this before, but I really want us to hammer down and recognize that there are consequences for sins.

God does not leave sin unpunished.

He doesn’t leave sin alone.

He is a Just God and violation of his law deserve punishment.

He deserves justice.

I can only imagine that Ezekiel is thinking about Deuteronomy.

Deut. 28:25-26 “25 The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them from one direction but flee from them in seven directions. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, with no one to scare them away.”

This valley seems to be God’s picture of his justice toward those that disobey his commands.

Then God asks Ezekiel an astonishing Question.

Eze 37:3 “3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I replied, “Lord God, only you know.””

It’s an impossible question.

These are dried, sun-bleached, and clean bones.

I know that if God asked me that Question my response would be, “Probably not.”

It doesn’t seem as if they would be able to live.

There’s nothing left.

They are dead.

There is nothing there to reanimate.

There is nothing there that gives any hint at life.

There is no hope that life can be restored to these bones.

But how does Ezekiel answer.

“Lord God, Only you know.”

The reality is God is a God of miracles.

He can do as he pleases.

He can do what he pleases.

If he wants to bring death back to life.

He can definitely do that.

No Doubt Ezekiel had another verse from Deut. floating around in his head upon being asked this question.

Deut 32.39 “39 See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.”

So no doubt God has the power and authority to reanimate and resurrect these dry bones, but nothing like that has been done before.

We do read about Elijah Resurrecting the Widow’s son

and Elisha resurrecting a little boy as well.

But in both these instances, neither child was dead long.

They were not dry abandoned bones in a valley.

Their flesh didn’t have to be restored only the breath of God within their lungs.

So what is God going to do here?

Ezekiel 37:4–10 CSB

4 He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. 6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me; the breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

Giver of Life

God asks Ezekiel an impossible question, “Can these bones live”

Ezekiel answers with the only correct answer, “only you know, Lord.”

And then God tells Ezekiel to speak to the bones.

To prophesy.

To preach.

To proclaim the work of the Lord.

Remember, a couple of weeks ago we spoke briefly on prophesy.

What exactly is prophesy?

Biblical prophesy is God’s words, declarations, and authority being declared to his people.

However, this specific command seems like it would be pointless.

There are no ears to hear.

There are no minds to change.

It would be like talking to a wall…or a child.

But God has had Ezekiel prophesy to inanimate objects before.

In Eze 20:46-47 “46 “Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev, 47 and say to the forest there, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!...”

In Eze 36:1 “1 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.”

Eze 36:6 “6 Therefore, prophesy concerning Israel’s land, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I speak in my burning zeal because you have endured the insults of the nations.”

So this isn’t completely unusual for Ezekiel.

But it is different.

Ezekiel 37:4-6 “4 He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. 6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.””

So when Ezekiel starts to prophesy to the bones something starts happening.

The bones start to reconstruct.

God is showing us that he is the sole author of life.

That he can bring the dead back to life.

And ask Ezekiel prophesies what happens.

Bones start to connect.

Toe bone connects to the foot bone.

Foot bone connects to the leg bone.

Dem Bones start coming together.

I can imagine the scene, Ezekiel starts speaking God’s Word to a valley of death and then God starts to reconstruct people through the power of his word.

And it wasn’t just bones connecting, but tendons, flesh, muscle.

All that had been destroyed is being recreated.

Now let’s not forget who’s doing the miraculous here.

Ezekiel is simply being obedient.

God is the One doing the miraculous.

Now the army had been put back together.

They were no longer a valley of dry bones.

They were an reconstructed army.

But there was a problem.

Though they weren’t alive.

They were simply empty bodies.

They didn’t have a purpose.

They didn’t have life.

But God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy again.

God tells him to

Eze 37:9 “9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!””

So there is something more to being alive than having a body.

This should remind us of Adam’s creation.

Adam was formed from the dust of the earth, but he wasn’t alive until God breathed on him.

Until the spirit of God filled his lungs.

They were empty shells until God breathed on them.

Until the spirit of God gave them life.

And for one last time in this passage Ezekiel is told to prophesy, but this time not to dry bones but to people made alive by God’s Word and God’s Spirit.

Ezekiel 37:11–14 CSB

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, my people, and lead you into the land of Israel. 13 You will know that I am the Lord, my people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it. This is the declaration of the Lord.’ ”

Renewal

Let’s not forget that this was a vision that God gave to Ezekiel.

And that God had a specific purpose in giving it to the people of Israel.

The dry bones were an image of a hopeless Israel in exile.

They were cut off b/c of their disobedience to God.

Because of their rebellion against him.

Because of their worship of Idols.

But God makes them a promise.

He promises them that he is going to restore them.

He promises that exile isn’t going to be forever.

He promises that he is going to breath life into his Chosen people.

That there is hope in what he is doing.

There is hope in who he is.

There is hope b/c he is the God of hope.

He is going to reestablish them as his people and he alone has the power.

He alone has the ability to bring life back to what is dead.

And he alone gives of his spirit.

Verse 14 should bring them hope.

Should bring them comfort.

Should cause them to be humble and grateful.

Eze 37:14 “14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it. This is the declaration of the Lord.’ ””

He will do this b/c he has declared it.

He will do it b/c he is gracious.

He will do it b/c he has made a promise and he will follow through.

God is a life giving God.

That is what he does.

He gives life.

He restores.

He resurrects.

So how does this get us to Jesus?

I want us to first see in this passage that life is given through the Word of God.

Here’s what we need to know, the word of God changes people.

The word of God. Transforms people.

The word of God is powerful.

God’s word being proclaimed is the only way that God brings life and restoration to what is dead and broken.

And in John 1:1-4 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

Jesus brings life.

Why does he bring life, because he is the Word of God.

and he came to dwell with his people.

to show them the way to life.

the way to God.

They way to be born into the family of God.

And it is only through his grace and mercy that he reveals that light and life to us.

Jn 1:12-13 “12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.”

Why do we need resurrection and restoration.

Because we are all separated from God.

We are dead in our sins and trespasses.

Ephesians 2:1–10 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Made Alive

We can with great confidence know that God takes what is dead and makes it alive.

He restores and resurrects.

He does the work and we are recipients of that work.

All of us at one point in our lives are like that dry bones in the valley.

We are lifeless.

We are empty.

We are dead in our sin.

Then we hear the Word of God.

The Gospel of Grace.

The good news of Jesus and God calls us and makes us alive.

He gives our lives purpose.

He gives our life direction.

He give us a reason to rejoice.

He gives us a reason to sing.

He gives us a reason to praise.

He gives us a reason to live.

That reason is to glorify God b/c of the good work he has done in our life.

Because we know that we were once dead, but now we are alive.

And our drive and calling once we have been made new should be to tell others who are dead the good news of Jesus.

Because it is the Word of God that brings life.

We are commissioned and commanded to tell others about the good news.

Matt 28:19-20 “19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

If you are a followers of Jesus, I want you to know that you have the best news in the world.

You have and know the grace of God.

You may not be able to articulate it as well as you would hope, but I promise you that if you proclaim the word of God he will be faithful to be with you.

Not everyone is going to respond positively to the gospel message.

But we don’t have the power to change their hearts.

We don’t have the power to change their lives.

We don’t have the power to transform them.

Only God does.

Just look at Ezekiel.

He didn’t connect the bones.

He didn’t create the tendons and muscles.

He didn’t breath the breath of God.

He simply proclaimed the message.

And God took care of the rest.

Here’s the reality we need to proclaim God’s Word.

We need to preach the gospel because it is the only thing that truly changes lives.

And if you don’t preach it who will?

I want you to listen to what Paul writes in Romans.

Romans 10:13-17 “13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 16 But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Do you know and have people in your life that need to know the Good news about Restoration and Resurrection found in Jesus?

If you do, and I know that each of you do, you need to be the one proclaiming the message.

Sure you can bring them to church.

But you shouldn’t stop there.

Here’s the reality,

We live in a world where there are dry bones all around us.

Where we live, work, and play the stench of death surrounds us.

Let’s bring life.

Let’s bring light.

Let’s bring the Reviving word of God into the valley of dry bones.