ETB Ezekiel 37:1-14
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Understand the Context
Understand the Context
Last week our study in chapter 28 focused on the downfall of the city of Tyre and its king because of their prideful sin. In chapters 29 through 32 God continues to pronounce judgement on the surrounding and oppressing nations of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and others as well as their leaders. Starting in chapter 33 the oracles turn to more positive messages of hope and restoration for the exiled people of God.
The Lord reminded Ezekiel of his duty as a watchman (Ezek. 33:1-9). God’s people thought their situation was hopeless, but they failed to see God’s work (33:10-16). Even the news of Jerusalem’s capture did not mean God’s purpose was done (33:21-29). One day, His people would recognize Ezekiel had spoken the truth (33:30-33).
The Lord lamented that His people had no good leaders to shepherd them (34:1-10). God proclaimed that He Himself would shepherd His people (34:11-31). Meanwhile, the Lord announced judgment for the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (35:1-15).
The mountains of Israel had witnessed the destruction of God’s people (36:1-21). The Lord had punished His people for their sins, but the day was coming when He would restore them to the land and put a new heart and spirit within them to serve Him (36:22-38). [LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]
Chapters 35 and 38 are prophecies against two of Israel’s enemies - Edom and Gog. Between these 2 are chapters of restoration and reunification of Israel and Judah.
Faithlife Study Bible (Chapter 37)
Ezekiel follows the prophecy of salvation and new life in 36:22–38 with a vivid description of another visionary experience that is similar to his encounters with Yahweh in chs. 1–3 and 8–11. He is transported from a vision of life (the renewed creation of 36:33–38) to one of death and desolation. The theme of death and new life dominates the vision, building on the imagery of 36:16–32. Ezekiel’s active participation and obedience result in an immediate and miraculous fulfillment of his prophecy. The passage consists of the vision report (vv. 1–10) and an interpretation of the vision (vv. 11–14).
Explore the Text
Explore the Text
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. 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. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
Today passage starts with a pronouncement from the prophet similar to others in his writings about how God speaks and reveals His message to the messenger. We see this pattern repeated throughout the prophet’s book. God showing him something in a vision and Ezekiel recording it for others to hear, never claiming any glory or inspiration of his own. This time in the form of vision the harbinger is taken to a valley full of bones. Some say the scene of a long ago battle but God did not need a physical event or place to show the prophet His intended message.
Throughout Scripture we read of “bones” being use in metaphorical phrases describing various discomforts and forms of dejection; “rottenness of bones” in Prov 12:4 and Prov 14:30, and “dryness of bones” in Prov 17:22 is the opposite to a joyful heart.
As an Israelite trained in the priesthood, Ezekiel knew the importance of treating a human corpse properly. This vast array of skeletons left unburied probably reminded Ezekiel of the execution of the judgment curses for disobedience (Dt 28:26). [Rooker, Mark F. “Ezekiel.” CSB Study Bible: Notes. Ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017. 1301. Print.]
Adding to this perspective is Jewish people in the Mediterranean world of late antiquity considered proper burial of the dead a sacred duty. To remain unburied was associated with sin and divine judgment (Deut 28:25–26; 1 Kgs 14:11; 21:24) [Seal, David. “Tomb.” Ed. John D. Barry et al. The Lexham Bible Dictionary 2016: n. pag. Print.]
Although being in such proximity to literal remains may have caused a possibility of becoming “unclean” because the Lord was leading the prophet through this open-air cemetery the prophet did not seem concerned. The bones were scattered across the surface or literally the “face of the ground” and Ezekiel made note of how many there were and how dry they were suggesting a long period of time since they had been “alive”.
After giving the man time to inspect his surroundings, God posed a question to him, “can these bones live?” Whether Ezekiel knew or not does not matter as he recognized that the question from God was not about the Lord’s ability to do something but was more of a test about whether the prophet had the faith that God would accomplish it. Jesus asked a similar question to the disciples just before he feed the 5000 in John 6:5-6.
Following the respectful decline to answer, God gives the prophet opportunity to participate in His work.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
Prophesy in the verse is nāḇāʾ: A verb meaning to prophesy, to speak by inspiration, to predict. This most commonly refers to the way in which the word of the Lord came to the people (Jer. 19:14; Ezek. 11:13). [Baker, Warren, and Eugene E. Carpenter. The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament 2003: 697. Print.]
As 21st century Western readers when we hear this word we tend to think of the definition in more of a predictive nature as we are reading message spoken of the past and seeing in our history their fruition. However, prophetic messages can be “foretelling” or “forth-telling” and sometimes both. One way to see the difference is to look at the tense of the verbs and commands within the message being spoken by the prophet. God does not exist within the human concept of time and sees both the speaking of the message and its fulfillment at the same “time”. This gives messages like our passage today the mixed “already but not yet” language that we often read and sometimes become confused by in prophetic messages. Thankfully God will reveal the “mysteries” behind these messages when it is necessary for us to understand them, and in today’s passage He clearly states the meaning of the visual message later in our passage.
Ezekiel obeys God’s command even though it makes no human sense because dry dead bones cannot hear him speaking. The words he speaks however are very reminiscent of the first time God spoke life into a lifeless body (Gen 2:7). The word used here for breath is found several times throughout the passage today is translated from rûaḥ: A feminine noun meaning spirit, wind, breath [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words list nine different definitions for the word as the meaning is derived mostly from the surrounding context. A similar ambiguity in the Greek stands behind John 3:8, where Jesus uses the power of the wind (pneuma in Gk.), which “blows wherever it pleases,” to describe the mysterious force active in those “born of the Spirit” (also pneuma) [Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.]
The prophet’s speech over the lifeless bones also has wording very similar to Psa 104:29-30 speaking about the wonderful works of the Lord and how He renews ‘the face of the ground.” In Matt 27:52 after Jesus’ crucifixion finishes its purpose we read of literal graves and people being raised from the dead. Here however it is just a vision and not literal. The imagery and being a prophesy from God do however make such a connection valid. In Jewish tradition the more times a prophesy is fulfilled the more “holy” or valid it becomes. Ezekiel’s vision becoming literal at Christ’s death should have been a validating sign of Christ’s claim for any doubting Jews of the day. One commentary speaking to the imagery of death from life stated:
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 37
the doctrine of a general resurrection of the dead may justly be inferred from it; for ‘a simile of the resurrection,’ says JEROME, after TERTULLIAN and others, ‘would never have been used to signify the restoration of the people of Israel, unless such a future resurrection had been believed and known; because no one attempts to confirm uncertain things by things which have no existence.’
After Jesus’ resurrection John 20:22 describes how in His resurrected body He “breathes” on the disciples giving them “life” in the Holy Spirit. Paul also reiterates this throughout his epistles like in Eph 2:5. The “breath of life” was not just for those receiving the new life but that they would “know that I am the Lord”. This was the purpose of giving the bones new life, not to create an army. The same is said later for people of Israel with they get back to their land. This reason for God’s working is often repeated in Ezekiel. God is working in a way that will benefit His chosen people, but His stated purpose is for them to know Him or as we studied in Chapter 14 so that God’s name and character would not be diminished or "made common” in the view of the surrounding nation.
God commanded Ezekiel to speak what He was going to do for these bones and although “complete” fulfillment did not occur immediately, the truth of God’s power did.
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. 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.
Like a faithful servant, Ezekiel followed through on God’s command for him. As the scattered bones began to find their appropriate places and began forming recognizable bodies I wonder if the prophet knew then he was seeing the symbolic gathering of his ancestral people being brought back together into their family tribes and promised lands. Although the Jewish people do again today have their own land to gather in since 1948, like these bodies in Ezekiel vision, as a nation there is “no breath in them” like that which Jesus gave to his disciples.
Many of us have friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are nice people, though they do not know Jesus. They are honest, faithful to their spouses, good parents, and good citizens. Yet, without Jesus, they have no eternal hope. They lack the new life the Holy Spirit brings. [LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]
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.” 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.
Again we have imagery that comes from the beginnings of human time and it reminds us of the creation event, where the Spirit of God hovered over the raw elements of the world, transforming it into a habitable earth (Gn 1:2) [CSB Study Bible: Notes.] Then the “four winds” imagery takes to the ends of time and are probably the same winds that are being held back by the angel in Rev 7:1. God has control over both the literal wind of the earth, the breath in our lungs, and the eternal spirit within us. The first two He created to help us see the need to voluntarily yield the third to His control.
When Jeremiah spoke to the four winds (Jer 49:36) it was in reference to the whole of earth. Although this prophesy is directly for the people of Israel exiled with Ezekiel, the implications of new life from God apply to all men throughout the earth across all of time. The human spirit and the Spirit of God are closely linked with moral character and moral attributes. God will give His people a new spirit so they will follow His decrees and laws (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26) or as it is stated 3 times in our passage today to “know that I am the Lord”. God’s Spirit will rest on His people, which is always transformative. (Isa. 59:21). [The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament]
The Holy Spirit regenerates sinners (Eph. 1:13-14). No one can come to faith in Jesus apart from the work of the Spirit (Rom. 12:3). When we share our faith with others, we function as God’s instruments, but the Spirit is the One who brings about new life in the person who hears our message.
As believers share the gospel and as people repent of their sins and place their trust in Christ, they become new creatures. Their experience may not be as dramatic as the dry bones in Ezekiel, but the results are life changing; in fact, they impact eternity. [LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]
After seeing an astonishing sight of scattered lifeless bones being transformed into living orderly ranks of an army, the prophet is giving the meaning behind the miracle.
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 indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 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.”
God knew the emotional and mental state of those exiled and used imagery of dry lifeless bones to show them He knew. In Hebrew thought, graves were not simply places to deposit human remains. They were in a sense an extension of Sheol, the place of the dead. [Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary 2003: 683. Print.]. With this concept of their eternal afterlife being tied to a foreign land, God’s words of opening their graves and placing them back in their own lands was greatly encouraging even if they did not get to experience the return themselves. Joseph spoke similarly to his brothers when he was going to die know that someday they would get to go back from Egypt into the promised land and his bones should be taken with them (Gen 50:24-25).
In Chapter 33 the cry is that “our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them” (Eze 33:10). There is at least in part some recognition that their sins are preventing the blessing of living in their land and freely communing with God again. The acknowledgement of sin is the first step to allowing God to help us overcome and be freed from it. In our passage, the graves represent the people’s exile, Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians correlates our sins to a grave that Christ’s work brings us out of “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1).
This is a pointed allusion to the resurrection; under which figure Isaiah (Isa 26:19) also describes the restoration of the house of Israel, when he says, ‘thy dead men shall live;’ at which time their bones are said to flourish, (ch. 66:14,) or to be restored to their former strength and vigour; and, in like manner, St. Paul, (Ro. 11:15,) expresses their conversion by ‘life from the dead.’ In the land of their captivity, they seemed as absolutely deprived of their country as persons committed to the grave are cut off from the land of the living; but when Cyrus issued his proclamation, Jehovah, as it were, opened their graves, and when he stirred up their spirits to embrace the proffered liberty, he put his Spirit within them, that they might live; and their re-establishment in their own land evinced the truth of God in the prediction, and his power in its accomplishment. [The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge]
In Chapter 36 the imagery of new life is associated with a new heart being placed within us. This imagery of new life is spoken of often in the New Testament as well as a sign and testimony of Christ’s redeeming work within the believer’s life. (Rom 8:11, 1Cor 15:45, Titus 3:5-6). In our Ezekiel passage today, the image is of God restoring the life we had by “breathing” new life into His people. Life must be given to the inanimate from the animate. We cannot create life - physical or spiritual - within something that is dead or inanimate. God however creates within us both physical and spiritual life and even gives us a will to choose whether to use that life for Him or not. The reason God gave the bones life and puts His Spirit within us is that we may “know Him” (Phil 3:10).
Ezekiel’s message from God about a valley of dry bones coming back to life was to the “whole house of Israel” not just the exiled Judahites but also the previously exiled northern tribes of Israel. Today as believers in Christ we are “adopted” into that same house and can enjoy that new life through Christ our Redeemer and Lord (Eph 1:5, Gal 4:4-7) .
Apply the Text
Apply the Text
God has a glorious future for His children. Jesus affirmed that He came so people could have life as it was meant to be (John 10:10). Life with God includes not only this life but the life to come. However, God does not promise eternal life with Him to everyone. Rather, He promises it to all those who receive His Son Jesus Christ by faith. As we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus, we embrace salvation and the abundant life He offers.
Many times we face the challenge to choose to believe God’s promises when life’s circumstances seem to contradict them. A family struggles to believe God’s promise that He is always with them when fire destroys their home. A young couple continues to believe God will honor their tithing, when they struggle from paycheck to paycheck. Others experience the devastating loss of a terminal illness. In such difficult times, we must remember we need God more than ever and continue to trust Him. [LifeWay Adults (2021). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022. LifeWay Press.]