A VALLEY OF BONES

 

The Prophet Ezekiel was among those Jews who had been relocated to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar defeated them and destroyed Jerusalem along with the Temple of Solomon that stood there.  The Jews had been very disobedient to God and had turned to worshipping the idols of the nations around them.  The Lord was very displeased with His people and had pleaded with them repeatedly through the words of His prophets, but they would not respond to Him and repent.  Finally, God warned them one last time that a stronger nation would come, defeat them, and carry them away from their homes in Israel.  In the book of Ezekiel, there is a very unflattering picture of the Body of Christ.  In chapter 37 God showed His prophet a valley full of dry bones that were scattered all over the ground and bleaching in the sun.  The Lord told Ezekiel, “...these bones are the whole house of Israel.”  So, the Lord was likening the scattering of His people to the scattered bones in the valley that Ezekiel had been shown.  Ezekiel describes them as being “very dry,” indicating that the spiritual life of God’s people had dried up altogether.

This vision and prophecy did not just represent the house of Israel in Ezekiel’s day, however.  It is also a type and shadow of the Body of Christ, or Church, which is the true House of Israel.  It is a prophecy that is just as relevant to God’s people today as it was 26 centuries ago.  The Apostle Paul taught very plainly in his letter to the Romans that, “...they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” (Romans 9:6-8).  Also, to the Church at Galatia he wrote, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. [or, according to Weymouth’s translation, ‘...and to the true Israel of God’].” (Galatians 6:15, 16).  It is the Church, the blood-bought, born again, Spirit-filled children of God, purchased from among Jews, Gentiles, and every race of men, who are the seed of Abraham and the Israel of God.  “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29).  This vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, therefore, speaks across the ages to a time when God’s people will be scattered and divided like the bones of Ezekiel’s vision.

While the first Apostles of our Lord were still alive, they warned of a time when there would come a great falling away from the faith that was once delivered to the saints.  They cautioned those early believers about deceivers who would enter into the assemblies and speak lies in the name of the Lord to draw away disciples after themselves.  As we look at the Church in America and across the world today, we see the fulfillment of the Apostle’s warnings and of the visions of the prophets.  We see the Body of Christ scattered into literally hundreds of factions, sects, denominations, and movements.  Each one of these groups claims to have a corner on the truth and is willing to exclude all others.  It reminds me very much of Paul’s words to the Corinthians.  Paul admonished the Church of Corinth about what he saw happening among them during his time.  He told them, “...it hath been declared unto me...that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13).  Later, he said to them, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:3, 4).  Is it any less carnal for modern Christians to say, “I am Baptist; I am Pentecostal, I am Holiness, or I am Mennonite”?  Paul even calls out those super spiritual ones who proclaim, “I am of Christ” because the insinuation is that everyone else was not!  Can you see the bones scattered along the valley floor?  None of them are connected – there is no life in them!  It should break the hearts of God’s people to see what has happened to Christ’s Body!

Paul determined to go to Jerusalem, knowing he would be apprehended by the Jews there and not be free to visit any of the churches that he had planted.  He met with the Ephesian elders and exhorted them to be strong and remain faithful.  One thing in particular that Paul said to these leaders must have been especially sobering to them all.  He said, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29, 30).  Even more sobering were the words that Paul wrote to Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  Talk about “very dry.”  We see many assemblies today that have dried up and there is no life in them.  They certainly have a form of godliness, but they lack any true power.

As Ezekiel gazed on the bones scattered along the valley, God asked His prophet a question.  He said, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3).  All that the Prophet could see spoke of utter death and destruction.  The bones were not even joined together to form individual skeletons, but were strewn and jumbled together haphazardly along the valley.  In Ezekiel’s mind it must have seemed a hopeless sight indeed.  For these bones to live again it would take an act of God for sure.  It would be an impossible task for one man or any group of men!  Only God can give real life!

Ezekiel’s answer to God’s question was brief.  He said, “O Lord GOD, Thou knowest.” (Ezekiel 37:3).  Under the Old Covenant, God’s purpose was veiled in mystery.  His great plan of salvation was hidden in types and shadows so that even the prophets themselves were unclear as to when or how the things that they ministered would come to pass.  The Prophet Isaiah expressed this when he wrote, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4).  Is it any wonder that Ezekiel didn’t know what God might do in this situation?  We, however, are living in a time when God has opened the vision to His people, and has revealed His purpose in Christ, which He has had from the beginning of creation.  As Paul wrote, “…God hath revealed them [the things which were once hidden] unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

God next told Ezekiel to do something very unusual.  He told him to prophecy to the bones!  “Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:4).  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  We must be people who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church in these last days.  We are seeing a famine today, however.  It is not so much a famine of food or of water, but it is a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord (Amos 8:11).  Jesus, referring to the multitudes who came to hear His words, alluded to this famine when He told His disciples, “…in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Matthew 13:14-17).  The Word of the Lord is the foundation upon which Christ’s Body is built.  Any work of restoration that proceeds without God’s Word being at the base is vain; it is like building a tower on top of shifting sand.  It cannot stand.  This is why we must study to show ourselves approved of God, workmen that don’t have to be ashamed of what they have built because they have learned to rightly divide the truth and build on Christ Jesus, the solid Rock.  We must beware of any work that is done in the name of the Lord, but does not measure up to the words of truth as recorded in the Holy Book.  We cannot take what the preacher tells us is true without comparing it to the Word of God for ourselves.  Part of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is to teach us the scripture.  Jesus said, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13). 

Something marvelous happened as Ezekiel began to prophesy the words that God gave him to the bones.  “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.” (Ezekiel 37:7, 8).  If ever there was a time when we need to hear the voice of prophecy, it is today!  There are many so-called prophets speaking things in the name of the Lord, but the Lord has not commanded them.  “Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:16).  “For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 29:9).  The Word that God commands will have two effects: it will shake things up, and it will promote unity of the spirit.  Any ministry that seeks to further divide the Body of Christ is not doing the work of the Lord.  We will not see the bones start to come together until we learn to speak the truth in love and allow the lessons of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 to sink into our hearts.

As Ezekiel began to prophesy the things that God commanded him, there was a shaking across the valley floor and the bones moved together to form whole skeletons.  Upon the skeletons there appeared tendons, ligaments, muscle, and skin!  Fully restored bodies replaced what was before only old, dry bones.  The Prophet is careful to tell us, though, that there was no breath in them.

The Word of God is essential to restore the proper form to the Church, but the form without the breath is still a dead carcass!  “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  Clearly, God was not done.  He wanted to breathe new life into these bones so that they would be restored once more.

So, God spoke to His Prophet again and told him to prophesy once more to these newly formed bodies.  “Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:9, 10). 

The Word of the Lord and the breath of God are both necessary if we are to see God’s Body restored once again.  The Word of the Lord will bring God’s people together and make them into a whole Body again rather than scattered into many factions and bleaching in the valley.  As good as that may sound, however, they still need the breath of God – which is the Holy Spirit’s leadership – in order to truly live and become an influencing factor in the world.  When this happens, then the Body of Christ will rise up as “an exceeding great army”, ready to do battle with the forces of darkness that seek to destroy God’s purpose and plan for His people.  There are too many who name the name of Christ, but have no life in them.  They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.  Oh, how we desperately need the Word of Truth and the Spirit of Life today!  God’s people need to learn to live and stand on their own two feet!

This is a dramatic picture of the members of Christ believing God’s Word and taking their place in the Body.  Even the Word itself, without the Spirit and Breath of God, is dead.  It is the Holy Spirit that breathes life into the Body.  “...for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6).  The early Church was helpless until the day of Pentecost when the Lord rained down the Spirit on the saints who were gathered in the upper room.  It was then that they received power to be witnesses for the Lord.  Before that, they looked like the Church, but afterwards they became the Church!  Oh, how we need the breath of God to blow afresh on us!  Both the Word and the Spirit are necessary if we are to see God’s Body restored.  The Word of the Lord will bring God’s people together and make them into a whole Body again rather than scattered into many factions and bleaching in the valley. 

There is a prophecy in the Book of Joel that speaks of a great famine in the land of Israel in Joel’s day that was caused by a plague of locusts.  Joel describes it as follows: “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.” (Joel 1:4).  The entire first chapter of Joel tells how impoverished the famine left God’s people.  Chapter two, however, takes a completely different tone.  In it, Joel calls for the priests and elders of the people to turn toward the Lord with fasting, weeping, and mourning for the healing of their land.  God then answers with a promise to restore the years that the locust had eaten and show mercy to His people and to their land.  He says, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit.” (Joel 2:28, 29).  On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell on all of the disciples who had been waiting for the promise of the Father that Jesus told them He would send.  Afterward, Peter quoted the prophecy of Joel and said, “…this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” (Acts 2:16).  God had sent man the Word of God incarnate, and then He sent the Holy Spirit – the breath of God.

The Lord then told Ezekiel the following: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:11-14).  The Israelites were still captives in the land of Babylon at this time, but God was promising them deliverance and restoration to their homeland.  Like the dry bones, God would restore His people and give them life again!  We, too, have a promise of the restoration of the Church.  God is establishing and revealing His Word to us today to bring us back to the unity of the faith that the first century Church enjoyed.  He is also pouring out His Spirit upon His children to breathe His own life and anointing into them.  I believe that we have been bleaching in the valley for long enough!  We need to give heed to the words of the Prophet as he cries out, “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.”  We also need the breath of God to breathe new life into us.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

The remainder of chapter 37 contains additional promises to the House of Israel which apply prophetically to the Church, the true House of Israel.  The tribes of Judah and Benjamin had been divided from the other ten tribes of Israel since the days of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and grandson of King David.  This had been about 400 years, and Judah considered Israel to be the “lost” tribes.  God, however, instructed Ezekiel to prophesy concerning this.  God told him, “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions [Judah, Benjamin, Levi and parts of Simeon]: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions [Ephraim and the remaining tribes of Israel]: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16, 17).  The ultimate fulfillment of this promise would not happen until Jesus Christ came and called to Himself the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Then, not only would Jews from every tribe of Israel be made “one stick”, but also the Gentiles would be combined together to form one Body, one Church, and one people.

“And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king [Jesus Christ] shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.  And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.” (Ezekiel 37:22-24).  If God can bring all of the tribes of Israel into unity, along with Samaritans, Gentiles, and every other race of men, can’t He do the same with all the factions of believers today?  We will need to lay aside our pride and our prejudices and learn to practice real charity among ourselves; but won’t it be worth it?  When God’s people rise up as a great army, then the forces of evil will have to flee!  What a day that will be!