Rattle Those Dry Bones -

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:4-6

Am I spiritually dead? Have I fallen into the valley of dry bones? I am a Christian, and I would probably tell you that, although I am not perfect, I am a good Christian. So, how can I be spiritually dead? Perhaps the question I should ask is, “Has a part of my life become numb to God and His commands?”

Ezekiel is a street prophet in Babylon at a very dark time for God’s people. He has been prophesying to them about their sin and warning them of God’s holy wrath. They have lost their land, their king, and the presence of God. But God is a God of great mercy and compassion and in this startling vision, brings Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones. A place where there was no life. God told Ezekiel He would “make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin.” Then, God breathed on the bones and they “came to life and stood on their feet.”

I recently felt convicted of being harsh and judgmental with my words and how I communicate with others. My husband tells me I am not very good at sugar coating my truths. I might respond with telling you, “That is just how I am. And there is no hope for changing my ways.” When we cannot be bothered to put forth effort to become more like Jesus, we might have some spiritual apathy. If God is speaking to me to change and I won’t listen, I need to have my bones rattled!

The point of Ezekiel’s vision is to bring hope to the people. It takes both anger and courage to have hope. I must become angry about the way things are and have the courage to make the necessary changes. I must allow God to breathe His life into me so my heart can be cleansed and renewed. When we learn about God’s holiness and our sinfulness, we can begin to do the work of repentance. If I continue to sin without hesitation, without regret, and without shame, I have no hope.

If you have fallen asleep spiritually or are experiencing some apathy in your soul, ask God to reveal where the dry bones lay. Ask God to breathe life into your dry places, to replace the hard parts in your heart with new and tender flesh. I didn’t want to admit I had found myself in a season of spiritual death. But once I owned up to it and repented, God was faithful to reform my heart. Do you need your bones rattled?

Heavenly Father, in your creation you made us out of the dry dirt and breathed life into us. There are parts of my spiritual life that have become dry and lifeless, and I need you to breathe life into me. Give me the courage and strength to change. Thank you for cleansing and renewing my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Relevant Bible Verses

Titus 3:4-6 – But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Genesis 2:7 – Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.