Dry Bones

Read Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel and the Israelites had been taken captive by Babylon and marched to that foreign land. They were no longer able to worship in the temple in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was saddened by that. But God showed him in a vision that he would restore Israel. He would turn the nation's dry, present existence into a flourishing, living country once again.

In his vision, Ezekiel stood in the middle of a valley full of dry bones. Bones were scattered about in every direction he looked, and they must have been there for a time, because they were dry. God asked him, "Ezekiel, can these bones live?"

Ezekiel wasn't sure what to answer, so he said, "You are the only one who knows, Lord." Good answer. 

Then, God told Ezekiel to tell the bones to listen to the Word of the Lord. Ezekiel obeyed and said, "Hear the Word of the Lord." 

He had no sooner got the words from his mouth, when he heard noises, first a rustle, then a rattle, and finally loud clacking. The bones were moving and sorting themselves out. When they were partially organized, they began putting themselves together, and joining to form skeletons. But that wasn't all. Muscle, flesh, and skin grew on the skeletons, until they formed an army of people.

Ezekiel understood his vision to mean that God would bring the Israelites back to their homeland. He would make the nation that appeared dead, live again. I pray that this is a also a vision for America. Most Christians would agree that we are heading down a path, apart from God. We are fast becoming a nation of dry bones. May we "Hear the Word of the Lord," and be turned into a living, flourishing nation again, "one nation, under God."

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