Hope for Utterly Dry Bones!

Yesterday as we ended our service there were some real encouragements in the Lord to press in, to resurrect those things that maybe we have given up on in our life.  At the very end, the Lord reminded me of Ezekiel 37, the dry bones prophecy.  I think it is worth rereading and reflection, allowing the Lord to breathe into our lives His breath!

Ezekiel 37:1-14 NIV:

[1] "The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. [2] He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. [3] He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live? I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know. ” 

[4] Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! [5] This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. [6] 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. ' ” 

[7] So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. [8] I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 

[9] Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' ” [10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet---a vast army.

[11] Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' [12] Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. [13] Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, 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 the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. ' ”

As I started reading these verses I stopped at the end of the second verse, "bones that were very dry."  I started to reflect on this statement. 

I suspect these bones were very dry, as in no marrow, no flesh, no nothing, old and weathered, gray and without any life or even possibility of life.  

The Hebrew word translated very, is defined by Strong's as follows:

diligently, especially, exceedingly, far, fast, good, greatly, louder and louder,

From the same as 'uwd; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated) -- diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.

I think maybe the word from above that describes these bones best is "utterly" dry.

I love Ezekiel's response when the Lord asks him if these bones can live, "Sovereign Lord, You alone know."   He had enough experience with the Lord to know that with Lord anything was possible.  He knew enough to know that if the Lord was asking a question of Him, the Lord had some revelation He was leading him into!

In this case, "dead isn't dead to the Lord!"

The bones weren't even buried, they had been lying in the sun, being bleached out, picked over by scavengers, all life, all moisture, every ounce of usefulness removed and gone.  I think these bones represented a great battle that had been lost, and it was so humiliating of a defeat that those that died there were forgotten, not even buried, purged from the memory, as the story was too painful to revisit or remember.  

These bones were long dead, forgotten, and of no use to anyone!

The question was given to the prophet, can these bones live?

The answer given had just a little bit of faith, today we would say, "I don't know Lord, what do you think?"

That little bit of faith was enough to release the next word of the Lord, which was the promise of restoration, the prophecy which gave direction, and authority to command what the Lord was going to do!  

I feel this is where we are, the Lord is releasing His word anew!  

Those bones were once people, once people living with promises of life, provision and health.  Even the memories of those promises were dead, but they were not dead to the Lord!  He was renewing them, refreshing them and bringing them back to life!  

I believe we are in a season, a renewing season!  I believe the Lord is going to remind us of things long forgotten, long dead.  He is going to breathe on us, and places that were once painful memories of absolute defeat, will become places of victory and abundant life!

No memory or promise is too dead! 

No death and destruction is outside the reach of the Lord!

What statement have we agreed with, like the people of Israel, "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off"?

The Lord is about proving our judgments of Him wrong!  

Oh Lord breathe on us, restore hope long lost, promises so dead that they are not even remembered!  Restore life  to those areas long abandoned, long forgotten, long without life!

Come Lord Jesus!  Come Holy Spirit!  Come Father!  

Stir us up, cause faith to rise up, even if it is just the smallest faith, and breathe on us!  That all may know that You are the only true God!

Amen and Amen and Amen!  Hear the Word of the Lord!