CAN THESE BONES LIVE?

Ezekiel 37:3

God’s Spirit took the prophet Ezekiel into a valley that was littered with bones. Death had passed here earlier and the bones were not fresh; in fact, they were dry and bleached by time and the sun.

The historical interpretation of this passage is that it refers to the return of the Jewish exiles and the rebuilding of the Jewish nation. Ezekiel was living in exile somewhere close to Babylon in what would be modern day Iraq, approximately 575 years before Christ.

The Spirit asked Ezekiel a very tough question in the midst of what was a very difficult situation. The question was, “Can these bones live?”

The doubting, secularized mind would say, “This is an impossible situation. There is no life here—there is no way these bones can come to life!”

Those who are of the “extreme faith” camp would say, “Of course they can live! God has no alternative but to act if we release our faith and remind Him of His promises.” As if the Creator of the universe suffers from memory loss.

I find Ezekiel’s response to be curiously satisfying: “He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (NIV)

Ezekiel is acknowledging his humanity and dependency upon the Lord. I believe he is affirming that God’s plans and purposes are often beyond our ability to comprehend. He is also submitting himself to God’s plan.

We serve a sovereign God—“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11, NIV).

One very simple definition of sovereign is, “God can do what He wants, when He wants, wherever He wants, to whomever He wants.”

So what does this scripture mean to us? A valley of dry bones and a tough question!

I believe this story is teaching us how to respond to what appears, to our eyes, to be an impossible situation.

1. We acknowledge the Lord as sovereign. His plans and purposes are way beyond our complete comprehension. There are many things about God’s plan for my life that I just do not understand. I know God is at work on my behalf and I am comfortable with that but I just do not, always, see the big picture. I am not God and I am not sovereign, so my view will always be limited.

2. By our acknowledging the Lord, we are inviting and releasing His active participation in the situation. I believe one of the highest levels of prayer that we can reach is when we can pray like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Until we get to that point of understanding and embrace it, often times all we are doing is trying to manipulate the Lord through our prayers.

3. By our acknowledgement of the Lord and his sovereignty, we are bringing into focus our limited abilities and recognizing His unlimited creative and restorative power. God gives grace to the humble and resists (takes a posture of resistance) against the proud. “…For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble” (1Peter 5:5b, Amplified Bible).

Can these bones live? Will this impossible situation be solved to my satisfaction? I don’t know but I submit to God’s overarching sovereignty and to His power and ability to do the miraculous in the midst of the impossible. I welcome God to do it, in His time and in His way.

I love you, I am proud of you!

Dad