Ezekiel 37:1-6: a reflection

1The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.” 4Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word. 5The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

In a vision, God sets the prophet in a valley full of very dry bones and asks whether they can live; and then, at God's word, he promises to bring these dead, dry bones to life. Can these bones live? God asks. And Ezekiel, seeing how utterly dead and dry they are, answers, Lord GOD, you know. Then God promises: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. The bones were as good as hopelessly dead, very many and very dry, beyond any human power to revive. And yet God promises to bring them to life, to put breath in them and make them live. What was utterly dead and hopeless, God can bring to life. This shows that God can bring life to what is utterly dead and hopeless. God brings life to what is utterly dead and dry. Can these bones live? God can make the dead live. What is beyond hope of reviving, God can bring to life. God alone can breathe life into the utterly dead.

Notice the utter deadness of the bones, and God's power to bring them to life. The valley was full of bones, very many and very dry, long dead, without the least sign of life; they were as hopeless a case as could be imagined, far beyond any human power to revive. When God asks whether they can live, the natural answer would be no, they are utterly dead. But Ezekiel wisely answers, Lord GOD, you know, leaving the possibility with God. And God declares that he will indeed bring them to life, put breath in them, and make them live. This reveals something about God: that he can bring life even to what is utterly dead and hopeless, that nothing is beyond his power to revive. This is a great hope. There are situations in our lives that seem as dead and dry as those bones: a faith that has withered, a hope long dead, a relationship beyond repair, a life or a soul that seems past all reviving. By human reckoning, they are hopeless. But what is beyond human power to revive is not beyond God's. God can breathe life into the utterly dead, bring hope where there was none, revive what seemed past all reviving. We need not despair even of what seems utterly dead, for God can bring it to life. God can revive what seems utterly dead and hopeless. What is beyond human power to revive is not beyond God's. Do not despair of what seems dead; God can breathe life into it. God brings life and hope where there seemed none.

That is worth resting in, for God can bring life to what is utterly dead and hopeless, breathing life into the driest bones, so that we need not despair even of what seems past all reviving. We can look at situations that seem as dead as dry bones, a withered faith, a dead hope, a life or soul past reviving, and despair, sure they are hopeless; but God, standing before the valley of very dry bones, promised to breathe life into them and make them live. God can revive the utterly dead. When something in your life seems utterly dead and beyond hope, remember that God can breathe life into it, as he promised the dry bones. Rest in the truth that God can bring life to what is utterly dead and hopeless, as God set the prophet in a valley full of very dry bones and asked whether they could live, and when Ezekiel, seeing how utterly dead and dry they were, answered, Lord GOD, you know, God promised to cause breath to enter them so that they would live; for the bones were as good as hopelessly dead, very many and very dry, long dead and beyond any human power to revive, and yet God promised to bring them to life, revealing that he can bring life even to what is utterly dead and hopeless and that nothing is beyond his power to revive, which is a great hope, since there are situations in our lives that seem as dead and dry as those bones, a faith that has withered, a hope long dead, a relationship beyond repair, a life or soul that seems past all reviving, hopeless by human reckoning, but what is beyond human power to revive is not beyond God's, who can breathe life into the utterly dead and bring hope where there was none, so that we need not despair even of what seems utterly dead but can trust that God is able to bring it to life.

Lord, in a vision, you set the prophet in a valley full of very dry bones and ask whether they can live; and then, at your word, you promise to bring these dead, dry bones to life. Can these bones live? you ask. And Ezekiel, seeing how utterly dead and dry they are, answers, Lord GOD, you know. Then you promise: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. The bones were as good as hopelessly dead, very many and very dry, beyond any human power to revive. And yet you promise to bring them to life, to put breath in them and make them live. What was utterly dead and hopeless, you can bring to life. Show me the utter deadness of the bones, and your power to bring them to life. The valley was full of bones, very many and very dry, long dead, without the least sign of life; they were as hopeless a case as could be imagined. When you ask whether they can live, the natural answer would be no. But Ezekiel wisely answers, Lord GOD, you know, leaving the possibility with you. And you declare that you will bring them to life. This reveals something about you: that you can bring life even to what is utterly dead and hopeless, that nothing is beyond your power to revive. This is a great hope. There are situations in my life that seem as dead and dry as those bones: a faith that has withered, a hope long dead, a relationship beyond repair, a life or soul that seems past all reviving. By human reckoning, they are hopeless. But what is beyond human power to revive is not beyond yours. Take that to my heart, for you can bring life to what is utterly dead and hopeless. When something in my life seems utterly dead and beyond hope, keep me from despair; help me remember that you can breathe life into it, Lord, as you promised the dry bones, bringing hope where there was none and reviving what seemed past all reviving, so that I trust you rather than despairing of what seems dead.