Rattling Bones

“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…bones that were very dry. He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say…Dry bones…This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together…and breath entered them; they came to life.” Ezekiel 37:1-10

You just can’t beat some of these stories in the Bible. If you haven’t read the story of Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones you are missing out on one of the most powerful images God provided to His prophet. God transported Ezekiel to a valley filled with unattached dry bones laying all over the place. He asked the prophet if those bones could live, an answer that only God knew. Ezekiel replied, ‘Sovereign LORD, you alone know.’ God told him to talk to the dry bones and tell them that the LORD was going to put His breath in them bringing them to life. I can’t even imagine this scene where I am in my den one-minute praying and the next minute I am standing in the middle of a valley surrounded by bones laying all around. As if that wouldn’t be crazy enough God tells me to talk to the dead bones. But Ezekiel obeyed and before he even finished predicting what would happen, he heard the bones begin to rattle. As he continued, the bones began coming together and they came to life and stood up. What are we to do with this story and how does it apply to our lives?

I don’t know about you but I have felt over the past month and a half like ‘dry bones laying in a valley with little life.’ Valleys are deep and lonely, full of moments where we lose our pulse. Valleys can rob us of our joy and scatter about our hope. Valleys will always need God to breathe life back into its dwellers. This morning I sense the Spirit of the Lord was breathing life back into this woman's heart. I began hearing in the distance a rattling of hope…restrictions easing...soon-to-be small gatherings again…freedom to leave the valley and breathe again. It takes confidence in God to leave the valley and the belief that life up ahead is much better than where we currently are. Through this story, God is telling us that in Him there is freedom, confidence and life. But we have to do our part and get up and live again! It takes courage to follow the ratting of bones but I'm ready to live the life God meant for me. I’m ready to hear dry bones rattle and see us all come together again. 

‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you.’ Ezekiel 37:12-14