What does "Can these bones live?" reveal about faith in God's promises? Setting the Scene: A Valley of Absolute Hopelessness • Ezekiel is led “in the Spirit of the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:1) into a valley littered with “very dry” bones—no flesh, no sinew, long past any natural hope of life. • The literal condition underscores the extent of Judah’s exile: politically dead, spiritually desolate, nationally scattered. • Scripture gives this picture to display a problem so impossible that only God can solve it (Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 1:37). The Divine Question: “Can These Bones Live?” • God does not seek information; He invites Ezekiel to view the scene through eyes of faith. • The question confronts every believer with the contrast between visible reality and divine promise (Numbers 23:19). • Ezekiel’s cautious but trusting reply—“O Lord GOD, only You know” (Ezekiel 37:3)—admits human limitation while confessing unlimited divine ability. Faith Admits Human Impossibility • Dry bones symbolize the totally irreversible by human means. • Biblical faith begins where self-reliance ends (Hebrews 11:1). • Like Abraham who “considered his body as good as dead… yet he did not waver in unbelief” (Romans 4:19-20), Ezekiel faces facts without denying them. Faith Anchors in God’s Omnipotence • Ezekiel leaves the outcome entirely in God’s hands: “only You know.” • Throughout Scripture, resurrection power authenticates the certainty of God’s promises—Isaac’s birth (Genesis 21), Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:41-42), Lazarus (John 11:43-44), and ultimately Christ Himself (Acts 2:24). • The same power stands behind every promise to His people (Ephesians 1:19-20). Faith Submits to God’s Revealed Word • God commands Ezekiel, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!’” (Ezekiel 37:4). • The prophet does not debate; he proclaims. • Life returns only when the Word goes forth, confirming Isaiah 55:11—“so My word… will accomplish what I please.” Faith Watches Promise Become Reality • Bones rattle together, sinews and flesh appear, breath enters, and a vast army rises (Ezekiel 37:7-10). • God interprets the vision: “I will open your graves and bring you up from them… I will put My Spirit in you” (Ezekiel 37:12-14). • The literal regathering of Israel from exile foreshadows the future national restoration and anticipates bodily resurrection for all who belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22-23). Living Lessons for Today • True faith faces dead circumstances yet rests in the character of the living God. • God’s promises are not confined by time, decay, or human weakness (2 Corinthians 1:20). • When His Word is proclaimed, the Spirit still breathes life—reviving churches, restoring prodigals, saving the lost (John 6:63). • Our response mirrors Ezekiel’s: yield doubts, speak God’s Word, and expect Him to fulfill exactly what He has spoken. Summary: What the Question Reveals About Faith • It exposes the chasm between human inability and divine power. • It invites humble acknowledgment of our limits and confident trust in God’s limitless capacity. • It demonstrates that faith is not blind optimism but absolute assurance grounded in the God who raises the dead and keeps every promise He makes. |
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