The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapter 37

God's Sovereignty in Salvation

Last week, we examined Ezekiel 36 and saw what it takes for God to save and redeem his people. God must intervene, step into his creation, enter the lives of his people, regenerate them, grant them a heart of flesh replacing a heart of stone, put his Spirit in them, give them spiritual life, and make his Holy Spirit the primary controlling factor in their lives.

One of the most incredible principles of salvation is that God does what is necessary so that we can receive God himself. God steps into our lives to sovereignly redeem us, blessing us with the privilege of receiving him. The terminology in Ezekiel 37 caps this: he will dwell among us and live amongst his people.

As we examine Ezekiel 37, the valley of the dry bones, we see this in graphic detail. God must do this; otherwise, we remain in ruin and misery. Without God's intervention, people are rampant with idols and flawed desires. Even under righteous rulers, there was no lasting restoration because God was not acting. Their desires cannot change on their own. God shows how he fundamentally corrects his people's problems by sovereignly controlling their lives.

The Valley of Dry Bones

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them all around, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of Man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, Son of Man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

God takes Ezekiel—most likely in a vision—to a valley full of dry bones to reveal his sovereignty in salvation and the condition of Israel, or anyone prior to Christ.

The bones are innumerable, like stars in the sky, piled in the valley. Not only are there very many, but they are exceedingly dry—long dead, decomposed, with all moisture gone. This is the valley of dry bones: they are in the wrong place, a dangerous graveyard with no life, no thinking, no choosing, no activity. They are totally dead.

God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel responds, “O Lord God, you know.” This eliminates any capacity for the bones to live except by God's power. God knows how to give life to dry bones; without him, they remain lifeless.

The Power of God's Word and Breath

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones: speak God's words to the dead. This seems bizarre—dead bones cannot hear. Yet God's words are powerful, as in creation and with Lazarus. God speaks life while breathing his Spirit into them.

The dry, numerous dead bones become an exceedingly great army—a great gathering of God's people given spiritual life. The measure of their deadness matches the greatness of the life God gives. God takes those exceedingly dead in ruinous circumstances and grants exceedingly great life.

Then he said to me, “Son of Man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.”’ ... You will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. I will put my Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.

God changes both location and condition: from graves to life in the land, making them his people. This illustrates spiritual reality—total deadness like Ephesians 2. God opens graves, gives new life, new land, for people to acknowledge he did it completely and perfectly.

The Hebrew word ruach (breath, wind, Spirit)—translated pneuma in Greek—beautifully describes this invisible yet effective power. Like wind's effects or breath sustaining life, the Holy Spirit animates, controls, and gives spiritual life, as in Adam's creation and John 3's new birth. The Spirit blows where he wills; we see his effects in transformed lives.

Successful Christian living means ceasing dead-bone living, yielding to the Holy Spirit's increasing control for exceedingly great lives.

One Nation Under One King

The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, “And you, son of Man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. ... Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be my people, and I will be their God.

‘My servant David will be king over them and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in my ordinances and keep my statutes and observe them. They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people. And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever.’”

God symbolically unites two sticks—Judah and Ephraim/Israel—into one, gathering his scattered people from the nations. Being "of the nations" means dry bones in the valley. God rushes his Spirit from every direction, unites them as one nation under one king, his servant David (Jesus Christ). He cleanses them from idols and sin, making them his people forever.

This has partial physical fulfillment in Israel but ultimate fulfillment in all God's people from every tribe, tongue, and nation—united under Christ, sins dealt with, living with God forever. It restores Eden's paradise: God's permanent presence among his people, his holiness vindicated.

God dwells among us and puts his Spirit within us, ensuring we please him without fear of expulsion. We enjoy God as he enjoys his holiness eternally.

Living in God's Greatness

The Christian life prophesied here is one of newness and greatness—a better, fulfilled, permanent life where God effects real, permanent change. When God acts, it is effective; when we act on sinful desires, it ruins.

Grace corrects the sin free will plunged us into. God has many dry bones everywhere needing his Word and breath. Dry bones desire only deadness; it takes God's power for life.

If you lack this, recognize God's power to rescue you from the valley. Christians, the same power defeats ongoing sin. Do not ignore it or rely on carnal nature. Bow to God's sovereignty daily. Practice righteousness to gain victory over practiced sin. Let the Spirit carry you into greatness.