One day, Ezekiel, a man of God, had a special encounter. God showed him something very strange.
God led Ezekiel into a valley. There were bones everywhere on the ground. Many, many bones! They were completely dry, as if they had been there for a very, very long time. It was quiet, there was no life to be seen.
God asked Ezekiel: “Can life come out of these bones?”
Ezekiel knew that only God could decide that. He said: “Lord, you know!”
Then God said: “Speak to the bones! Tell them that I will give them flesh and skin. I will put breath in them and they will live again!”
Ezekiel did what God had said. And suddenly! It started to rustle – rattle, rump, clack! The bones moved! They found their right place, and tendons and flesh grew over them. Now there were whole people! But they didn’t move.
Then God said, “Call the breath to come into them!”
Ezekiel did it. And phew! The wind came and blew into the bodies. And suddenly they opened their eyes, moved their arms and stood up! Suddenly the valley was full of living people!
God said to Ezekiel: “These bones were like my people Israel. They thought all was lost. But I will give them new life. I will bring them home again!”
Ezekiel was amazed. He knew: God can make everything new!
Questions to think about
Have you ever thought that something is impossible?
Do you know that God can do everything?
Message of history
God can create something new, even from something dead. He gives hope, even when everything looks difficult.
Bible passage
The vision of Ezekiel and the dry bones is found in Ezekiel 37:1-14:
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Schlachter 2000):
*”The hand of the LORD came upon me, and the LORD brought me out in the Spirit and set me down in the middle of the plain, which was full of bones. And he led me by them round about, and, behold, there were very many of them over the face of the plain, and, lo, they were all withered.
And he said to me, “Son of man, will these bones come back to life? And I said: Lord, Lord, you know!
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them: You withered bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the LORD GOD to these bones: Behold, I will put breath into you so that you may come to life! And I will put sinews on you and make flesh grow on you and cover you with skin and put breath in you so that you may come to life. And you shall know that I am the LORD!
Then I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a noise, and the bones came together, bone to bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews grew on them, and flesh appeared, and he covered them with skin on top; but there was no breath in them yet.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the LORD GOD: Come, breath, from the four winds, and breathe on these slain, that they may live!
Then I prophesied as he had commanded me. Then the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet – a very, very large army.
And he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel! Behold, they say, “Our bones are withered, and our hope is lost; it is finished with us!”
Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the LORD GOD: ‘Behold, I will open your graves and bring you, my people, up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and bring you, my people, up from your graves.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will set you in your own land, and you shall know that I am the LORD. I have said it and I will do it, says the LORD. “*
