From the Valley of Dry Bones to New Life in Christ
By Jody Rose
One of my favorite Saturday morning activities is to go the local Farmer’s Market. I love to see the farmer’s stands of seasonal produce and flowers; a rich tapestry of color and texture, a cyclical celebration of creation’s offerings for us to celebrate and give thanks! It has given me a heightened awareness of integrating food from the local bounty and an appreciation for each season’s impact on what can grow and be cultivated. Spring marks the beginning of vibrant green vegetables like asparagus, pea shoots, or flowering stalks of kale or broccoli called raab which are tender and sweet. Like the green leaves on the trees, it’s another visible sign of the Creator God at work and His regenerative process to create and renew. In contrast to the dormant winter season, seemingly void of life, spring reminds us of new life, new growth, renewal, and hope. God is making all things new and offering his creation a fresh beginning.
Last week in the Lectio 365 app, in preparation for Pentecost and the power of the Holy Spirit, I read the story of Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14):
“He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and [then] you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them 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 it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore, prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live…Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’
When I read this passage, I asked myself how often I try to “white knuckle it” assuming the burden and the strength of my own resolve to make change happen? How often do I believe that chapters of my personal story are beyond repair, hope, and like the bones in the vision, they lay dry and barren? This story is such a powerful reminder that God is the Creator, the One who breathes life into seemingly hopeless circumstances, the initiator of resurrection life and transformation. He is the One who accomplishes His purpose in our lives for his glory.
Like the dry bones, our role in the story is to receive his life giving renewal! Like Ezekiel, our role is to partner with Him and obey what he asks us to do. In Ezekiel’s vision, God declares everything He will do with these bones:
I will make, I will attach and make and cover, I will put, I am going to open, I am going to bring you up, I will bring you back, I will put my Spirit in you, I will settle you. Then, you will receive life and know that the Lord God is sovereign, that he has spoken and he has done it. The bones were lifeless until God initiated life. An initiator is defined as “an instigator, the one who begins something”. It comes from the Latin word, initiare, meaning “beginning.” Synonyms include: founder, creator, inventor, author, father, originator, pioneer, and generator. Jesus is the author, originator, the initiator and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). As we posture ourselves to be the receiver, by the power of the Holy Spirit He will be the One to transform us.
Spring is here! May we take hope and see with fresh perspective nature’s display of new life all around us. May we be reminded that God is creating all things new, and we get to receive the gift of his Spirit: His life-giving breath!
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4