Ezekiel 37

Sticks & bones!

Open your Bibles to…

Zech. 4:6 So He answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

Says the LORD of hosts.

Pray

Intro

√ Sticks & bones

Chapter 37 dramatically illustrates through a vision and a sign the sure fulfillment of the promises God made to Israel in chapter 36.

The reason that God gave this awesome vision and this extraordinary sign is that the people to whom Ezekiel was prophesying…

…couldn’t stir up their hearts to hope that God would really restore the people, their land and their Temple.

So, God shows the people through these two illustrations that their hope can be sure because He will bring all of His promises to pass by His own strength!

Ap. Not in our own strength

With regard to disappointments in life, crushed dreams, and unfulfilled expectations, the Christian experience is no different from that of the Jewish captives.

That is, as we grow in faith the Lord will allow us to experience greater challenges to our faith.

Just like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah experienced trials and temptations, so you and I will go through difficult times.

Just like these four we may experience tough times even though we’re walking in obedience to God!

In those times we can begin to wonder whether or not it’s even worth serving the Lord as it seems like there’s no benefit from our sacrifice.

It’s in those dark times that we can struggle to even hope that there might be better days ahead.

This chapter is a good reminder that God will fulfill every promise that He’s made to us and that it’s not up to us to make it happen…

…He’s going to do by His own Spirit and power.

Bones (vs. 1-14)

√ Sticks and bones

The chapter breaks down into two sections…

Vs. 1-14 ~ bones

Vs. 15-28 ~ sticks

In each section God communicates truth through an illustration…

…and then gives us the interpretation!

1) The vision

Ez. 37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.

Ez. 37:2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.

Is this cool stuff or what!?

First of all Ezekiel gets “teleported” from Babylon to a valley filled with bones!

Will, not exactly! Note that he tells us that…

“The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. “

vs. 1

That is, he actually never left Babylon, rather he had a vision in which he was transported to a valley of bones.

√ The question

Ez. 37:3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”

Secondly he’s asked a question by God in vs. 3…

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

To which Ezekiel cautiously answers…

“O Lord GOD, You know.”

That is, Ezekiel is saying that from his human perspective there’s no way that this valley of dry, sun bleached bones, scattered and mixed together could ever be made alive.

But, from God’s perspective anything is possible.

That’s why Ezekiel says…

“O Lord GOD, You know.”

In other words, he doesn’t want to doubt that it is possible, but in his experience it seems pretty far fetched.

√ Prophecy to the bones

Ez. 37:4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

Ez. 37:5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.

Ez. 37:6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

Next God asks Ezekiel to step out in faith and prophecy to the bones!

“Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!” ~ vs. 4

Think how Ezekiel must have felt!

“I’m talking to bones, on my! Maybe this prophet stuff is effecting my brain!”

Probably one of those times that he was glad no one else was around!

√ Ezekiel talks to the bones

Ez. 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.

Ez. 37:8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Try to picture what Ezekiel heard and saw!

He’s talking to the a valley of bones and in the midst of his prophecy he hears something…

…bones rattling together!

This would have been either really awesome…

…or really scary!

As he watches the bones begin to move and find the other bones to which they originally belonged!

Whole skeletons come together and then the connective tissues, muscle, organs, skin, and hair form on the bones.

Now where once was a valley filled with dry bones there is a innumerable mass of human beings laid out in every direction so that Ezekiel finds himself surrounded by bodies…

…but, they are not yet alive!

√ Prophecy to the breath

Ez. 37:9 Also 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 may live.” ’ ”

Ez. 37:10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Wow! So, next God tells Ezekiel to prophecy to the “breath” and then he watches as the lifeless bodies all around him suddenly breath…

…and then stand their feet alive!

When I read this section I can’t help but see the similarity to the account in Genesis where God first created Man.

He formed Man out of the elements of the earth but he was not a “living being” until God breathed the breath of life into him!

Reminding us that God alone is the giver of life! Without God’s intervention human beings are nothing more than a highly organized collection of elemental materials…

…we’re just dirt and water!

Ap. The miracle of life

So, very cool vision, but what’s it all mean? Fortunately the Lord gave us the interpretation!

2) The interpretation

Ez. 37:11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’

Ez. 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Ez. 37:13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.

Ez. 37:14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’ ”

√ The interpretation

God tells us that the valley of bones represents the “whole house of Israel”…

That is, all the captives and survivors who were scattered all over the ancient world.

They were discouraged and hopeless.

They thought there was no possible way that the promises of God in chapter 36 could ever come to pass.

So, God tells them that it is in fact possible because the work of restoration and renewal is not dependant upon the Jewish people or their own strength…

…rather it will be a work of God!

He will raise them up again to be a numerous people filled with life.

He will bring them back to the Promised Land.

He will renew them spiritually by placing His Spirit in them.

All of it a work of God, a picture of the “new covenant” that God would enter into with His people (ref. 36:24-28).

Ap. Present of future?

Bible students differ in opinion as to whether or not this prophecy has been fulfilled, or if it is yet future.

Some point out that Ezekiel’s vision of a valley of bones sounds hauntingly like the Death Camps of the Nazi’s.

That out of what seemed like a hopeless plight for the Jewish people God has worked a great miracle by bringing them back to the Promised Land and giving them new life.

Others suggest that there is no connection to the Jews living in Israel today and say that this prophecy will not be fulfilled until the Kingdom Age.

I’m not sure that we have to take either side exclusively, rather, I would suggest that this prophecy is progressive…

…that is, it’s being fulfilled presently and will have its complete fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom.

The reason I believe that is that the vision of the valley of bones is given in context with the sign of the sticks.

We’ll see in this next section that the sign of the sticks has been fulfilled in our generation.

Sticks (vs. 15-28)

Ez. 37:15 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ez. 37:16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: “For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’

Ez. 37:17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

√ Sticks

For the sign of the sticks Ezekiel is transported back from the Spiritual realm to the physical.

That is, everything that God has him do in this section is done in full view of the Jewish captives (ref. Vs. 18).

The sign given is pretty simple…

Take two sticks, take a Sharpie Pen and write on one…

“For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companion”

Write on the other…

“For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions”

Then, put both sticks in his hand and do a little “slight of hand trick” so that the two sticks are joined together in his hand to look like one stick.

Great, but what’s it all mean! Glad you asked because that’s what the Jewish captives wanted to know too!

√ The interpretation

Ez. 37:18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—

Ez. 37:19 say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’

Ez. 37:20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.

Ez. 37:21 “Then say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

Ez. 37:22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.

God gives us the interpretation so that we don’t have to guess, or mistakenly make the wrong interpretation.

He tells us that the two sticks represent the divided kingdom of Israel…

…the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern Israel (vs. 19).

That He is going to bring the Jewish people back from all the nations to which they were scattered…

…to dwell once more in the Promised Land (vs. 21).

And, that the joining of the two sticks into one foretells the day when the kingdom will no longer be divided…

…but rather will be one nation (vs. 22).

This has all come to pass in the last century! God has in fact…

Joined the divided kingdom into one nation.

Brought (and is still bringing) the Jewish people form all over the world back to live in the Promised Land.

Yet, as I suggested in the vision of the bones this prophecy is progressive in that we do not yet see its complete fulfillment.

Ex. Israel’s law “right of return”

The government of Israel has passed legislation that grants citizenship to any Jewish person who wants to make “Aliyah”…

…that is to return home to the Promised Land.

Those returning to the land receive assistance from the government, are enrolled in special classes to learn Hebrew, and help finding a home and a job.

While the assistance doesn’t add up to a bunch of money, most of the Jewish immigrants are happy to receive anything as they’re coming from nations where they received little or no help.

Ap. Wrong interpretations

This is an important section of scripture to have a handle on because the Mormons will point to verses 15-17 as Biblical “evidence” for the validity of the book of Mormon!

They interpret the two sticks as representing the two works of scripture given to Mankind.

They claim the stick of Judah represents the Bible and the stick of Israel represents the book of Mormon!

Besides the fact that it is laughable and a terrible exegeses of the text…

…they fail to read the next section, verse 18-22 where God gives the interpretation!

So, the next time two Mormon missionaries show up on your doorstep you can politely ask them where God tells us that He would give us two Holy books.

Then after they’re pointed with pride to vs. 15-17, simply ask the to keep reading.

It’s a great launching point to help them to see that what they’ve been taught doesn’t make sense.

√ A progressive fulfillment

Since the bones and sticks prophecies are given together I think it makes sense to interpret them in context with one another.

The point being that it’s a good argument against those who say that the Jewish people living in Israel today are not the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Rather, I think it’s best to see the bones prophecy as being fulfilled progressively…

…partly today and completely in the Kingdom Age.

Ex. Jesus

When Jesus visited the synagogue in Nazareth He read this scripture from Isaiah 61…

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Luke 4:19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Luke 4:20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

If you read the prophecy in Isaiah you’ll see that Jesus cut the prophecy short!

The rest of the prophecy speaks of the future Millennial Kingdom.

But Jesus said…

“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

That is, the prophecy has two parts, a present fulfillment through the life and ministry of Jesus at His 1^st Advent…

…the second part will be fulfilled at His 2^nd Advent.

Future blessings (Vs. 23-28)

Ez. 37:23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Ez. 37:24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.

Ez. 37:25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.

Ez. 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.

Ez. 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ez. 37:28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

√ Future blessings

In these last verses God describes the blessedness of the future Millennial Kingdom He has planned for the Jewish people.

A time when the Jewish people will no longer, nor ever will again worship false gods.

A time when David will be restored as their king.

A time when they will inhabit the entirety of the land that God promised to Abraham (Mediterranean to the Euphrates, from Mount Hermon to the Sinai.)

While all of these promises are awesome the most marvelous and heart-stirring promise is that God will dwell among His people forever!

Ap. The promise of the Kingdom

The promise of the Kingdom is not limited to the Jewish people, the physical descendants of Abraham.

Rather, as Paul so eloquently proves in his letter to the Romans God’s promise is to those who like Abraham place their faith in God.

That is, both Jews and Gentiles become partakers in the blessed Kingdom of God on Earth by means of the New Covenant.

We see that truth demonstrated in Revelation…

Rev. 5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Rev. 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

Note that those singing the songs must be the “Church” as they are the people who were “redeemed by the blood of the Lamb”…

…and they come from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation”!

That can’t be speaking of just the physical descendants of Abraham…

…it can only describe the Church!

Further more note the testimony of the Church in vs. 10…

“And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

While they are described as being in heaven they sing about a future time when they will return to the earth where they will reign!

That’s a reference to the Millennial Kingdom!

So, the promises of God to the Jewish people and the blessed benefits of the Kingdom Age are available to all people through faith in Jesus Christ.

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