Dry Bones, Awake!

Dry Bones, Awake

Spiritual Awakening of Our Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-28

Consider with me a valley full of bones, not just any bones, but dry bones. No life whatsoever was within them. Israel had fallen and God had judged them, stripping away any pretense of what they were. They were dead spiritually. Even their shepherds were leading them astray. This was a symbolic mass grave representing the spiritual decay of Israel.

It looked like hope was gone and God asked Ezekiel “Can these bones live again?” Actually the Hebrew says “son of man, Can these bones live again”. The answer Ezekiel gave was “Lord you know”!

Hope for life within the dry bones and life itself resides with the Lord.

Whenever we align ourselves with God’s plan and will, a spiritual awakening (A greater portion of His Spirit) will rest on us. Our dry bones that have been withered through our own spiritual decay will spring to life as we yield to Him.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 King James Version (KJV)

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

God wants a deep relationship with us, not just for us to have a knowledge of who He is, not just a courtship type of relationship, but a marriage (a deep intimate union). In this deep intimate union called marriage that God wants to experience with us, He imparts a greater portion of Himself to us as we release ourselves to Him. Theologically we would call this sanctification of our flesh and being led by the Spirit of God!

So back to the valley of dry bones…

With the bones representing spiritual death, God takes our fragments and puts them back together, raising up first individuals and then a spiritual army.

Jesus, when tempted by the devil said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word which proceeds out of the Mouth of God”.

First of all, The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and he spoke it. Then life began to enter the dry bones. It was not just enough, though, for Ezekiel to tell the bones to come together. He spoke the Words of the Lord in the right timing with the bones coming together first, then the muscles and tendons following suit, and finally the breath of Life entering into the bodies. As they stood up, they represented a new creation and an army of the Lord.

What are your dry bones?

First of all, we must begin with our fallen nature by birth. Everything else that causes a dryness to our bones springs from this.

The Things which cause our dryness are rooted in these three things

1. The Lust of the Flesh

2. The Lust of the Eyes

3. The Pride of Life

More Specifically though:

• Pride

• Selfishness

• Uncompassionate

• Unloving

• Oppressive

• Self indulgent

• Critical of others

• Disrespectful of Others

• Covetousness

• Jealousy

• Lust

• Porn

• Adultery

• Theft

Breaking this down yet a little more, I view the pride of life as being the cornerstone of sin. This is a condition of the heart or spirit. Then we look at the lust of the eyes… we see in our soul realm (our senses) that is is “goodly to look upon”, and then we indulge our flesh/body.

Once we get to the point of indulging our eyes it is not just a heart/spirit condition but it has also taken our senses, and then once it reaches our physical bodies, this is where sin is visible. Cain was told “Sin lies at the door”.

True relationship cannot happen if we are living as white-walled sepulchers. Our spiritually dry bones will stand in the way of anything truly meaningful, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Our focus will be on our hurts and self-preservation instead of reaching out with understanding and compassion.

Don’t open that door that sin lies behind. Sin will always create more dryness in your spirit. Open yourself to God, so he can heal your dryness.

The significance of the Breath of God entering into the dry bones is representing a spiritual awakening. God is imparting Himself into the bodies. The bones can live again, and they rose up with the life and breath of God within them.

The Spirit of God moving in your life is a very intimate part of the relationship you have with Him. Whenever the Spirit of God moves within you, you will never be the same. The Spirit of God implants life within you to grow the Character of God within you so that as a son or daughter of God you resemble Him and bring Him more glory. Do people see your Father’s face when they are with you? If not, is there something creating dry bones?

We could say, most of the time I portray God to those around me… What about that little bit of time then where you aren’t portraying God? What is standing in the way creating those dry bones? The fall of man has taken away an aspect of being created in God’s image and our spiritual misalignment with God bring that to bear in our lives.

So what can God redeem in you?

Ezekiel 37 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

37 With the hand of Adonai upon me, Adonai carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them — there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, “Human being, can these bones live?” I answered, “Adonai Elohim! Only you know that!” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, ‘Dry bones! Hear what Adonai has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai Elohim says, “I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am Adonai.”’”

7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’”

10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army! 11 Then he said to me, “Human being! These bones are the whole house of Isra’el; and they are saying, ‘Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, and we are completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy; say to them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘My people! I will open your graves and make you get up out of your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Isra’el. 13 Then you will know that I am Adonai — when I have opened your graves and made you get up out of your graves, my people! 14 I will put my Spirit in you; and you will be alive. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Adonai, have spoken, and that I have done it,’ says Adonai.”

15 The word of Adonai came to me: 16 “You, human being, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Y’hudah and those joined with him [among] the people of Isra’el.’ Next, take another stick and write on it, ‘For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Isra’el who are joined with him.’ 17 Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand. 18 When your people ask you what all this means, 19 tell them that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I will take the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, together with the tribes of Isra’el who are joined with him, and put them together with the stick of Y’hudah and make them a single stick, so that they become one in my hand.’ 20 The sticks on which you write are to be in your hand as they watch. 21 Then say to them that Adonai Elohim says: ‘I will take the people of Isra’el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Isra’el; and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

23 “‘They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations. 25 They will live in the land I gave to Ya‘akov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there — they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 The nations will know that I am Adonai, who sets Isra’el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.’”

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 King James Version (KJV)

9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

As we go journey through life, let’s take a look at where we don’t exemplify God’s Character and recognize it as creating our spiritual dryness, surrendering it to God so He can breath life and impart His Character to us in a new way.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.