Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 37-39
Ezekiel 37:11
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
Israel was in a bad way. They said their bones were dry, their hope was gone, and they were cut off for their parts (probably meaning their riches and lands). The date that this prophecy was given is sometime around 580 BC. Six years earlier, in 586, Judah had been carried away captive by Babylon; previously in 722 Israel had been carried away by the Assyrians. Back in 945 BC King Solomon died and the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom was known as Israel, it was made up of ten tribes of Israel. Judah the southern kingdom was made up of two; Benjamin and Judah. When the nation was divided it lost its prestige as a world power.
So, when Ezekiel prophesied to the entire nation of Israel about the valley of the dry bones, it had been about 365 years since Israel was a rich and vibrant leader as a nation. It fell into disrepair, despondency, decay, and disharmony in the most awful of terms. Israel needed some good news, and they received it from God’s faithful prophet. This illustration of the valley of the dry bones related to all of Israel that the Lord would restore them on a national basis. In this story Israel is pictured by the dry bones, the conquering nations over Israel are pictured by the graves, and the wind pictures the Spirit of God. Through this unbelievable spectacle that demonstrated God’s miracle working power, the Lord gave Israel hope. They had lost their hope, now they have hope.
From the time of the prophecy of Ezekiel to the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry about 605 years passed. Four hundred of them were silent years where there was no open revelation. Israel remained fractured then for about 970 years (from the divided kingdom unto Christ’s public ministry.) Still the prophecy was not fully fulfilled, not according to the specifics in Ezekiel 37, for Israel was still broken, even during the return and partial restoration. Today, it has been around 2,600 years since the prophecy was given, and the prophecy has yet to be completely fulfilled.
But it will be, perhaps soon. For when Jesus came to earth the first time, He did not come to restore Israel. He came to seek and save that which was lost. He came in the spirit and work of Joseph, the savior. When He returns to earth the next time He will come in the spirit and work of David the warrior. You can read about all this in the book of the Revelation.
Oh, by the way. In a sense, perhaps not too far a stretch, this promise is for every child of God too. For the miracle of the resurrection of the valley of the dry bones could foreshadow the resurrection spoken about at length in the New Testament, especially in I Corinthians 15. Meaning, if any child of God is like those of Israel, dry, no hope, and seemingly cut off, allow the miracle working power of God be reignited in your soul, heart, and mind. He will do all that He said He would do, for Israel, and for you. The promises may be different, but they all have the same promiser: the Lord God of Heaven.
Dr. William T. Howe
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