VALLEY OF THE DRY BONES

This will be an overall picture of what is happening in the world today. In my many years I have seen the changes that have come about. In 2007 I am 76 years older and wiser. God opened my eyes to let me see what is happening in this modern world all around us. In the busyness of merely living everyday lives, the changes kind of crept in and the world followed, including me to an extent. And you, too. It was all so subtle.

When I was young I heard the song about “Them bones, them bones, them dry bones.” I thought it was just a funny song. I didn’t know it came from the Bible. Read Ezekiel 37:1-14 to get the whole story. It is quite an intriguing story. It’s about the people of Israel. I will give you a modern view of it.

The Pilgrims first came to the new land because they wanted religious freedom. All life was based on the Bible, the Word of God. Laws were made according to it. The Ten Commandments were a must to follow. The Bible was a learning tool for reading and writing. Many people believed in the God of the Bible. There were always some who didn’t.

People prayed as a family. They turned to God and the Bible when they needed guidance. It was not a perfect time any more than today is. Each generation had its own problems to contend with. It had its own dangers. I wasn’t there so I can’t pretend to know how it really was. Would I have been a survivor in that wilderness that needed tamed. Would you? Am I a survivor in this modern wilderness?

It is the same as before but with more people in more territory for evil to thrive in. The territory is now even extending to outer space. Since man learned how to clone, there will be more artificial people who are willing to do more evil. What next? Man is striving to be the kind of god they want. Anything goes.

Isaiah 5:20-21 “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.”

A group of people who hated God, decided it was unconstitutional to mix church and state. Then it was a woman’s privilege to decide if she wanted to keep her baby which was conceived in sin or get rid of the hindrance. There argument is that the fetus is not a baby yet; just a piece of matter.

No prayer in school or public places allowed. “Human rights” was invented to take away the rights of those who wished to follow God’s laws. The God-ordained family is breaking down.

Two men or two women can get married and can adopt a child. How far will that child go to call evil good. So many churches are allowing this. They also preach tolerance of other sinful practices.

I think you get the picture. We are in the valley of dry bones. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff , they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4). Before now I was only able to see the surface meaning. I thought it was just for when I was dying that I didn’t have to fear.

We are walking in the valley of the shadow of death as we walk about doing our daily business. Death (of souls) is all around us. It is becoming more and more apparent what with all the killings committed. No where is safe. This is all you hear on the news.

Along with this is an abundance of beauty contests. This includes little girls dressed like older sexy women. They aren’t allowed to be children. They are all held up as idols. There are all kinds of idols walking around. Sports Idols, movie stars and singing idols are all worshiped. Who or what do you worship? If you worship anything or anyone besides God, you are worshiping idols. Your bones are dry.

My bones were dry. I dabbled in all kinds of occult practices---mind over matter, hypnotism, spiritualistic ideas, fortune telling and so on. Nothing satisfied.

In spite of the evil all around us, Jesus can still give us the peace he has promised. He never lets us fight the battles alone, visible and invisible. As proof I lived about a half block where a couple people were killed at different times. I didn’t hear a thing about either one for a couple days.

The valley of the shadow of death is also the valley of the dry bones. With all the spirituality (not God’s) in the world, and people claiming they can float in the air and other occult practices, they wouldn’t be too skeptical about Ezekiel being spirited away. I can imagine though when the bones began to come to life, they might get a bit scared. We would too.

Verse 3 “And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God you know” He had no doubts that God could do anything He said He could. In verse 4, he was told to prophesy to the bones, saying “O you dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.” Wouldn’t we feel silly if we were told to talk to a bunch of old dry bones? Ezekiel thought nothing of it and obeyed God and spoke to them.

If a preacher of today dares to preach God’s Word as it is given to him, he would be doing the same. He obeys God. Our bodies may be in a church but out spirits can be dried out. The “Valley of the Dry Bones” are the churches that “preach” a dead sermon to a group of dead people.

They only go because it’s the thing to do. It makes them look good while their spirits are totally dead. One church I had been in, the sermon was only about 5 minutes long. The people thought that was too long! The singing and the rituals were tolerated but they didn’t want to be preached to. Nothing important was said. People had no reason to think they had to be saved.

The new thing is you don’t dare speak about sin. You don’t want to offend anybody. They might leave. They need their money to keep the church open and also to feed their own pocket books. Many churches are becoming like a den of thieves.

Matthew 21:13, Jesus in his anger, cast out all who desecrated the house of God. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always. Is there any reason that he wouldn’t do the same today if he should show up at your church? It’s ripe to be overthrown. How long will God keep His anger?

After Ezekiel prophesied to the bones, telling them to listen to what God had to say. With His own voice God spoke to them saying, “Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Although this related to a back slid Israel’s restoration with God, it can apply to God’s people everywhere. John 3:16 “For God so loved the whole world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God’s breath enters into us when we accept this wonderful promise. We were dead in sin just like those dry bones. With the acceptance, we received everlasting life. The blood of Jesus became our covering.

Verse 7: “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to bone.” Everything else fell into place as God said. “But there was no breath in them.: Verse 9 “Then said He unto me, “Prophesy unto the wind, thus says the Lord God: come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.”

The Holy Spirit is the wind that gives breath. It is a refreshing wind as I have experienced one day. It was a cold day; rain, snow and ice blowing strong in all directions at about 50 miles an hour. Instead of looking for warmth and protection from the wind, I was exhilarated by it. To add to the excitement, I looked toward the river and saw pure white seagulls flying around in all directions; away from and into the wind. It was something I shall never forget.

I got the full force of what the Holy Spirit does in our life. The gulls seemed to be enjoying their “play” and not a bit agitated. When the Holy Spirit blows into our face, he is refreshing us. When he blows behind us, he is helping us to keep going even when we feel we can’t take another step. The wind gives us life all around us.

In verses 11 & 12, the bones (newly constructed house of Israel) say they are dried up and have no hope. People in this world are like that but they don’t even know it. My bones were dry. I dabbled in all kinds of occult practices---mind over matter, hypnotism, spiritualistic ideas, fortune telling and so on. Nothing satisfied.

Ezekiel prophesied again as God told him to do. “Thus says the Lord God; Behold O, my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”

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 preach deliverance to the captives, and of recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty they that are bruised.”

Although we may think we are alive and well, without Jesus we are already in our graves and only Jesus can get us out. Jesus got me out and I know he can also get you out and you will become a new being. It is all up to you. We may have money but in reality we are the poor who don’t possess the richness of God’s love and mercy.

Why are so many people so unhappy most of the time? They don’t know Jesus. Until Jesus delivers us, we are captives of Satan. We are blind to the truth of God until Jesus restores our sight. At last we are liberated from the bruises received from the evil one. Our dry bones become alive. We become fully dressed in the robes of righteousness. We breathe the fresh air of the Holy Spirit. NO more pollution. The Valley of the Dry Bones is no longer a threat.

Praise the Holy Name of Jesus! God bless you as you drink this all in.