New Life for Old Bones

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March 9, 2008 - Ezekiel 37:1-14

Open It

  1. When have you been separated from your loved ones for an extended period of time?

  2. What is one of the most hopeless circumstances in which you've ever found yourself?

Explore It

  1. What strange sight was Ezekiel shown in a vision? (37:1-2)

  2. What question did the Lord ask of Ezekiel, and how did he answer? (37:3)

  3. What did God promise to do with the dry bones? (37:4-6)

  4. What happened as Ezekiel began to prophesy to the bones, as God had commanded? (37:7-8)

  5. How did the restored bodies begin to breathe again? (37:9-10)

  6. What saying of the people had given rise to the image of "dry bones"? (37:11)

  7. What did God explain to Ezekiel about the meaning of the vision of the valley of dry bones? (37:11-12)

  8. What would God's people know and receive when God acted in their behalf? (37:13-14)

Get It

  1. What images come to mind about a nation of people symbolized by dry bones?

  2. What did Ezekiel have to know about God in order to see potential in the dry bones?

  3. What are some key features of the reign of "David" (the Messiah)?

  4. Why is it desirable to have Jehovah God dwell (live) with us?

  5. In what areas of your community do you see the need for reunification among individuals or groups?

Apply It

  1. What habits can you cultivate that will make you more likely to see hopeless situations from God's perspective?

  2. What division between people or nations can you make a matter of earnest prayer this week?

Notes

Ezekiel 37:1ff: This vision illustrates the promise of Ezekiel 36-new life and a nation restored, both physically and spiritually. The dry bones are a picture of the Jews in captivity-scattered and dead. The two sticks (Ezekiel 37:15-17) represent the reunion of the entire nation of Israel that had divided into northern and southern kingdoms after Solomon. The scattered exiles of both Israel and Judah would be released from the "graves" of captivity and one day re-gathered in their homeland, with the Messiah as their leader. This vision has yet to be fulfilled. Ezekiel felt he was speaking to the dead as he preached to the exiles because they rarely responded to his message. But these bones responded! And just as God brought life to the dead bones, he would bring life again to his spiritually dead people.

Ezekiel 37:4-5: The dry bones represented the people's spiritually dead condition. Your church may seem like a heap of dry bones to you, spiritually dead with no hope of vitality. But just as God promised to restore his nation, he can restore any church, no matter how dry or dead it may be. Rather than give up, pray for renewal, for God can restore it to life. The hope and prayer of every church should be that God will put his Spirit into it (Ezekiel 37:14). In fact, God is at work calling his people back to himself, bringing new life into dead churches.

(Back to Study Home Page)   (Sermon March 9, 2008)
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