646. EZE 37:1-6. EZEKIEL’S VISION OF DRY BONES

Eze_37:1-6. Ezekiel’s Vision of Dry Bones

By Rev. J. Weitbrecht, Missionary At Burdwan.

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest." &c.’97Eze_37:1-6.

This remarkable vision which the prophet Ezekiel relates was shown to him at a peculiar time, and under peculiar circumstances, which it is proper to point out, in order to render the meaning of it more clear and intelligible. He lived with the remnant of his brethren, far away from the land of his fathers, in Chaldea, a captive and an exile. The Jews had lost their political existence as a nation’97king Nebuchadnezzar having transported those who survived the sword of the Chaldeans to his own land, to people its uninhabited parts. They had also lost their religious constitution and ordinances, for their temple was destroyed, and the beautiful service of Jehovah was abolished.

Thus this unfortunate nation suffered for their unfaithfulness to God and their propensity to idolatry, and appeared on the point of being entirely annihilated’97struck out, as it were, from the list of nations, and, what must have been more painful to those who still preserved a sense of religion, their very name appeared to have been wiped out from the remembrance of the Lord. In their sadness and desolation, they uttered the mournful complaint which the prophet records: "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts," Eze_38:11. As a nation, as a religious society, and likewise in reference to their spiritual state, they looked upon themselves as dead in the sight of God and of their fellow-creatures; so entirely deprived of life and energy, and all hope of recovery, as to resemble a body in the grave, of which nothing remains but the dry bones, disjointed and broken. Ah, my hearers! how sad is the state of a sinner, who, after repeated and fruitless invitations of Divine mercy, is at last forsaken by God, and left to feel all the consequences of his rebellion! Considering their situation as it then was, their cries of despondency, and almost despair, were not ungrounded.

But hopeless as their case was in the eyes of man, it was different in the eyes of God: and to assure them that he had still a time of gracious visitation in reserve for them’97to revive them as a nation, and more especially to create a new spiritual life and energy among them’97the prophet Ezekiel was shown the vision of a valley, strewed all over with dead bones, which, by the breath of the Almighty, were to become reunited to bodies, and endowed with life, so as to constitute, after this miraculous resurrection, "an exceeding great army."

It is not my intention to unfold this impressive scene in its exclusive application to the Jewish Church. We shall recognize in it a striking resemblance to the heathen world at large’97and to this subject I desire to direct your particular attention; but we shall find, likewise, that the vision points out the real state of a great portion of the Christian world, so far as formal religion, in its spiritually lifeless and dead aspect, is still prevailing among us. And my earnest prayer to the Lord and Giver of life is, that this feeble testimony to the truth may, in more than one respect, resemble that of the prophet, who, in obedience to the Divine command, prophesied to dead bones; but whose prophecy became, by the manifestation of the Spirit, instrumental to their revival. We will consider,

I. The appearance of the valley.

II. The divine command given to the prophet.

III. The effect produced by his prophesying.

I. The vision of the valley.

Ezekiel relates the scene he witnessed in a very lively and interesting manner. "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones."

(1.) Considering what this earth, a perfect masterpiece of God’s creation, was intended for, when first it came from his skilful and omnipotent hand’97viz., a dwelling-place for immortal beings’97we can form some idea how ill it has answered the end proposed. The workmanship, indeed, was perfect’97"God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good," Gen_1:31; but man caused the confusion, and defiled it by his transgression. The earth has now become a place of suffering and distress. What with the ravages of war, which in almost every age has devoured its millions, the scourges of pestilence, and the diseases of every description, which, like a deadly atmosphere, have followed the commission of crime and sin in their train, this world has been turned into a Tophet, a valley of dead bones, a charnel-house, and a grave, where the dead are cast away from the sight of the living. We are walking upon the dust of the departed, and ere long shall be ourselves numbered among them.

(2.) But the vision points out spiritual death in a more prominent manner. It is very desirable that we should obtain a correct view of the real state of man. We must hear what the Searcher of hearts says, and then we find at once that the vision which was shown to the prophet is a true and faithful picture of the fallen beings who people this world. A valley of dead bones it presents to this day. Sinners are dead in the sight of God, because they have lost the true life’97the life of holiness, the life of love, the life of immortality, with which a merciful Creator had endowed the being he made in his likeness.

The prophet was greatly struck by the immense number of dead bones: the valley was strewed over and covered with them. And what else can this fearful sight point out, but the universal desolation which sin and apostasy have caused in this world? "Behold there were very many in the open valley." The whole human family has been poisoned by the venom of "the old Serpent." "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," Rom_5:12.

I can speak from experience, dear friends, as to the millions of human beings in India. Moral and spiritual death is indeed reigning among them. Often, when I saw the masses moving before me, did the thought strike my mind’97"Oh, what are these creatures doing in the world, leading little more than an animal life; for the gratification of their bodily wants and desires is all they care for;’97and yet they belong to the same family whose original destiny was heaven and immortality!"

Another remark of the prophet, as he was gazing at the scene before him, was, "And, lo, the bones were very dry." The moisture which they had derived from the circulation of the blood, while the body was alive and covered with skin and flesh, was dried up; every sign of vitality had disappeared. What does this signify?’97hopeless ruin’97a condition irremediable and forlorn. So lifeless and dry, so entirely past recovery, or, as we should call it, reanimation, in a spiritual point of view, is the condition of those who have fallen from God and eternal life, into the death of sin and ignorance! As a branch cut off from the tree withers, and its sap is dried up, so lifeless and senseless to every thing divine and spiritual is the natural man, and especially the dark soul of the idolatrous heathen. Consider,

II. The command to prophesy.

There are two things which deserve our particular notice in this passage: first, the command to prophesy; and, secondly, the agency by which the thing prophesied was to be accomplished. A most wonderful operation was about to be performed; the millions of dead bones were to be united to bodies, and endowed with life and energy. The address, of itself, was not likely to produce this effect; but the Lord engaged to accompany it by the power of his Spirit.

A wise and merciful God has so decreed it, that his sovereign power of awakening and converting sinners is to be manifested in the use of means which he has appointed. The work is not intrusted to angelic beings; but sinners are made the instruments of converting sinners: the man who has been enlightened from above is commissioned as the most suitable agent for prophesying, i. e., bearing testimony to the love and mercy of God, and thereby to become a fellow-worker with God, in his wonderful operation upon the heart of man.

Here, then, you perceive the importance of the ministry of the gospel. The prophet had to address a host of dead bones in the valley. This might have appeared to him a hopeless task. To speak to one who has no life, no mind, no perception, no understanding of Divine things!’97a person of a skeptical and philosophizing disposition would have been apt to rebel against such a command. But the prophet was obedient: though he could not perceive what his agency was to avail, he believed that God could raise the dead; and the very giving of such a command satisfied him that he would accomplish the thing. Now, in this light we consider the preaching of the gospel to the most hopeless sinners. The gospel is a message of mercy to fallen man, of whatever race, language, or complexion he may be. As in Adam all are fallen, so in Christ are all to be raised up again, 1Co_15:22.

What is the grand subject of our ministry?’97nothing more or less than a Divine declaration to fallen dying sinners, that God, by the power of his grace, will cause the dead to live. While we use the means, God works effectually through our instrumentality: therefore, what He has commanded we must do, and what He has promised we must expect. And here I may mention one encouraging fact: throughout the length and breadth of our Indian empire the impression has gained ground among the natives, that the Christian religion will eventually supersede their idolatrous worship. The Brahmins, who are the most bitter opposers of the labors of the Missionaries, cannot help acknowledging that this will be the case. They feel convinced of it, being acute enough to discern the superior beauty and adaptation of the gospel to man’s spiritual wants: they are aware of the approaching fall of idolatry, from the success we have already met with, in the conversion of Hindoos of all castes: and, what is very remarkable, they feel sure of it from a certain prophecy in their own books, foretelling that the present religious system will be destroyed at the end of this age, by a foreign nation. And often have I heard the declaration from the mouth of the haughty Brahmin, "We know that you will eventually succeed in destroying our religion; for it will be nothing less than a proof of the truth of our Shasters."

III. The effect of the prophesying.

"So, as I prophesied," etc. Here we see the result of the prophet’s ministry. An unexpected, an astonishing change took place among the bones: they were formed into natural bodies, according to their original creation.

The spiritual import of this part of the vision is obvious, and confirms our previous views. The Lord has committed a glorious power to his church:’97oh, what could not be effected, if we all did but truly appreciate it! When her ministers go forth upon his command, declaring his word faithfully, not adding thereto nor diminishing aught from it, it will effect the thing for which he sent it.

The shaking of the dry bones signifies the awakening of sinners; this is the first great act in a sinner’s conversion. When the arrows of the word touch the heart, a concern is manifested. A sinner who effectually receives the word, though he were before dead and insensible to Divine things, will be moved, and tremble with fear, in listening to the message of the Almighty.

After this, the bones were covered with flesh and sinews. Here we recognize a further progress; the body is preparing for a new and active life; all the different parts which are necessary for constituting such a body are one by one joined and prepared for exercise. Here we have a significant description of the wise and wonderful process by which the faculties of the human mind are raised, drawn out from sin and error, and brought into the obedience of the gospel.

Though the bodies were formed into their natural state, the prophet perceived that there was no breath in them. The Lord commanded him again to prophesy;’97"Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them; and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." You all understand the meaning of this, my hearers; this breath bestowed with the prophesying signifies the Spirit of God, who is alone the creator of spiritual life.

This earth, degraded as it has been by the Fall, is not to resemble forever a valley of dead bones; they must be, they will be "made alive." Look at this field, my hearers! Do you not hear a sound at a distance? Is there not a shaking of bones perceptible in every part of the world?

Now, before the prophet prophesied, the dead bones could not be raised to life; and without the knowledge of the gospel no sinner can be converted. God always works through means and instruments, in the spiritual as well as in the natural world; though the display of power in conversion is his own prerogative. Difficulties should never deter us in this holy work; the success depends on and is secured by Him who "inhabiteth eternity," before whom the "nations are as a drop of a bucket."

Should not every Christian consider himself bound, by the love of Jesus, to do more for his glory; and strengthen the hands of his brethren who labor in foreign lands, until in every heathen town and village the Redeemer is adored, and souls rejoice in his salvation?

When the Almighty is about to do an important work, he raises up instruments by which it is to be performed. A century ago, the thought of preaching the gospel to the heathen scarcely entered the mind of any Christian in England. What has the Lord wrought among us since!

Oh, let us work while it is day’97work and pray, that we may, in the day of his appearance, be among the great army who shall grace his triumph; and that we may become instrumental in gathering to the host of the redeemed many who shall re joice in his salvation!

Autor: JABEZ BURNS