Valley of Dry Bones

EZEKIEL 37:1—14

4004

BC

THE

FALL

GEN

ESIS

1-7

PRE-FLO

ODAdam

-Eve

Cain-A

bel-Set

h

12

6

39

1

2

4

57

8

10

112348 BC THE FLO

OD

GENESIS 8-11

POST-FLOOD

Noah

Shem-Ham-Japheth

1921 BC ABRAHAM CALLED GENESIS 12-50

PATRIARCHALAbraham-Isaac-Jacob

Judah-Joseph

DEUTERONOMY

I-II C

HRONIC

LES

RUTH Naomi

BoazRuthObed

1751 BC MOSES BORN

EXODUS-LEVITICUS

BONDAGEEXODUS

Moses-Aaron-Judah-Pharaoh

1491 BC RED SEA

NUMBERS

WILDERNESS

Moses-Aaron-Judah

Joshua-Caleb

1451 – 1444 BC JOSHUA

CONQUESTJoshua-Caleb-Judah

1394

– 1

095

BC

JUDGES

JUDGES

Gideo

n-Ba

rak

Jeph

thah

-Sam

son

Juda

h

1095 – 975 BC 3 KINGS

I-II SAMUEL

I KINGS 1-11

UNITED KINGDOMS

Samuel-Saul-David-Solomon

975 BC I KINGS 12-22II KINGS 1-17

DIVIDED KINGJeroboam-Israel

Rehoboam-Judah

721 BCFall of Israel

II KINGS 18-23

JUDAH ALONE

Hezekiah-Amon

Manasseh-Josiah

586 BC

Jerusalem Leveled

II KIN

GS 24-25

CAPTIVITY

Jehoiakim

Jehoiachin

MesopotamiaTigris-EuphratesGarden of Eden

Mt. AraratMesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates

MesopotamiaCanaan

Egypt-Goshen

Egypt-NileRed SeaMt. Sinai

Red SeaMt. Nebo

JordanMt. Nebo

Canaan-IsraelShiloh

IsraelJerusalem

IsraelSamaria

JudahJerusalem

JudahJerusalem

BabylonMesopotamia

Israel-Jerusalem

587 – 400 BCEZRA 1-6 ESTHER EZRA

7-10NEHEMIAH

RESTORATIONKing Cyrus

Zerubbabel-Esther-Mordecai

Captivity

Ezekiel

Valley of Dry Bones• Captivity in Babylon• Ezekiel is God’s prophet for Judah• 70 years predicted by Jeremiah–“And this whole land shall be a

desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”{Jeremiah 25:11}

EZEKIEL 1:1

“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the

month, as I was among the captives by the

River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of

God.”

EZEKIEL 1:2

“On the fifth day of the month,

which was in the fifth year of King

Jehoiachin's captivity.”

EZEKIEL 1:3

“ The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him

there.”

Babylonian Empire

Nebuchadnezzar

Chebar

Jerusa

lemIraq

“I Was Among the Captives at the river Chebar.”

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Vision• The Meaning• The Applications to be made…

Valley of Dry Bones

• Question…•Where do you fit in this

vision?• In the vision of “The Valley

of Dry Bones?– Ezekiel 37:1-14….

EZEKIEL 37:1

“The hand of the LORD came upon

me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set

me down in the midst of the valley;

and it was full of bones.”

EZEKIEL 37:2

“Then He caused me to pass by them

all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were

very dry.”

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Vision–Disjointed

–Dry–Numerous

–Good for nothing

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

VALLEY OF DRY BONES

EZEKIEL 37:3

“And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones

live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You

know.”Note the question?

EZEKIEL 37:3

“And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones

live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You

know.”Notice Ezekiel’s Faith

DEUTERONOMY 32:39

“Now see that I, even I, am He, And

there is no God besides Me; I kill

and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.”God Can Make

Alive!

EZEKIEL 37:4

“Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the

LORD!”God’s Instructions

EZEKIEL 37:5

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will

cause breath to enter into you, and you shall

live!”God’s Plan

EZEKIEL 37:6

“I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you,

cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the

LORD.”Power of God

EZEKIEL 37:7

“So I prophesied as I was commanded;

and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and

suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.”The Obedience—

The Results

BONES COME TOGETHER!

Valley of Dry Bones

• Results…–Bones become skeletons

–Silence is broken–Bones being fitted together

–Nothing too hard for the Lord!

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

BONES COME TO LIFE!

EZEKIEL 37:8

“Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.”SinewsTendons, muscular

power

EZEKIEL 37:8

“Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.”No Breath…

Clothed but no true life!

EZEKIEL 37:9

“Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the

breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from

the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that

they may live.”Only source of Life—From God

EZEKIEL 37:10

“So I prophesied as He commanded me,

and breath came into them, and they lived, and

stood upon their feet, an

exceedingly great army.”

God’s Army!

EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY!

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning–We have seen the vision–Dry Bones revived

–Clothed–Great army now

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

EZEKIEL 37:11

“Then He said to me, "Son of man,

these bones are the whole house of

Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are

dry, our hope is lost, and we

ourselves are cut off!”

God’s Army--Israel

EZEKIEL 37:11

“Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are

the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are

dry, our hope is lost, and we

ourselves are cut off!”

Thought Hope was Lost!

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning–How can we understand this vision

without knowing…–Who the children of Israel are…

– In Captivity–Must know Old Testament History!

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning:–Distrust, Rebellion, Idolatry, and

Disobedience had turned Israel into…

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning:–Sin had slain Israel—She is dead

spiritually– Israel in Captivity—Punishment –What about her future state?

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning:–Based on her present condition…

– Israel will listen to God…–She will become what?

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

EZEKIEL 37:12

“Therefore prophesy and say to them,

'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open

your graves and cause you to come

up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel!”Israel is Going to be

Raised!

EZEKIEL 37:12

“Therefore prophesy and say to them,

'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and

cause you to come up from your graves,

and bring you into the land of Israel!”Israel is Going

Back Home!!

EZEKIEL 37:13

“Then you shall know that I am

the LORD, when I have opened your

graves, O My people, and

brought you up from your graves!”

Know God’s Power!

EZEKIEL 37:14

“I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place

you in your own land. Then you shall

know that I, the LORD, have spoken

it and performed it," says the LORD.”Life Given Back

Valley of Dry Bones

• The Meaning:– Israel will again glorify God– Israel shall be a strong army

–God has shown Ezekiel through this vision…

–Present condition—future condition

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

Valley of Dry Bones• The Meaning:– We have seen the vision– Valley of Dry Bones

– Seen the meaning—Israel is dead– Shows God holds keys to the future…

– Applications…

–“Valley of Dry Bones.”

Lesson #1• The resurrection of souls lost in sin—to a life of righteousness–Souls are spiritually dead in sin–Walking around in a “dead state”

–How can they be “raised”?

JOHN 5:25,26

“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is

coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of

God; and those who hear will live. For as the

Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to

have life in Himself.”New Life Given Back

EPHESIANS 2:1

“And you He made alive, who were

dead in trespasses and sins.”

Sinner’s True Condition!

EPHESIANS 2:5

“Even when we were dead in

trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

Sinner’s New Life

COLOSSIANS 3:5

“Therefore put to death your members

which are on the earth: fornication,

uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Something Must Die

COLOSSIANS 3:10

“And have put on the new man who

is renewed in knowledge

according to the image of Him who

created him.”Put on New Man!

Lesson #2• The resurrection of a

sleeping church–Churches can also be dead

–Churches may need to be revived!

REVELATION 3:1

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God

and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you

are dead.”Dead Church

REVELATION 3:2

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which

remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found

your works perfect before

God.”Divine Instructions

REVELATION 3:15,16

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could

wish you were cold or hot. So then, because

you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”Lukewarm Church

The Warning• Luke warmness

– Immorality–Lost of zeal and fervency–Lost of dedication and

commitment–Churches have been reduced to

a…–VALLEY OF DRY BONES

EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY!

JOHN 6:63

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the

flesh profits nothing. The

words that I speak to you are spirit,

and they are life.”

Divine Remedy

HEBREWS 4:12

“For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and

spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the

thoughts and intents of the heart.”Divine Remedy

JOHN 5:28,29

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in

which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life,

and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of

condemnation.”Final Resurrection…

Valley of Dry BonesEzekiel 37:1-14

Are we a sleeping “child” of God reduced to a VALLEY OF

DRY BONES?

Valley of Dry BonesEzekiel 37:1-14

Are we a sleeping “congregation” of God’s

people reduced to a VALLEY OF

DRY BONES?

ARE YOU ACTIVE PART OF HIS ARMY!