Can These Dry Bones Live?

Can These Dry Bones Live?

Ezekiel Chapters 34-37

The Good Shepherd

In Chapter 34, the word from God through Ezekiel begins with a condemnation of the “shepherds of Israel”. In verses 1-6, the Lord says that the shepherds, the priests and other leaders of Israel, had concern only for themselves, that they made no attempt to help their flock, and instead ruled them brutally. As a result, according to the Lord, the flock was scattered over the earth with no one to care for them.

In the following verses, the Lord says that he is at odds with his appointed shepherds, and in verses 11-16 says that he himself will shepherd the sheep with kindness and justice. We are familiar with this imagery from the New Testament, but the Lord is described as our shepherd beginning in Genesis (Genesis 49:24, for example). The Lord goes on to say, in verses 23 & 24, that he will place one shepherd over them: his servant, David. How can this be? How can the Lord be our shepherd and David be our only shepherd, especially given that David is long dead?

When Jesus, who was the “Son of David” and who was both God and man, said “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), he was not only describing the nature of his ministry, but stating his fulfillment of this prophecy. Whereas the corrupt shepherds thought of themselves and treated the sheep brutally, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” It is easy to think of this as an act that happened once in history. But in Revelation Christ is called the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) The all-powerful God, who created us and everything we know (and everything we do not know), sacrifices his will to us from moment to moment, as we reject his love. Jesus was God as man, the embodiment of that sacrifice, the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Prophecy for the Mountains

Chapter 35 contains a prophecy against the Mount Seir, which is a mountain in Edom, and in fact, the chapter is a prophecy against the nation of Edom, and the reference to Mount Seir is just a literary device. There has already been a brief prophecy against Edom in Chapter 25. The prophecy in this chapter is more detailed, but is consistent with the earlier prophecy against Edom and the other nations. Basically, it states that Edom saw the fall of Israel and Judah as an opportunity for itself, and disregarded the will of God. The Lord says that, Since Edom acted in violence and out of anger and jealously, they would experience violence, anger and jealousy.

We may certainly wonder why this prophecy against Edom is here, and not with the previous collection of prophecy against the neighboring nations. The answer is found in Chapter 36, where there is a paired prophecy of redemption for mountains of Israel. In verses 1-12, the Lord says to the mountains that though the enemy has taken them as a possession, they will once again be home to the people of Israel.

In verses 16-21, the Lord reminds the people that it was because of their own actions that they came to their situation. In verses 23 and 24, the Lord says that he will redeem the people “For my own names sake”. This idea has also been recorded in Chapter 20. On the surface, it might seem to portray a god who is more concerned about his image than the well-being of his people. Of course, a god of that nature could find better ways of making himself look good. For the ancient people, a name had great meaning. It revealed something of the bearer’s true nature, and that is why the people of God were so careful with the name of God. Having reminded the people how they had behaved, God is saying that he would act, not in response to their behavior, but in keeping with his nature.

Can These Dry Bones Live?

Chapter 37 has, in verses 1-14, the most famous passage in Ezekiel, and one of the most famous passages in the Bible. Though this vision was not as difficult for Ezekiel to describe as the earlier vision of the moving throne platform, it must have been terrifying to see, as first the bones and then the breath came together to form a living army.

Much has been said and written about this passage, as it is rich in meaning. Two things stand out on this occasion. First, there is the wisdom of Ezekiel. When the Lord asked if the bones could live, Ezekiel answered “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Ezekiel could have answered that it did not seem possible to him, and that would have underestimated the power of God. He could have answered that all things are possible for God, but that would have been a theoretical answer to a specific question. The truth is that we never know, and God always knows.

The second is the wonderful promise of this passage. It was a promise to the nation of Israel, perhaps not carried out as they expected, as Jesus later said that God can create children of Abraham even out of stones (Matthew 3:9). It is a promise that speaks of God’s power over the grave, which is a comfort for all of us, not just for our own lives, but for the lives of those we love.

But this promise was originally to the living, who felt like they were nothing but dry bones, and had no hope. God says “I will open your graves and bring you up from them” and we must remember that, for the Israelites, the grave was an unclean place. This is the image of God finding us in our most hopeless, shameless place, and breathing new life in us.

You Alone Know

What is the will of God? We read Old Testament stories and have our own experiences that make it seem like a cold, horrible thing. Ezekiel knew the answer. Only the Lord knows his will; only the Lord accomplishes his will. The book of Ezekiel has some ground-breaking theology, as the Lord reveals that he deals, not only with nations, but with individuals. “The soul who sins shall die” (18:4) and, with the voice of the Good Shepherd, “I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak” (from 34:11-16). Even in the imagery of the valley of the dry bones, if the Lord chooses to raise up a vast army, he does so by finding hopeless, helpless individuals in their secret, shameless places, and giving them new life.