Ezekiel
37:1-14- Life out of Death - The dry
bones of Israel come to life through the preaching of God’s Word. God’s Spirit
through the Word raises a dead people – National death.
In the Old
Testament lesson, God’s Spirit through the Word raises a dead people – National
death. The dry bones of Israel come to life through the preaching of the
prophet. While the outer person is
living, he may be dead inside. Israel consisted by dry, dead bones. They were
“dead” because they lost hope during their captivity in Babylon. A lifeless
people, a dead church, can be revived with hope and love through the preaching
of God’s Word.
The Spirt is
the creative power of God. The Spirit created the universe. His Spirit is
identified with his Word – ‘Let there be light.” In Ezekiel, the Spirit causes the dry bones
to live again. But the Spirit comes to the bones through the prophet’s
preaching the Word of God. Here we see the power of the Word to create new life
with the Word there is the Spirit. But the Word must be preached. Out of faithful
preaching of the Word, the Spirt creates new life in the dead bones of God’s
people.
While the
outer person is living, he may be dead on the inside. Israel consisted of dry
dead bones. “There were dead because they lost hope during their captivity in
Babylon. A lifeless people, a dead church, can be revived with hope and love
through the faithful preaching of God’s Word.
Collect for
Tuesday of the week of Lent 4: Father,
may our Lenten observance prepare us to embrace the paschal mystery and to proclaim
your salvation with joyful praise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who, lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever
and ever. Amen [2]
21 March 2023
[1]
The Crucifixion, Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these
copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use
[2] Collect
for Tuesday of the week of Lent 4, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By
the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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