Ezekiel 37:1-14—The Spirit through the preached Word raises the dead. Ezekiel preaches the Word to the dry bones of Israel and they come to life. Ezekiel is a prophet to the exiles in Babylon. This lesson comes from the section of the book that predicts a restoration of Jerusalem and its temple. He sees the Hebrews in exile as dead in hope because they are separated from the holy city and temple. God commands Ezekiel to preach to the dead bones and the Spirit brings life to the bodies and then the Spirit to the bodies. Through the preached Word, the Spirit of God brings new life and hope to a defeated, exiled people.
Ezekiel is told to preach to dead people! What a challenge! If the people are dead bones, what good could preaching possibly do? The preaching must be the Word of God. If it is , preaching has the power of the Spirit contained in the Word to give life to the dead. Here is justification for preaching the Word to those who do not want to be preached to.
The Spirit which comes in and through the Word creates new life – gives flesh to the bones. It takes us back to the creation of Adam. His body was made out of the dust of the ground. Humanity is mortal and finite. It is the Spirit which creates life.
The bones become bodies but they are not yet alive. Now God breathes into the bodies and they live spiritually. Humanity has a dual nature: body and soul. In the creation of Adam, God made him physically and then breathed his Spirit into him and be became a living soul. 1
For blessing on the Word: Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 2
No comments:
Post a Comment