Theological Commentary: Click Here
The Valley
of the Dry Bones is a well known chapter.
Imagine the vision that Ezekiel gets to see. Imagine watching as dry bones gather together
to form skeletons. And then imagine those
skeletons growing flesh and skin to look like a person. Then imagine breath being put into them so
that they are actually alive. Honestly, I
can only imagine the nightmares that such a vision would give to Ezekiel the rest
of his life.
The point of
the vision, in spite of its shocking nature, is that dead is not an obstacle
for God. Take a nation. Split it in two. Conquer it mercilessly. Take most of the people and scatter them all
throughout Asia from the Mediterranean to the edge of India. This is not an obstacle for God. Most people would call the Hebrew people done
and their civilization ruined. God,
however, has other plans.
God promises
to raise the people up. God promises to
reinvent them. In fact, God promises to reforge
them into a single nation. God is not
only going to restore what was prior to the Assyrian conquest, but to go back
and erase the split that the Hebrew people did to themselves. That’s amazing. God is telling Ezekiel that He is capable of
healing both internal and external wounds.
I think this
idea is why this chapter sticks with people.
It is noticeable because of the vividness of the image. It is memorable because at its core is
something we all want to believe in. It
is memorable because we all want a God who actually can heal and restore both
the problems within us as well as the problems brought on by the world around
us.
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