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Posted: 02/24/2010 at 3:34pm
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BEHOLD! DRY BONES
SHALL LIVE AGAIN
“You can prophesy”
(Ezekiel 37:1-14)
By Abraham George Alademerin
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest” (Ezekiel 37:1-3).
God sees human situations most especially the terrible situations of His people which attract Him more than any other. When He sees, He acts to deliver, most often when His people cry to Him. God is full of concern for us His children, no matter how hard and serious the problems we found ourselves in, whether through disobedience or ignorance or procrastination. God is also full of good thoughts of peace and not of evil for us. This is the first thing we must know and have confidence in whenever we found ourselves in the valley of life exile and captivity. Your exile today may not be the physical captivity like of Babylon but of terrible situations of life – manipulations of sins (Babylon means sin and its captivity), reoccurrence of sicknesses, afflictions, marriage breakage, collapsed business, series of debts or unpaid loans, etc. Terrible situations of life are dry bones. The word of God is sure to deliver you.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
“Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will harken unto you”.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”.
“And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14).
Middle of a Valley:
In Ezekiel 37, the Israelites were confirmed to be in the middle of a valley. A valley is a land or low ground between the hills or mountains. A valley is always under the shadows of hills or mountains. It lies in a sinking position. A man in the middle of a valley would not see afar off because he is covered by the shadows of captivity, oppression and emptiness. Nothing good comes out of a valley. The best action for anyone in the valley of life to take is to set his feet on the rock, the hill or mountain top.
The valley of Ezekiel 37 represented Babylonian captivity, a valley (people) surrounded by hills – mountains (powers of oppression, of wars and of slavery). The Israelites were in the middle of Babylon – in exile, which today also represent demonic captivity, bondage, persecution and all other terrible situations Christians encounter.
Full of Dry Bones:
Great many bones on the floor of the valley this passage says. If valley represents Babylonian exile of captivity, then the many bones on its floor represent the people in exile which were the Israelites. Bones lying on the floor means exposed to dangers, like refuse lying on the ground, which are uncared for but could be scattered and blown away by winds. Fire is also set by human to burn refuse to ashes when they gathered them. The Israelites were gathered in Babylon to be blown asunder and gathered together to be burned by fire of oppression.
This passage also refer to the bones that they were very dry. What do dry bones signify? It signify nakedness – without clothe, money, food, shelter, flesh, sinew and all other thing life required for sustenance and comfort. In the real sense, it also means slavery and unprofitable job, sickness or infirmity, emptiness, dryness of good things, poverty or lack, ill favour, and above all spiritual dryness or lack of God’s power among many other misgivings.
The lives of the Israelites in Babylonian exile were completely dry spiritually, physically, financially and materially. When somebody’s life is dry, it means many things:
- It means his hope is lost; he is abandoned and has become an outcast.
- It means such a person lacks favour, honour and dignity.
- Such a person is unvalued in his family, matrimonial life and in his neighborhood.
- Such a person is weak spiritually and weary. He is dead spiritually and full of carnality or flesh – pride of life, lust of the eye and unrighteous thoughts.
- Such a person’s spiritual life is dry of prayers. He is prayer less and unproductive in the things of God.
The Israelites became carnally minded, lost the purpose and benefits of God’s covenanted promises and blessings in their lives and nation through disobedience to God’s command. They lost their estate and ended up in exile. What a misplace of authority, dominion and honour?
Big Question – Can these bones live?
This question means Can these bones be revived? To Jeremiah, he believed it is not in human’s capacity to know God’s mind, to decide for Him or carry out His plans for His people. “Only God knows” was Jeremiah’s answer to God. God said in His word … “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
It is always good to respond to God the way Jeremiah did. It is good to always acknowledge God as supreme in all things, that we are just His vessels on earth that could be use as He pleases. It is always good to tell God – IF THOU WILL or LET YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. God appreciates this kind of humility and He would use such an humble person for His glory.
The Big Answer – The Real Solution
In God’s reply to Jeremiah’s question, He gave a power to him to use for the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of their oppressors. Even though Jeremiah had all along relied upon God and the power of His might, God threw it back at Him. Is as if God was telling Him – “Look my son, I have all the powers in heavens and on earth to do according to my will, that power I deposit in you today – SPEAK OUT MY SON” - “PROPHESY” (Ezekiel 37:4-14).
You too as a child of God – a redeemer, can prophesy to dry bones – to situations in your life and family, around you, in your business, in people’s lives and in your nation for a positive change. We as Christians are the mouthpiece of God, we have been mandated and given the heavenly key (authority) to decree by binding and loosing anything on earth for establishment in heaven, for God’s word is in our mouths as it is in God’s own mouth to prosper in the things we sent it to accomplish.
Know it for real that:
1. God’s word will never fail.
“For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth, and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11).
2. God’s word is also in the mouth of the redeemed.
“Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them” (Jeremiah 5:14).
3. God has given the redeemed the power of authority (the keys of heaven) to decree and change the entire world for Him.
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19) (18:18).
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”.
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly things, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).
Who can prophesy?
Psalm 24 has the answers:
1. He that hath clean hands.
2. He that hath a pure heart.
3. He that hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
For your prophesy to ascend into the hill – the throne of the Lord – His holy place in heaven – where we get helps in time of needs, and for you to receive His blessings, you must daily live a righteous life. Then: YOU CAN PROPHESY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE SITUATION FOR GOOD AND AFFECT YOUR OWN GENERATION POSITIVELY.
THEREFORE, PROPHESY TODAY.
__________________
Abraham G.A.
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Topic: BEHOLD! DRY BONES SHALL LIVE AGAIN: By Abraham George
