The Word of Life

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Ezekiel 37:9,10

This chapter of the book of Ezekiel sounds like a spooky story. The Spirit of God leads the prophet Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones. But these aren’t animal bones; they’re human bones. Femurs, rib cages, vertebrae, and skulls—these bones were lifeless and dry.

What happened to these people? What caused them to become a lifeless valley of bones? Unlike our spooky stories, there was no fast-spreading, deadly virus. It was neither a magical incantation nor a catastrophic natural disaster. No, the reason for this death was sin.

Sin is so powerful that it makes people spiritually dead. All of us come into this world spiritually dead. We are dry bones. And dead, dry bones can do nothing. Ezekiel could have walked up and down that valley for 100 years, and those bones never would have shown any signs of life.

But God intervenes. He tells Ezekiel to speak. But not just any words—no, God gives Ezekiel the words to say. And the faithful prophet carries out his work. He speaks the Word of the Lord. Bones come together. Flesh comes onto bones, but the bodies are still lifeless until God commands Ezekiel to call breath into them. And miraculously, those once dry bones become a living, breathing people, a vast army.

In a similar fashion, the only thing that can save us from spiritual death is the Word of the Lord. The Word is powerful, even more powerful than sin and death. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit attaches bone to bone. He puts flesh on the bones and breathes life into us. God’s Word is the Word of Life.

God wants us to hear and use his Word so that we can see how much he loves and cares for his people. He doesn’t want us to remain a valley of dry bones. He wants to give us life.

Prayer:

Dear God, cause me to hear and speak your Word. Amen.