We are going to take a slight diversion from our normal political commentaries, and for a moment delve into a more spiritual aspect of the status in which our Nation finds itself. We are going to transport the reader back some 2,600 years and recount some Biblical history. We find our subject today, a 25-year-old man named Ezekiel, a member of the tribe of Israel, being found now in the captivity of the Babylonian Empire. The once great nation of Israel, who by the power of God escaped the grasp of Egypt, is now captive once again. “Israel ” . . . was ‘dead’ as a nation, deprived of her land, her king, and her temple.” “She had been divided and dispersed for so long that unification and restoration seemed impossible. So, God gave Ezekiel THE VISION OF THE [VALLEY OF] DRY BONES as a sign.” (gotquestions.org; updated February 28, 2022; Bold print added for emphasis.) Ezekiel had suffered in despair for 5 years when God then called him to prophesy to Israel about her failures, but also to give her hope for the future.
The Old Testament of the Bible recounts the story of Ezekiel. Scholars believe most of the 48 chapters of the book of Ezekiel, considered to be one of the books of the Major Prophets, was written by him. The book is historical, prophetical, and apocryphal, written around the year 571 B.C. As a Priest and Prophet of God, the book recounts Ezekiel’s announcement of judgement upon Israel, calling them to repentance, to clean God’s nation of sins, but also foretelling of their coming deliverance and restoration. God’s people were obstinate and stubborn. They exhibited lewdness and abominations. They worshipped foreign idols and defiled themselves with moral and ceremonial transgressions. God denounced Israel’s leaders as false shepherds, caring not for their people, but only for themselves. This runs counter to the life of Jesus Christ who is depicted as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), who gave his life for His sheep, healed as the Great Physician our spiritual wounds, who seeks and saves the lost (Luke 5:27-32). Ezekiel reveals that “The highest official will no longer be the king but rather the high priest, this indicating that political affairs shall always be made subordinate to religious considerations.” (cliffnotes.com.) Upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He became our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-16). A few major themes are presented in the book of Ezekiel. “(1) God works through human messengers; (2) Even in defeat and despair God’s people need to affirm God’s sovereignty; (3) God’s word never fails; (4) God is present and can be worshipped anywhere; (5) People must obey God if they expect to receive blessings; and (6) God’s kingdom will come.” “Ezekiel challenged us to experience a life changing vision of God’s power, knowledge, eternal presence and holiness; to let God direct us; to comprehend the depth of and commitment to evil that lodges in each human heart; to recognize that God holds His servants responsible for warning wicked men of their peril; to experience a living relationship with Jesus Christ, who said that the new covenant is to be found in His blood.” (gotquestions.org; updated January 4, 2022.) The book of Ezekiel calls us to be overcomers, or we will be overcome.
More specifically in this blog, we want to focus in on “The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones”, found in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37. “God transported Ezekiel—probably not literally, but in a vision—to a valley full of dry bones and directed him to speak to the bones. Ezekiel was to tell the bones that God would make breath enter the bones and they would come to life, just as in the creation of man when He breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). Ezekiel obeyed, the bones came together, flesh developed, skin covered the flesh, breath entered the bodies, and they stood up in a vast army. This vision symbolized the whole house of Israel that was then in captivity. Like unburied skeletons, the people were in a state of living death, pining away with no end to their judgment in sight. They thought their hope was gone and they were cut off forever. The surviving Israelites felt their national hopes had been dashed and the nation had died in the flames of Babylon’s attack with no hope of resurrection. The reviving of the dry bones signified God’s plan for Israel’s future national restoration. The vision also, and most importantly, showed that Israel’s new life depended on God’s power and not the circumstances of the people. Putting “breath” by God’s Spirit into the bones showed that God would not only restore them physically but also spiritually.” (gotquestions.org.)
So, how does this apply to us today in our Nation? Our Nation was first occupied with people seeking religious freedom. Our Nation was founded upon the principles of Judaism and Christianity. Prayers are said to open the activities of our congress. Secularists will fume at these declarative statements, but that is just too bad. We are “One Nation Under God”. “In God We Trust” is emblazoned on our currency. We are a religious Nation recognizing our Creator. Look at the carved edifices adorning our Supreme Court building where you will find Moses holding two tablets (what do you think they represent?). Carvings are also found inside, even showing Moses holding a tablet with numbers six through ten carved into it, those are the commandments having to do with human rather than divine relations. Our history and heritage is undeniable and inescapable.
Unfortunately, we have become a Nation who, as a whole, has lost our way. We have succumbed to the siren call of ease and comfort and been desensitized to reality. While we have lived in wanton filled pleasures and desires, we have allowed ourselves to avoid the call to be our better, more moral selves. We have been inundated with violence, even in movies and video games where it is considered acceptable to use violence to overcome evil. We have found it easy to fill our lives with phone and computer applications allowing us to avoid interpersonal relationships, while at the same time being able to broadcast sometimes our vilest thoughts, intentions, feelings and beliefs. We have allowed our children to run wild fearing that parental restraints would be met with ridicule, ostracism, conflict, and even incarceration by ungodly actors wielding unrighteous dictates from scheming authoritarian dictum-pushing dictators. We have even become fearful of what our children might say if we simply say “NO” to their demands. We have allowed the sinews and flesh on our spiritual bones to be torn from us, and the very breath of our God has been removed from many of us. We seem alive to our view, but in fact we ourselves are laying with others in a Valley of Dry Bones. The prophet Ezekial is calling out to us from ages past, declaring our state in relation to our Creator, but he is also showing us the path to the way home to our God.
We need to be refilled with the breath of our God. His Spirit needs to be infused into our skinless bones for us to be once again alive, an army for good, His created beings now once again His family and possession. If we truly desire FREEDOM and LIBERTY to reign in our lives and in our Nation, we must first turn our eyes toward He who created us, maintains us, and lifts us up to His glory and purposes. Only then can we as a Nation once again claim we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Are you now ready to lift up your hands in humble obedience and submission to His Will?
