Eze 37:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | Israel will experience a two-fold restoration: 1. There will be a national restoration, a people’s own existence with its own government. 2. There will also be a spiritual restoration, a new inner self, a new heart and a new spirit wrought by the Spirit. We see these two sides of restoration in this chapter and also that these two sides will take place in chronological order: first national restoration and then spiritual restoration. This chapter is the answer to all who see no restoration for Israel, not in Ezekiel’s day and not in our day. In Ezekiel’s time, the destruction of the temple means the loss of their faith. The people are absolutely convinced of the final end of the nation and that there will be no restoration ( ; cf. ). The LORD responds to their hopelessness through a vision ( ), a symbolic act ( ), and a covenant ( ). Ezekiel is shown a special vision ( ). Therefore, the hand of the LORD comes upon him (cf. ). The LORD takes him up in the spirit and brings him outside his house and residence and sets him down, in the middle of a valley (cf. ). The valley is covered with bones of men. The valley is not a burial ground, but a battlefield (cf. ). The battlefield is filled with bones of the slain who have been left unburied. It is a great reproach not to be buried (cf. ; ; ; ). That reproach has come upon Israel. The LORD makes him go around about the bones in the spirit on all sides ( ). This allows him to take in the whole spectacle. He notes that there are very many of them and also that they are very dry. It has been a massacre done thoroughly. All life has long since disappeared from them. Then the LORD asks Ezekiel if these bones will come back to life ( ). The only answer Ezekiel can give is that the LORD knows. His answer indicates that he does not know the answer to the question or even holds it to be impossible to know, for the scene really offers no hope of life. At the same time his answer indicates that he is convinced that the LORD does know the answer and is also able to give life where the situation is so hopeless (cf. ; ). He, like every Old Testament believer, believes in the resurrection as an act of the LORD’s power ( ; ; ). After his answer, which shows confidence in the LORD, he is commanded to prophesy over the bones ( ). He is to address the dry bones and command them to hear the word of the LORD. Humanly speaking, it is foolishness to speak to dry dead bones as if they could hear and obey as living beings. But to God, that is no problem. It shows His Godhead. He calls things that are not, as if they were, and He brings life where death reigns ( ). It is the same in a spiritual sense. We were dead in trespasses and sins, but when the voice of the Son of God sounded to us, there came a passing out of death into life ( ). The Lord GOD speaks through Ezekiel to the bones that He will give breath, or spirit, of life in them, by which they will come to life ( ; cf. ; ; ; ). To accomplish this, He will give the bones everything they need to form a body, such as sinews, flesh and a skin ( ; cf. ). He will also give them breath, or spirit, so that the bones will be able to come to life. By this act of the LORD, the bones will know that He is the LORD. The glory of this event is for Him. Ezekiel does as he is commanded ( ; cf. ). His prophesying has immediate results. First there is the noise, a rattling. That rattling is heard because the bones begin to move. They each take their own place in relation to the other bones. Thus they join together to form ordered skeletons. Then Ezekiel sees how the sinews and flesh come on them and how the LORD covered them with the skin ( ). But there is no breath, or spirit, in the bodies yet. They still remain corpses. To bring the breath, or the spirit, of life into the bodies, the LORD uses Ezekiel ( ). Ezekiel must prophesy to the breath, or the spirit, to get into the dead. He is to call the breath, or the spirit, to “come from the four winds”, which is a reference to the fact that the Israelites are scattered to all corners of the earth and must be gathered together from there (cf. ; ). This breath, or this spirit, of life comes from God and blows through all nature and gives life to all creatures. Ezekiel again does as commanded by the LORD ( ). Then the breath, or the spirit, comes into them and the bodies come to life. A great army thus arises. Ezekiel is visibly impressed by the size of that army and speaks of “an exceedingly great army”.

‏ Ezekiel 37:1-2

Introduction

Israel will experience a two-fold restoration:

1. There will be a national restoration, a people’s own existence with its own government.

2. There will also be a spiritual restoration, a new inner self, a new heart and a new spirit wrought by the Spirit.

We see these two sides of restoration in this chapter and also that these two sides will take place in chronological order: first national restoration and then spiritual restoration.

This chapter is the answer to all who see no restoration for Israel, not in Ezekiel’s day and not in our day. In Ezekiel’s time, the destruction of the temple means the loss of their faith. The people are absolutely convinced of the final end of the nation and that there will be no restoration (Eze 37:11; cf. Eze 11:17-20). The LORD responds to their hopelessness through a vision (Eze 37:1-14), a symbolic act (Eze 37:15-25), and a covenant (Eze 37:26-28).

The Vision of the Bones

Ezekiel is shown a special vision (Eze 37:1). Therefore, the hand of the LORD comes upon him (cf. Eze 1:3 ; Eze 3:14 ; 22 ; Eze 8:1 ; Eze 33:22 ; Eze 40:1). The LORD takes him up in the spirit and brings him outside his house and residence and sets him down, in the middle of a valley (cf. Eze 3:22). The valley is covered with bones of men. The valley is not a burial ground, but a battlefield (cf. Eze 37:10). The battlefield is filled with bones of the slain who have been left unburied. It is a great reproach not to be buried (cf. 2Sam 21:12-14; Psa 141:7; Jer 8:1-2 ; Jer 22:19; Eze 6:5). That reproach has come upon Israel.

The LORD makes him go around about the bones in the spirit on all sides (Eze 37:2). This allows him to take in the whole spectacle. He notes that there are very many of them and also that they are very dry. It has been a massacre done thoroughly. All life has long since disappeared from them.

Then the LORD asks Ezekiel if these bones will come back to life (Eze 37:3). The only answer Ezekiel can give is that the LORD knows. His answer indicates that he does not know the answer to the question or even holds it to be impossible to know, for the scene really offers no hope of life. At the same time his answer indicates that he is convinced that the LORD does know the answer and is also able to give life where the situation is so hopeless (cf. Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17-18). He, like every Old Testament believer, believes in the resurrection as an act of the LORD’s power (Isa 25:8 ; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; Hos 6:2).

After his answer, which shows confidence in the LORD, he is commanded to prophesy over the bones (Eze 37:4). He is to address the dry bones and command them to hear the word of the LORD. Humanly speaking, it is foolishness to speak to dry dead bones as if they could hear and obey as living beings. But to God, that is no problem. It shows His Godhead. He calls things that are not, as if they were, and He brings life where death reigns (Rom 4:17b). It is the same in a spiritual sense. We were dead in trespasses and sins, but when the voice of the Son of God sounded to us, there came a passing out of death into life (Jn 5:24-25).

The Lord GOD speaks through Ezekiel to the bones that He will give breath, or spirit, of life in them, by which they will come to life (Eze 37:5; cf. Gen 2:7; Num 16:22; Psa 104:29; Ecc 3:21). To accomplish this, He will give the bones everything they need to form a body, such as sinews, flesh and a skin (Eze 37:6; cf. Job 10:11). He will also give them breath, or spirit, so that the bones will be able to come to life. By this act of the LORD, the bones will know that He is the LORD. The glory of this event is for Him.

Ezekiel does as he is commanded (Eze 37:7; cf. Eze 12:7 ; Eze 24:18). His prophesying has immediate results. First there is the noise, a rattling. That rattling is heard because the bones begin to move. They each take their own place in relation to the other bones. Thus they join together to form ordered skeletons. Then Ezekiel sees how the sinews and flesh come on them and how the LORD covered them with the skin (Eze 37:8). But there is no breath, or spirit, in the bodies yet. They still remain corpses.

To bring the breath, or the spirit, of life into the bodies, the LORD uses Ezekiel (Eze 37:9). Ezekiel must prophesy to the breath, or the spirit, to get into the dead. He is to call the breath, or the spirit, to “come from the four winds”, which is a reference to the fact that the Israelites are scattered to all corners of the earth and must be gathered together from there (cf. Jer 31:8a; Isa 43:5-6). This breath, or this spirit, of life comes from God and blows through all nature and gives life to all creatures.

Ezekiel again does as commanded by the LORD (Eze 37:10). Then the breath, or the spirit, comes into them and the bodies come to life. A great army thus arises. Ezekiel is visibly impressed by the size of that army and speaks of “an exceedingly great army”.