September 5
September 5
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He can make dry bones live—and that is the best news.
This famous passage in Ezekiel addresses the age-old question, Where do we find hope?
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” . . .
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. (Ezek. 37:4–5, 7–10)
When we consider the disastrous history of Israel, a people whom God chose, loved, guided, protected, and provided for, we might ask, Where is hope for these rebellious people to be found? They forsook their Father for other gods. Evil king after evil king led the people astray. God’s people lost everything. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. And so we ask, Where is hope to be found?
It is clear that hope is not found in human righteousness, because that always falls short of God’s holy standard. It is clear that hope is not found in human wisdom, because we are capable of so much foolishness. It is clear that hope cannot be found in human strength, because, in the face of sin and temptation, we can be so weak. Hope is found in only one place: the power of our Lord to bring dry bones together again and breathe life into them. Our God has the power to bring life out of what is dead. It seemed as though God’s children were dead and gone—but reigning over Israel was a God who has resurrection power.
That God is your Lord. He has the power to resurrect your dry bones and give you new life. As in the Valley of Dry Bones, resurrection is an event, followed by a process. By grace, when we believe, we are raised to newness of life. Then, through a lifelong process and by means of sanctifying grace, God works to resurrect every area of our lives. Jesus declares himself to be the resurrection and the life, and he is in you and for you.
Where is hope to be found? In the awesome resurrecting power of Jesus, who came so that we might have life, full and eternal.