The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Ezekiel 37-40
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Ezekiel 37-40
The day will come when the people have a new Shepherd, a restored land, and new hearts. Death and despair will give way to life and hope. Ezekiel has a vision of a vast, open grave. Uncleanness and desolation are everywhere. Long dead, bleached bones paint a picture of old death and long-forgotten lives. It is a horrible, hopeless scene of terrible emptiness. Ezekiel is asked the question with a seemingly obvious answer: “Can these dry bones live?” The natural response would be, “Of course not, how could they?” But that is not how Ezekiel answers because he knows God. His response is, “Lord God, only you know.” Exactly so. In the garden, God formed man from dust, breathed breath into him, and he became a living being. Now God would breathe his all-powerful breath into these dry bones, and they would spring to life again. Ezekiel is given the meaning of this powerful vision. There in Babylon, hopeless, helpless, God will not forget his people. He will raise up the nation; in fact, it will be a re-unified nation. That is the point of the lesson of the two sticks. This vision of dry bones has a New Testament soundtrack. The song playing as the scene unfolds is a victory song, a taunting of death as its sting has been removed by the resurrection of Jesus.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.,
Where, death, is your victory?
Where, death, is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:55
Not only are God’s people restored, but God’s enemies are also going to finally be destroyed. Much ink has been spilt speculating on who Gog and Magog are. They will show up again in the book of Revelation. These mysterious foes of God represent all the human (and spiritual) forces of evil arrayed against the people of God through the ages. The day will come when God’s people will be finally and fully rescued in the victory of the risen Lamb. That day of full and final victory will, of course, mean the final defeat of those who oppose God. If you are suffering from a long illness… If you are estranged, for years, from family… If you are far from home, longing and lonely… If your beloved has died and left you to wait and wait… If you were trapped in cycles of sin and its consequences… If you are in any of these and many more situations, you are better positioned to understand the power of this vision. You can relate to the people living in Babylon, all hope gone, or so it seemed. You know what it means to hold on to gospel hope while waiting in this valley of dry bones.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God to move among the youth of our church. Pray for youth leaders as they care for and encourage middle school and high students at River. Pray the students would grow in their faith and proclaim the gospel to others.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.