800_The Spirit Brings Life And Unity (Ezekiel 37)
Ezekiel 37: 1-14 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 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. 8 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. 9 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.” 10 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.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
There is a story of a farmer who had walked through his fields after a long season of drought. What had once been green and full of promise had become dry and lifeless. The ground was cracked, the plants had withered, and there seemed to be nothing left to look forward to. Yet the farmer did something that seemed almost foolish to anyone watching. He began preparing the soil again. He cleared the field, planted new seed, and waited. He knew something that the dry ground could not reveal: beneath what appeared to be dead and hopeless, life was still possible.
Ezekiel 37 takes us into a far more dramatic scene. Ezekiel is taken by the Spirit into a valley filled with bones. There are not merely a few bones scattered here and there. Verse 2 says, “there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, there were very dry.” These are not recently dead bodies. These bones have been exposed for a long time. There is no natural possibility of life returning to them. As Ezekiel looks at this valley, God asks him a question that goes to the heart of faith: “Son of man, can these bones live?”
And Ezekiel gives an extraordinary answer: “O Lord GOD, you know.” He does not presume to tell God what is possible, nor does he limit God by what he can see. The valley says, “There is no life here.” But Ezekiel knows that the God who is asking the question is greater than the condition of the valley.
And perhaps that is where this passage begins to speak to us. There are times when we look at something in our own lives and see only dry bones. A spiritual life that once seemed vibrant may have become dry. A relationship may seem beyond repair. A family may be divided. A ministry may appear to have lost its vitality. Someone we love may seem completely unresponsive to spiritual truth. We look at the situation and quietly conclude, “Nothing can change now.”
But God asks the same question: “Can these bones live?”
And then God tells Ezekiel to do something remarkable: “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” Ezekiel is commanded to speak God’s Word to something that appears completely incapable of responding. He is not asked to create life. He is asked to faithfully proclaim what God has said.
And as Ezekiel speaks, something begins to happen. There is a sound, a rattling. Bone comes upon bone. Sinews appear, flesh comes upon them, and skin covers them. The valley that was filled with scattered bones is now filled with bodies. Yet there is still something missing. Verse 8 says, “but there was no breath in them.”
And that detail is important. The bodies have been reconstructed, but they are still lifeless. The form is there, but the life is not. Then God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
And the breath comes. The Spirit enters them. They live and stand upon their feet, “an exceedingly great army.”
The Hebrew word translated as “breath” is closely related to the word for “spirit.” The same word can carry the ideas of breath, wind, and spirit. The picture reminds us of Genesis 2, where God breathes life into Adam. Human beings can shape and organize, but only God can give life.
And this is a truth we desperately need to remember. We can arrange the bones, but we cannot create the breath. We can teach, preach, counsel, organize, build programs, and use every skill God has given us. But spiritual life is ultimately the work of God’s Spirit. Paul expresses this beautifully in 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
And so, when we face something that appears spiritually dead, we should neither surrender to despair nor imagine that human effort alone can revive it. We faithfully speak God’s Word, and we earnestly depend upon God’s Spirit. We do what God has commanded us to do and trust Him to do what only He can do.
And yet, Ezekiel 37 does not end with the valley of dry bones. The chapter moves from death to another kind of hopelessness: division.
God tells Ezekiel to take two sticks. One represents Judah and the other represents Joseph, or Ephraim. These two sticks represent the divided people of Israel. Their history had been marked by separation, conflict, and competing kingdoms. What God had intended to be one people had become divided.
But God says in Ezekiel 37:19, “Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph… and join it to the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand.”
Notice those words: “one in my hand.” The unity is God’s work.
And that is a beautiful connection between the two parts of this chapter. The Spirit who gives life is also the Spirit who brings unity. God does not merely raise scattered bones into life; He gathers divided people into one.
The New Testament makes this connection even clearer. Paul says in Ephesians 4:3–4, “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit.” The Spirit creates life, and the Spirit creates one body.
And perhaps this is something the church needs to hear again. Christian unity is not simply about everyone having the same personality, background, preferences, or opinions. Nor does unity mean ignoring genuine differences or compromising biblical truth. But beneath those differences is something greater: one Lord, one faith, one body, and one Spirit.
And Ezekiel gives us the center of that unity. God says, “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.” The reference to David points us toward the promised Davidic King, fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ. The people become one under one Shepherd.
And this is where the message becomes deeply practical. If we want genuine Christian unity, we cannot make ourselves the center. Our church traditions cannot be the center. Our personalities cannot be the center. Our preferences cannot be the center. Christ must be the center.
When Christ is at the center, the Spirit teaches us to forgive rather than hold grudges, to listen rather than merely defend ourselves, to serve rather than demand recognition, and to seek reconciliation rather than preserve division.
And finally, notice where the chapter ends. God says, “I will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Life, unity, and God’s presence all come together. God raises the dead, unites the divided, establishes one Shepherd, and finally dwells among His people.
And so, when we stand before our own valley of dry bones, we should remember that God is not intimidated by what looks hopeless. When we encounter division, we should remember that God is able to make one what has been separated. Our calling is to listen to His Word, faithfully proclaim His truth, pray for the breath of His Spirit, and trust Him with the results.
Perhaps there is something in your life today that looks like a valley of dry bones. Perhaps there is a person you have almost stopped praying for. Perhaps there is a relationship that seems impossible to restore. Perhaps there is a church or family situation where division has gone on for so long that unity seems unimaginable.
Do not begin by asking whether you can see a way forward. Begin by asking what God can do. Ezekiel could not give life to the bones, but he could obey God’s command. He spoke the Word, and he waited for the breath of God.
And that may be our calling today. Speak God’s Word faithfully. Pray for the Spirit earnestly. Pursue unity humbly. And trust the God who gives life to the dead and brings together what has been scattered.
For where the Spirit of God is at work, dry bones can live, scattered people can become one, and God’s dwelling place can be established among His people. God bless
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions
What are the “dry bones” in your life or ministry that currently appear lifeless or beyond human ability to restore, and how does Ezekiel’s response to God’s question encourage you to view them differently?
Why is it important to distinguish between faithfully proclaiming God’s Word and trying to produce spiritual life through our own strength, and how can you depend more consciously on the Holy Spirit?
What divisions or broken relationships around you might God be calling you to approach differently, and how could placing Christ at the center help you pursue the unity of the Spirit?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are the God who gives life to what is dead and brings together what has been divided. Enlighten our hearts to understand the truths You have taught us through Your Word. Give us strength to believe that Your Spirit can work even in situations that appear hopeless. Help us to faithfully proclaim Your Word, earnestly depend upon Your Spirit, and pursue unity with humility, patience, forgiveness, and love. May Christ be at the center of our lives and relationships, and may Your presence dwell richly among us. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen