Wednesday 20 April 2022

Psalm 105:1-9

Background

Ezekiel was a prophet of God who lived in approximately 570 BC. He prophesied that God's judgement was coming to Jerusalem and the city would fall because of her sins against God. He spoke of collective and individual judgement. His messages were of warnings and instructions for daily living. After the judgement came to pass he also spoke of God's message of hope and restoration. One such vision he was given was of a valley of dry bones. He was told to speak to the dry bones and tell them to hear the words of the Lord. God was going to make breath enter that which was dry and dead, the bones would come to life and be restored. Ezekiel duly spoke and commanded life and breath to enter the bones. They responded and became a vast army. God explained the vision was for the nation of Israel, the people had declared  "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely." (v. 11) but God brought a message of hope. God promised restoration to an exiled nation offering to bring them back to the land of Israel. God promised to put God's Spirit in them and they would live and know the Lord.

God used Ezekiel to speak life and breath into a people exiled, facing hopelessness, despair and longing. There was power in the prophet's words to revivify those dry bones, to restore them from death to living life in its fullness. God breathed life, hope and restoration for the nation and individuals; bringing them back from where they had been exiled was to become a future reality. They heard the word of the Lord, who put his Spirit in them. Ezekiel was faithful to speak only the words of the Lord.

 

To Ponder:

• When reading the passage today, what were your thoughts and reflections? What impressions are you left with?
• Are there things in your life that feel like a heap of dry bones – without hope or purpose?
• What is the Lord saying to you?

Prayer 

Lord, we thank you for your message of hope and restoration, as you bring life  to those things that appear dry and dead in our lives. Help us hear your life-changing, transforming words. Thank you for putting your Spirit in us so that we may know you are Lord. May our lips be seasoned with words of hope and grace, bringing life and hope to others. Amen.

?UMBRACO_MACRO macroAlias="CaptionedImage" image="umb://media/97fd3803c71f4852ae8d606fd48f6fea" caption="'Them dry bones'. Image: create-with-joy.com " width="2" height="3" alignLeft="0" /