Carla

Let Holy Spirit breathe new, abundant life into your dead bones. Unless we die to our flesh and are born again of Spirit we will not live! The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will raise us, those who by faith believe.

Christ within the hope of glory!

Ezekiel does not see corpses of people who died recently. Instead, he sees a wide plain filled with dry bones—apparently randomly strewn human bones, not skeletons. Yahweh is not asking Ezekiel for his opinion on whether people can be brought back to life. The prophet would have been familiar with that possibility based on the experiences of the prophets Elijah and perhaps Isaiah. Ezekiel’s response indicates his understanding that the possibility depended entirely on Yahweh’s actions. Yahweh answers by commanding Ezekiel to prophesy, thereby demonstrating the faith implicit in his response. Ezekiel acts directly as Yahweh’s agent of renewal. Yahweh did not need Ezekiel’s participation to achieve the outcome He desired, but He involved Ezekiel anyway, testing his faith and obedience and using him to accomplish His will. The bones are brought back together and the bodies are restored, but the essence of life is still absent. The second command emphasizes that life had not yet been restored. The earlier prophecy promised “breath” before the sinews, flesh, and skin. The two levels of prophecy and fulfillment provide an element of dramatic suspense and highlight the importance of the “breath”. The essence of life enters after the body is created, just as when God created Adam. This vision of resurrection likely influenced the Apostle John. Resurrection of the dead metaphorically illustrates Israel’s restoration as a nation. The concept of bodily resurrection was not well developed during Ezekiel’s day. Faithlife Bible.

The bones symbolize the whole house of Israel. This identification picks up on imagery already used: (1) those identified as dry or spiritually dead (2) those identified as despondent and dejected, with no apparent hope of being “resurrected” as the people of the living God; and (3) those described as disassembled and dispersed before being rejoined and rebuilt. 

The prophet placed his faith completely in the living God. Ordinarily, one would say “no” to the question God posed. But Ezekiel did not limit God; he knew the Almighty could make bones live. This passage is not about resurrection from physical death, but rebirth from spiritual death brought about by divine power. Psalm 87 is another text in the Hebrew Scriptures that speaks of spiritual rebirth. The point of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3:1–16 was that he should have known and understood the concept of a second birth. The word translated breath is translated in other places as wind or Spirit. The breath sent by God into the lifeless bodies symbolizes the Holy Spirit who brings renewal, regeneration, and rebirth. 

The major thrust of this passage is the coming spiritual rebirth of God’s chosen people through the agency of His Spirit. The spiritual rebirth would miraculously revive and restore human beings to what God had intended them to be in the beginning. The same body-breath sequence occurs in the creation of Adam. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 37:1-13

37 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also 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 breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

Genesis 2:7 | And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Deuteronomy 32:39 | ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.

1 Samuel 2:6 | “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.

Psalm 104:29 | You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

Psalm 104:30 | You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.