Two Things ~ Ezekiel 37

“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.” Ezekiel 37:8-10 ESV

Look around today and you will see life all around you.  Whether it be homo sapiens (humans), canis lupis (dogs), felis catus (cats), or maybe even a cyanocitta cristata (common Blue Jay).  And when I say life, I am talking about the physical life displayed by the bodies you can see and touch.  In a human being you see skin underlined with muscle, sinew, cartilage, blood vessels, organs, and finally bones.  For most other mammals this structure is very similar with the minor exception of dogs having a whopping 321 bones compared to a humans 206.  But as you peer among this sea of physical life today, is that all there is to it?  Is the life we can physically see all the life that God has to offer?

By chapter 37 of the book of Ezekiel we have seen Ezekiel receive some rather unusual instructions and from the Lord to intensify his prophetic message.  Lay on his left side for 390 days, shave off his beard and hair and divide it into three piles, cook his food over a dung-fueled fire, not cry for his recently deceased wife, and even dig through the city wall in front of everyone while taking his suitcase with him through the hole.  Yes, Ezekiel received some rather odd and difficult instructions from the Lord, but praise be to God, he was one of the most obedient figures in the Old Testament in preforming them all just as God instructed.  Oh, if more professed disciples of Christ strove for this level of obedience to the Word of the Lord.

But in chapter 37, Ezekiel receives not more odd instructions, but a very unique vision.  We are told the hand of Lord was upon him and he was brough by the Spirit of God to a valley covered with dry, dead bones.  And folks, dried up bones are not only dead, they have long been dead.  If these were recently dead bodies we might try to resuscitate them, maybe with mouth to mouth or with defibrillator paddles, but not with dry, sun-bleached dead bones.  We would rightfully declare them as hopelessly void of life for eternity.  But with God all things are possible.  And here, in this amazing passage, we see God use two catalysts to bring life from those dead bones.  And today, God continues to utilize these same two catalysts to bring eternal life to souls dead in their sin.  Those two catalysts?  The Word of God and the Spirit of God.

To see a human soul dead in its sinful trespasses against God brought back to life as so many dead, dry bones in Ezekiel 37, God has 2 catalysts that must be present.  Yes, in order to see a lost soul, damned in its own sin, come to Jesus Christ and receive eternal life in Him, two things must be present.  And without these two things, it would indeed be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a soul to save itself.

1)The Word of God.  I believe our world today generally dismisses the Word of God as merely a collection of historical fairy tales, pointless genealogies, and aimless banter about some hypothetical guy named Jesus.  In fact, it’s sad to say, but I also believe many professing Christians today are not too far off this mark.  The fact of the matter, and one I see in practice each and every day on the mission field, is that the Word of God holds untold power and potential to redeem souls and change lives for His kingdom.  And when it comes to seeing eternal life given to a dead soul, the Word of God must be present.  There is no other way for a soul to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ than through hearing, believing, and placing total faith in the Words of Almighty God.

2)The Spirit of God.  Simply hearing the Word of God without the intervention of the Spirit of God is insufficient in God’s salvation equation.  Only God can save a soul that He has created and to do that He tells us and shows us that by His Spirit He moves, works, and achieves His purpose.  An interesting note about the Hebrew word for God’s Spirit used in our Ezekiel study passage above (ruach) is that it can mean spirit, wind, breath, or more literally “wind in action.”  What a beautiful image to think of God releasing His very Spirit upon a lost life and seeing that Godly “wind in action” achieve the salvation that God desires for all if they will simply admit their sin, repent, and place faith in Christ.

So what is the point of addressing the vitality of these two essential catalysts needed for salvation in Jesus Christ?  Well, since I am a missionary, it has untold evangelical importance.  As disciples of Christ we are called be followers of Jesus Christ, that is, being daily changed by Him to be more like Him. Notice I said daily.  Not only on Sunday mornings at church or when you think to pick up your Bible and flip through it.  And to truly share in the heart of Christ daily is to share in the mission of Christ daily.  And God wants that none should perish but that each should repent of their sin and accept Christ as the only Savior God provided to this world.  But how will they repent and believe in something they have never heard?  And this my friends, is the mission of Christ so eloquently stated in Matthew 28’s great commission and Acts 1:8’s mini great commission.  To see those lost in their sin given the opportunity to believe upon Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as the beautiful feet of God’s disciples bring that good news to the ends of the earth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there are only two things necessary to see a soul saved by Jesus, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God.  So considering this fact, there are two things an obedient evangelist should be doing today in volumes…giving out the Word of God and praying for God’s Holy Spirit to intervene and work.  Today, give out the Word of God physically as well as verbally.  Constantly have scripture upon your lips, simply releasing what God has allowed to be stored up in your heart as you daily study and memorize His Word.  And as far as physically giving out the Word of God?  Right now there are paperback copies of the book of John on Amazon for $1.49.  Why not buy 25 copies to give out to those that you verbally share with?  Why not physically give them the Word of God so that long after your verbal words fade, the physical Words of God can continue to speak to them?  And then friends…pray.  If you hope to be an effective evangelist for the Lord you must get crazy good at praying.  Praying for God to release His “wind in action” and turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

Today my fellow disciples of Christ and evangelists for His kingdom, you have two jobs.  1) Abide deeply in Jesus Christ and 2) tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ.  And for the latter brothers and sisters, you only need to do 2 things…simply give out the Word and pray without ceasing.

Be fishers of men ~ Dan 

“Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me and be my disciples. Then I will teach you how to catch people, instead of fish.” Matthew 4:19 ERV

“because our Gospel came to you not only in Word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit…” 1 Thessalonians 1:5a ESV

"balance", Playa Zicatela, Oaxaca, Mexico