On a Thursday evening in May 1890, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon on Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones. Unlike me, I rather doubt that when he read this passage Spurgeon had the rhythms of the African-American spiritual, 'Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones' beating in his mind.

Spurgeon noted that the vision had been variously understood. The contemporaneous-historic view would see the vision as referring to the army of Israel carried into Babylonian captivity. The eschatological view would recognise in the resurrection of the bones the resurrection of the saints at the last day. Spurgeon chose not to deny either of these views, noting that 'Holy Scripture is so marvellously full of meaning, that one interpretation seldom exhausts its message to us.' It was a third however, that he picked up on that evening in Newington.

The assembling and breathing of life into the bones in response to the voice of the prophet speaks of the work of the Spirit as he uses his people to proclaim the Gospel. The vision is an encouragement to dependence on the Spirit leading to bold and hopeful evangelism. That 1870 sermon is a treat to read. I commend it you. You’ll find it on the web.

But I have a question which I think may lead to a fourth way of understanding this vision. 'Whose are "dem bones?"'

Ezekiel 37:11 says that they are the whole house of Israel. They are not the bones of the surrounding pagan nations. They refer to those who are identified with the people of God. Moreover, they are people who recognise their plight. 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone.'

The challenge then is not to search for today’s valleys of dry bones in the pubs and clubs, in the Mosque and the Gurdwara, in the Mandir and the Wat. We are challenged to look inside the churches, in Sunday services and home groups, in youth groups and Christian Unions, in Bible Colleges and Seminaries, in mission compounds and sending offices. The challenge of Ezekiel 37 is not simply that we should see the lifelessness of the millions without Christ—lifeless though they are, and challenging though that thought ought to be. It is that we should be seized of the need for the church’s revival.

As we sense our powerlessness and dislocation, a further question is vital lest hopelessness should overcome us. 'Can such bones live?' Praise God, the divine answer is 'Yes.' Here are people who acknowledge their plight and cry out. Such dry bones can indeed be given fresh hope and life. The divine way is by prophecy and wind—they are revived as Word and Spirit reconstruct and enliven. 'They came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.'

To all who feel the dryness of 'dem bones,' the recreative command comes, "Now hear the Word of the Lord," and receive afresh the breath of his Spirit.

Lord, without the Word of Christ and the Spirit of Christ, I am no more than dry bones. Please speak to me today, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may know that you are Yahweh, the saving, life-giving God; and that I may live and stand for you. Amen.

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