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Sunday 27 April 2003 - "Bones can live"

(Summary of sermon by Michael Ngubane)

Ez 37: 1-10

God does not fail, nothing is impossible with Him, and His mercy is revealed to all flesh. What man discards as useless, God can revive and make use of.

Here Ezekiel, the man of God, receives a revelation of God’s plan with His people.

All he sees is the hopeless situation of a valley FULL of stone dry bones – completely lifeless. But these were the bones of God’s elect, who no longer followed Him and were no longer used of Him. Israel had forgotten God, turned to idolatry, followed their own desires and landed up as oppressed captives in Babylon.
Yet God still had hope for them, to cleanse and revive them.

God asks the prophet: "Son of man, can these bones live?". The human reaction would be that it is impossible (that these people can no longer experience grace), but the prophet answers: "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know" – Your understanding surpasses mine. The prophet here realises that all life resides in the Spirit of God, and he hands the matter back to God.

Now God commands the prophet to prophesy to these dry bones saying "Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!…" The prophet obediently did all God commanded, without debate, and fulfilled his responsibility.

A child of God can land up in a state as lifeless as these bones, where there’s no more life in your soul, no zeal towards God, no longer a relationship with God – a state of confusion, being burdened by sin, and having been absent from God for a long time. Christian, if you realise that this is your condition, that you are no longer where God intended you to be, then "hear the word of the Lord"!

As the prophet prophesied, the Word started working in the bones, which started stirring. Yet, there was no breath in them yet. Let us not be content and stop prophesying when the bones start rattling, but continue until the Spirit of God operates in our lives. God’s children should also prayerfully seek to speak His word of life to his fellow man who is only dry bones.

God’s work is complete. The dry bones came together, received tendons, flesh and skin and the breath of life – living people who "stood up on their feet – a vast army".

God wants to use you as part of His army. He said on the cross "It is finished". Therefore come to Him that His work might reach completion in your life and His plans and purpose for you might be fulfilled.