A New Breath Ezekiel 37:1-14 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009 OUTLINE

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1 A New Breath Ezekiel 37:1-14 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009 Devotional Scripture: Lam 5:15-21 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS DRY SPIRIT (EZEK 37:1-3) Valley of no hope (1-2) Without hope because of not believing in life after death (1 Thess 4:13) Without hope because of always wanting evidence (Rom 8:24) Without hope because of loving self more (2 Tim 3:1-5) Without hope because man was born into trouble (Job 5:6-7) Without hope because man's work is full of pain and grief (Eccl 2:22-23) Without hope if there were no resurrection (1 Cor 15:19) Without hope if excluded from the spiritual citizenship of heaven (Eph 2:11-12) Questioning life (3) Questioning life because of not realizing God's power (Isa 40:13-14) Questioning life because of lack of understanding (Job 42:3) Questioning life because of not recognizing God as Creator (Rom 9:20-21) Questioning life because of the influence of Satan (Matthew 16:21-23) Questioning life because of not knowing the goodness of God (Rom 2:1-5) Questioning life because of not understanding God's purposes (Rom 9:20-23) RECOVERING SPIRIT (EZEK 37:4-8) Promise of new life (4-6) A new life through resurrection (Rom 6:4) A new life through a new heart (Ps 51:10) A new life through a new spirit (Ezek 11:19) A new life through being born again (John 3:3-6) A new life through being a new creation (Gal 6:15) A new life through new attitudes (Eph 4:22-24) A new life through a new mind (Rom 12:2) A new life through a new destiny (Rom 8:29-30) A new life through a new self (Col 3:8-10) Reaction to God (7-8) A reaction that is pleasing to God (Col 1:10) A reaction that is obedient to God's commandments (1 Peter 1:13-16) A reaction that makes one a living sacrifice and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1-2) A reaction that results in loving one another (Rom 13:8) A reaction that has faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6) A reaction that should be out of love for God because if we loved God, we would obey Him (John 14:15) A reaction that is an obligation to live by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:12-14) A reaction that should be to be obedient and serve God regardless of the circumstances (Dan 3:16-18) A reaction that should be to throw off everything that hinders serving God (Heb 12:1-2) A reaction that should be to be thankful and worship God (Heb 12:28) RENEWED SPIRIT (EZEK 37:9-14) Breath of life (9-10) God's breath made man a living being (Gen 2:7) A New Breath Page 1 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

2 God doesn't need man, but man needs God because God's breath gave man life (Acts 17:25) God's breath has Spiritual power (John 20:22) God will breath into the two witnesses during the end times (Rev 11:11) Spirit of life (12-14) Death is not the end because the Holy Spirit brings life (Rom 8:6) It is the Spirit who gives life to the spirit (John 6:63) The law can kill, but the Holy Spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6) The Holy Spirit gives life through His indwelling (Rom 8:9-11) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR Observing the dry bones (Ezek. 37:1-2) Prophesying to the dry bones (Ezek. 37:3-10) The meaning of the prophecy of the dry bones (Ezek. 37:11-14) A New Breath Page 2 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

3 Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The outline of the lesson came from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary. The lesson teaches about the New Breath of life that comes from the Holy Spirit. The study's aim is to teach us that God can take what is dead and decaying and give new life through His Spirit. The study's application is to realize that when we let God's Spirit into our lives, He gives us a new start. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary The word dry means different things in different contexts. If we are told that something is dry, that may refer to infrequent rain, to a certain type of humor, or to a prohibition against the sale of alcoholic beverages. If we speak of going through a dry time spiritually, however, the meaning is quickly grasped. Who hasn t had such a period, a time of discouragement when one s relationship with God seems to have grown stale? This can be brief, or it can grow deeper into a dark night of the soul experience, a time of depression without relief. These are dry times. David hinted at having such a time in Psalm 63. That psalm relates his emotions while hiding in a wilderness area to escape an enemy. David wrote of his hiding places as a dry and weary land (Psalm 63:1). His life was at risk, and he had been driven away from his home. He longed to be back in Jerusalem to worship God in the sanctuary. Yet he met this dry time with a response that can teach us much. He did not wallow in discouragement, but he recalled that God had never abandoned him (Psalm 63:7). The book of Ezekiel is known for its fabulous visual descriptions of the prophet s unique experiences. The opening scene of the book is the incredible vision of the fiery four living creatures accompanied by the famous wheel in the middle of a wheel. This has been interpreted variously as an ancient account of visitation by aliens in a flying saucer, a description of a gigantic, heavenly war chariot, even as a metaphor of the relationship between faith and grace ( big wheel run by faith, little wheel run by de grace of God ). The book ends with a colossal vision of the new temple (Ezekiel 40:2 and following). Many elements of the visions of Ezekiel reappear later in the Bible s final book, Revelation. Ezekiel is also known for his experiences with the Spirit of God. At times, the Spirit seemed to possess him, causing him to stand and speak (see Ezekiel 2:2). At other times the Spirit transported Ezekiel to new locations. In one case the prophet experienced this as being lifted by the hair and flown cross-country from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:3). Whether Ezekiel experienced these things as physical events or through God-given mental imagery we do not know. But we can be sure that they were very real, authentic experiences for him. He was left with no doubt that God was dealing with him spectacularly and using him for an important ministry. These profound visions and deep experiences of the Spirit intersect dramatically in chapter 37, the focus of today s lesson. Here, Ezekiel is transported (physically? spiritually?) to a place he has never been and does not recognize. It is a valley, but not a lush river valley of verdant pastures and crops. It is, rather, a valley characterized by an extreme lack of moisture and by death. It has no living residents, only piles of dry bones. This is the horrifying setting for one of the Bible s greatest one-chapter dramas: a vision that continues to give hope to those who find themselves in a dry and thirsty land (Ezekiel 19:13). Today s lesson occurs in or after the year 586 BC, since Ezekiel and the exiles already had received the devastating news of Jerusalem s desolation (Ezekiel 33:21). In the aftermath of this emotional knockout blow, Ezekiel began to give prophesies of a more hopeful nature. He ended chapter 36 with a promise that the future land of Israel would be as fertile and green as the garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:35). Then Ezekiel experienced a land as far from the ideal of that garden as could be imagined, a true Death Valley. From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Many years ago I served as a pallbearer at the funeral of a friend and fellow church member. A few days later, my son Alan, who was very young, announced, "Dad, the man who died was in church this morning." I had to explain to him that he must have seen someone else, since the dead do not come back to us again. A New Breath Page 3 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

4 Such things just do not happen. The Bible nevertheless teaches that the God we worship is both the source and the Giver of life, and He has sometimes chosen to give it in cases we deem impossible. He has enabled elderly men and barren women to become parents of children. He has also on occasion restored physical life to those who have died. Both Testaments contain such incidents God figuratively gives nations a life span also, and in His providence He resurrects them to new existence to fulfill His plan. This is especially true of His chosen nation, Israel. Our lesson this week portrays Israel as a collection of dry bones brought back to life by God's Spirit and transformed into a mighty army. How often we tend to think that our circumstances cannot change. We are pessimistic because we have lived with a negative situation so long and do not trust God enough for any changes. The worst of our situations is His greatest opportunity to give us new life and a new start. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) Dry Spirit (Ezek 37:1-3) 1 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." Valley of no hope (1-2) Without hope because of not believing in life after death (1 Thess 4:13) 13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. Without hope because of always wanting evidence (Rom 8:24) 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? Without hope because of loving self more (2 Tim 3:1-5) 3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. Without hope because man was born into trouble (Job 5:6-7) 6 For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. 7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Without hope because man's work is full of pain and grief (Eccl 2:22-23) 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. Without hope if there were no resurrection (1 Cor 15:19) 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. A New Breath Page 4 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

5 Without hope if excluded from the spiritual citizenship of heaven (Eph 2:11-12) 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Questioning life (3) Questioning life because of not realizing God's power (Isa 40:13-14) 13 Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? 14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Questioning life because of lack of understanding (Job 42:3) 3 [You asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. Questioning life because of not recognizing God as Creator (Rom 9:20-21) 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? Questioning life because of the influence of Satan (Matthew 16:21-23) 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Questioning life because of not knowing the goodness of God (Rom 2:1-5) 2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Questioning life because of not understanding God's purposes (Rom 9:20-23) 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory Recovering Spirit (Ezek 37:4-8) 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! A New Breath Page 5 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

6 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. Promise of new life (4-6) A new life through resurrection (Rom 6:4) 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. A new life through a new heart (Ps 51:10) 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. A new life through a new spirit (Ezek 11:19) 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. A new life through being born again (John 3:3-6) 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. A new life through being a new creation (Gal 6:15) 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. A new life through new attitudes (Eph 4:22-24) 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. A new life through a new mind (Rom 12:2) 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. A new life through a new destiny (Rom 8:29-30) 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. A new life through a new self (Col 3:8-10) 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. A New Breath Page 6 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

7 Reaction to God (7-8) A reaction that is pleasing to God (Col 1:10) 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, A reaction that is obedient to God's commandments (1 Peter 1:13-16) 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." A reaction that makes one a living sacrifice and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1-2) 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. A reaction that results in loving one another (Rom 13:8) 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. A reaction that has faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6) 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. A reaction that should be out of love for God because if we loved God, we would obey Him (John 14:15) 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. A reaction that is an obligation to live by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:12-14) 12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. A reaction that should be to be obedient and serve God regardless of the circumstances (Dan 3:16-18) 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." A reaction that should be to throw off everything that hinders serving God (Heb 12:1-2) 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. A reaction that should be to be thankful and worship God (Heb 12:28) 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, A New Breath Page 7 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

8 Renewed Spirit (Ezek 37:9-14) 9 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."'" 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.'" Breath of life (9-10) God's breath made man a living being (Gen 2:7) 7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. God doesn't need man, but man needs God because God's breath gave man life (Acts 17:25) 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. God's breath has Spiritual power (John 20:22) 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. God will breath into the two witnesses during the end times (Rev 11:11) 11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. Spirit of life (12-14) Death is not the end because the Holy Spirit brings life (Rom 8:6) 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; It is the Spirit who gives life to the spirit (John 6:63) 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. The law can kill, but the Holy Spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6) 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. The Holy Spirit gives life through His indwelling (Rom 8:9-11) 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. A New Breath Page 8 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

9 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Fannie Crosby began life with personal tragedy. At age six months she was made blind as a result of incompetent treatment for an eye infection. When just a year old, her father died and left her mother as a 21-year-old widow with four little children. Despite Fannie s disability and disadvantages, she grew to be a woman of strong faith. She excelled in music, learning to play several instruments and to sing. Yet tragedy continued to follow her. She married, but her only child died in infancy. Fannie dedicated herself to writing songs. She wrote over 9,000 hymns in her lifetime, some of which are still sung in churches. Yet we can imagine that there were dry times for this marvelous Christian woman too. Did she ever question why God had allowed her to lose her sight? Why had she been assigned the lot of poverty as a child? How could God let her only child die? Fannie Crosby answers these sorts of questions many places in her songs. One such place is drawn from Exodus 33:22, but seems to fit the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones too. In the song, He Hideth My Soul, Fannie wrote, He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, that shadows a dry, thirsty land. In this context, to hide means to protect. Even in the scorching, arid deserts of our lives, we are protected by God. People in our churches have many stories to tell of desert experiences. We negotiate our way through the figurative valley of death only because we know that God is with us (Psalm 23:4). Otherwise, we are ultimately alone in the world, without hope (compare Ecclesiastes 12:1). When those days threaten, we can recall one of the greatest of Jesus many promises to his followers: Surely I am with you always (Matthew 28:20). He will never abandon us. He gives us hope day by day, a hope that brings life from death. Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Other passages in Ezekiel predict cleansing, regeneration, and restoration to the Promised Land, but this text predicts a future resurrection from the dead. The context of the text refers to a valley of dry bones (Ezek. 37:1-5). These dry bones represent Israelites who had been slain "Breathe upon these slain, that they may live" (vs. 9). In the prophecy God puts flesh on the bones and breathes life into them, and the bones come together to form people (Ezek. 37:7, 10), who stand up and become a mighty army of soldiers. This future resurrection is a dynamic part of the future regathering of Israel. It is in the context of this resurrection that Israel is regathered and restored to her land, cleansed from her iniquity of rejecting the truth, and regenerated and indwelt by God's Spirit (Ezek. 36:24-27). We need to recognize an important distinction. In Ezekiel 36:27, we read that the Lord will put His Spirit in His people, referring to the new birth. In Ezekiel 37:14, however, the words refer to the experience of physical resurrection. In the New Testament we see that both spiritual regeneration and physical resurrection are accomplished by the Spirit. In Romans 8:11 we are taught that God will someday raise our mortal bodies from the dead "by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." In Titus 3:5 we are taught that He saved us "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." God has three reasons for resurrecting His people from the dead and bringing them back to their land: (1) that the heathen may know He is the Lord (Ezek. 36:23); (2) that Israel may know He is the Lord (vs. 11); (3) that God's holy name, which Israel had profaned by her captivity among the nations, may be sanctified (vs ). It is amazing and awe-inspiring what God will do for the sake of His name, His reputation among the Gentiles. God will perform great miracles to guard His glory. For example, in Psalm 23:3 David was very confident of God's superb guidance in his life because the glory of God's name was at stake: "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." For God to refuse to guide one of His sheep, or to do a poor job of leading, would reflect very negatively on Him. A shepherd who does not provide guidance or who directs his sheep in an inferior and confusing way is simply not a good leader. God is very public about His role as the Shepherd of His people. In Psalm 80:1, Asaph made the commitment of the Lord to be the Shepherd of His people the basis for asking Him for deliverance. Asaph cried out in time of need, "Give ear, 0 Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like A New Breath Page 9 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

10 a flock." For all practical purposes, he was telling everyone, "God is our Shepherd! Count on God to shepherd us in a way that brings Him renown and honor!" As Psalm 100:3 declares, we are "the sheep of his pasture." God's primary motivation in everything He does is to glorify His name. The great thing that God will do for His ancient people in the future will be to sanctify His name. It is all for His name's sake! Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. The hand of the Lord is always upon His children, accomplishing His purposes and plan (Ezek. 37:1-2) 2. Wise is the one who distinguishes between what he knows and what God knows (Ezek. 37:3; Deut. 29:29) 3. A message's power is not in the messenger but in the promise and Person of the God who sends it (Ezek. 37:4-6) 4. Those who obey God expect God to do as He has promised (vs. 78) 5. New life can come only by the will and work of God (vs. 9-10) 6. Nothing is so hopeless that God cannot intervene and rescue (Ezek. 37:11-12; Matt. 19:26) 7. God's blessings should drive us to know, love, and serve Him (Ezek. 37:13-14) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator The promise of new life for Israel includes her spiritual renewal on a national scale as well as new leadership when Christ returns. In this week's text, Ezekiel related through his captivating vision of the dry bones how Israel will be renewed both nationally and spiritually. Observing the dry bones (Ezek. 37:1-2) In a vision Ezekiel was transported by God's Spirit to a valley covered with bones baked dry by long exposure to the sun. Starting from the middle of the valley, the Spirit led him around among the bones. He observed innumerable human bones lying on the ground. Prophesying to the dry bones (Ezek. 37:3-10) The Lord asked Ezekiel whether there was any hope that these lifeless bones could live again. The prophet's answer was that only God knew. Ezekiel's faith left the question with God. Humanly speaking, the answer is no. But God could accomplish the impossible, so He knew what would become of the bones. Nothing is impossible with God, who does whatever He pleases to do (Deut. 32:39). Believers possess the hope of the resurrection, in spite of all natural arguments against it, due to God's power over life and death (Rom. 4:17). Ezekiel was instructed to prophesy to the bones that God would restore them to new life. He would cover them with sinews, flesh, and skin and cause life to be breathed into them. After God created Adam from the dust of the ground, He breathed into him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). This scene in Ezekiel's vision is as miraculous as the creation of man. Only God could accomplish such a feat, and this will be evident with the fulfillment of the prophecy. As Ezekiel obediently spoke God's word, the bones came together and formed skeletons that were then covered with tendons, ligaments, flesh, and skin. The power of God's word effects its intended fulfillment. When the breath of life entered these corpses, they stood upright. They came to life, forming a great army. God is the only source of life, both physical and spiritual. This truth contradicts the evolutionary idea that physical life had its source in inanimate substances. It also contradicts the religious idea that men live beyond the grave due to their inherent goodness. The meaning of the prophecy of the dry bones (Ezek. 37:11-14) The meaning of this fantastic prophecy was explained to Ezekiel. The bones represented all Israel, both Israel and Judah, living in captivity with all hope of a return to a national life dashed. They were dead spiritually. They considered themselves severed completely from any restoration to a national status. However, the Lord would restore them from their state of captivity and return them to their own land and nationhood. This would be like a resurrection from the dead. The figure is changed from bones lying on the surface of the valley to the dead in their graves. The lands of their dispersion are like graves to them. These resurrected ones are the Jewish people living at the time when the Lord regathers them from the nations of A New Breath Page 10 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009

11 the world. The joining of the bones together depicts that national resurrection. The Lord will put His Spirit within them, giving them new spiritual life. This will be a further revelation to Israel that He is their God who loves and preserves them as His people. This prophecy will be fulfilled when Christ returns (Matt. 24:30-31) and restores Israel to the Land of Promise along with new leadership (Jer. 33:14-16). A New Breath Page 11 of 11 SS Lesson for 03/22/2009