Ezekiel 37:10 So I spoke as he commanded me, and … they all came to life and stood up on their feet – a great army of them. Who says Hollywood has the corner on creepy? Here, Ezekiel is taken to a valley full of old dried bones. First, God pulls the bones together. Then He puts muscle and skin back on them, and eventually breathes life back into them!!!! So now there’s a huge army of formerly dead people walking around this valley… The end. What? What happened then? What did all these formerly dead people do? Did they go back to the city and start life over? Did they go back to being dead? Were they angry at being alive again? I have so many questions!! They don’t get answered. The rest of the chapter goes straight into another symbol that God asks Ezekiel to create. But the dried bones are symbolic, too. In this illustration they’re symbolic of Israel who were old and dried up with no hope. Their second life represents their restoration and rescue from exile. But, they’re also a picture of us today. Each person is dead in our selfishness and sin. All hope is gone. But God breathes life back into us and gives us new bodies when we believe in Him. Then, all us formerly dead people are alive again. So, what do we do then? That’s the great question. What do we do? The best thing to do is ask the One who gave you new life. After all, we owe Him everything. He knows everything. So it’s a safe bet to say that He’s got something up His sleeve. But, probably, like with Ezekiel, it has to do with being a walking, talking symbol of God’s mercy and trying to get others to turn around and get life breathed back into them, too. We are not zombies.
Ezekiel 3:11-12 The Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong. Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles… I sat there among them for seven days, overwhelmed. I’ve been reading a lot about the stubbornness and sinfulness of Israel and about their punishment. There’s a lot of things that the prophets were asked to do that symbolized various stages of Israel’s rebellion and impending doom. It’s interesting to read because it’s so foreign of a concept to me. It’s not too often (ever?) that we hear of someone asked to lie on their side for 390 days (that’s over a year) to symbolize the sins of a nation. And today, selfishly, I asked God, “What am I supposed to be learning from this? What’s in it for me?” (Because, obviously, the whole purpose of spending quiet time with God at 4:30am is all about me.) I’m still not totally sure, but here are a couple of thoughts: 1. Reading about Israel’s stubbornness and the punishment they incurred can be a warning to me not to be stubborn about sinning. And the eventual punishment of Israel, leading much later to forgiveness and restoration, can be symbolic of the path I’ve been walking recently through the minefield of debt. I’ve incurred a just punishment, but there is hope for eventual restoration. 2. After God appeared to Ezekiel, he took him from Babylon to wherever the Israelites were staying (near the Keber River). There he was deposited. I don’t know if that was a short distance or a long distance, but it has to be disconcerting to start one place and end up in a another – via the hand of God! I also think it’s interesting that he went in bitterness and turmoil. I don’t think he was particularly thrilled about his assignment! Honestly, I’m not sure I’d been too thrilled either. It wasn’t exactly a pleasure jaunt. But even though he was bitter and full of turmoil, God’s hand was on him, holding him. And He had quite a grip, according to Ezekiel. So, just because Ezekiel wasn’t particularly happy about his assignment (I guess that’s why he was bitter and full of turmoil), God didn’t love him any less or change his assignment. 3. Ezekiel was overwhelmed for 7 days. He had seen God, literally. It’s amazing he wasn’t dead! I know after just feeling God’s presence I was overwhelmed and walked around with warm fuzzies for days. If I’d actually seen God, I’d probably have sat there with my jaw on the ground for days, too! I’d imagine that went a long way towards helping him cope with his new assignment and change of circumstance. And can you imagine what the exiled Israelites thought about a guy showing up randomly and sitting there for seven days obviously amazed at something… what a nut! I doubt Ezekiel noticed their reactions though. He was probably still trying to process his experience. So, I’m not totally sure exactly what the whole point of this is, but I do know that these books are here for a reason. God didn’t put them in the Bible to bore us to tears or confuse us or frustrate us. Even if they seem that way, there are small lessons that we can take away. And for me, I don’t see that lesson until I start writing.
Jeremiah 32:38-42 They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. Just as I have sent all these calamities upon them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. I, the Lord, have spoken! I love this passage! It’s been a favorite for years. The promises here are so beautiful! They’re verses I claim for my family. It reminds me that despite the hardship that goes on, God will one day bring good. It reminds me, too, that He puts a desire in our hearts to worship Him. It’s not something I make happen, but I respond and worship Him, never leaving His side. It’s also cool to note that God rejoices in doing good to us. He likes doing things that are good! Sometimes I tend to think of God as a God of lessons, who is always bringing difficulty to me so that I learn something. It’s easy to remember He’s the God of Justice. But it’s not as easy to remember that He likes to see His children smile. For example, there are weeks where it seems like Gavin pushes the envelope over and over and over, constantly disobeying us. And that’s hard because I hate to discipline him, because I don’t like to see him upset. But, I love to do things that make him happy and make him smile and laugh. Whether it’s playing toss with a balloon, chasing him around the living room, or snuggling with him on the couch while we read or watch Veggie Tales, it’s awesome and I rejoice in those times. And, it helps me to think of God kind of like that. He promises good, and He is faithful to bring it again. He doesn’t just allow or bring calamity and difficult situations. He also brings good and restoration.