1
“The Valley Of
Dry Bones”
Ezekiel 37
3 Different Groups Taken Into
Captivity
• 606 BC
• 597 BC
• 586 BC (Jerusalem destroyed)
2
3
Background
• Ezekiel had to show Israel that
Jerusalem would be destroyed
• After the fall of Jerusalem he
had to help them overcome
their despair
4
Background
• The book falls into 3 parts:
• 1. Prophecies before the siege of
Jerusalem 1-24
• 2. Prophecies during the siege of
Jerusalem 25-32
5
Background
• 3. Messages after the fall of
Jerusalem 33-48
• The vision of the dry bones in
chapter 37 was a vision of their
restoration
6
I. There Is Hope Even For Old
Dry Bones (Vs. 1-10)
• 1. God takes Ezekiel to a valley
filled with dry bones
• 2. Ezekiel is told to preach to the
bones
• 3. In a wonderful scene, life
returns to the bones
I. There Is Hope Even For Old
Dry Bones (Vs. 1-10)
• -Noise and shaking
• -Bones are joined into skeletons
– ligaments bind the bones –
muscle covers the bones – then
skin
• Now the valley is filled with
corpses
7
I. There Is Hope Even For Old
Dry Bones (Vs. 1-10)
• -The breath of God comes into
the bodies and the army stands
8
9
II. The Explanation (Vs. 11-14)
• 1. The dry bones were “the
whole house of Israel” (37:11)
now in captivity & filled with
despair
• 2. God could give them new life
and restore them to their land
10
II. The Explanation (Vs. 11-14)
• 3. They needed to keep their
faith in God
• Ezek. 39:25-28
11
III. The Fulfillment
• The prophecy found its
fulfillment in the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah
• The return was in 3 stages:
Zerubabel; Ezra; Nehemiah
12
Lessons
13
1. There Is Hope For Us
• We are always in the minority
• Sin abounds in the world
• Some Christians refuse to walk
with God
• There is still hope for the
faithful!
2. God’s children often face
overwhelming odds and problems
14
• Then there is discouragement,
uncertainty about the future, etc
• To offset these problems, God
supplies all that we need to do
the best we can
15
Phil. 4:19
• But my God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus.
16
3. Only God Can Offer Freedom
• To Israel
• The Israelites were slaves and
had no way to deliver
themselves
• Only God could free them to
return to their homeland
17
Is. 41:10
• Fear thou not; for I am with
thee: be not dismayed; for I am
thy God: I will strengthen thee;
yea, I will help thee; yea, I will
uphold thee with the right hand
of my righteousness
18
3. Only God Can Offer Freedom
• To people today
• Freedom from the bondage of
sin
• Help for the saved to live a
faithful life
19
Heb. 13:5-6 (NKJV)
• Let your conduct be without
covetousness; be content with
such things as you have. For He
Himself has said, “I will never
leave you nor forsake you.” So
we may boldly say:
20
“ The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
21
Rom. 8:31
• What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can
be against us?
22
3. Only God Can Offer Freedom
• We can give up in despair or
deny the reality of our problems.
• Or we can face the problems, do
our part, and rely on God for the
rest
4. God’s Power Is Often Exerted
Through Human Agency
• Ezekiel was told to speak out –
to preach the message God gave
him to preach
• Today God uses Christians to
make known His will to the
world
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3. God’s Power Is Often Exerted
Through Human Agency
• The lost are shown the way of
salvation
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25
Is. 55:10-11
• For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and
returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh
it bring forth and bud, that it
may give seed to the sower, and
bread to the eater:
26
• [11] So shall my word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth: it
shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I
sent it.
27
Rom. 1:16
• For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
4. God’s Power Is Often Exerted
Through Human Agency
• The word of God is the most
powerful force on earth!
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29
Heb. 4:12
• For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
30
1 Pet. 1:24-25
• For all flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower
thereof falleth away: But the word
of the Lord endureth for ever. And
this is the word which by the gospel
is preached unto you.
31
5. We Are Also Reminded Of The
Great Resurrection Of The Last Day
• Jn. 5:28-29
• Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice, And
shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation
32
1 Cor. 15:51-53
• Behold, I shew you a mystery;
We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, In a
moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound,
33
• and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on
immortality.
34
References
• Ezekiel: Prophet In Exile, Truth For The
World
• Outlined Commentary on Ezekiel by Bob
Winton