Article April 10, 1971 Issue

Reviving Dry Bones

JOSEPH G. HEARD

How do you meet those moments when life seems dull, pointless, painful, deadly? Where can you go for comfort? What can you do to change things? Here is a problem that has troubled men since ancient times.

An Old Testament prophet shares spiritual insight that helps us today. Ezekiel writes, "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones." Can these dry bones live again? In the vision, Ezekiel is directed by God to prophesy: "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live."^{Ezek. 37:1,4,5}

The point of the vision to Ezekiel was that there was still hope for the people of Judah and Samaria. The Israelites at this period were as a nation almost dead, reduced to a level of life that seemed almost as bleak as bleached bones. The spirit of God would renew their life!

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