Well, let us turn to God's Word
again. The portion that we read, longer
portion than we would normally be found reading on a Thursday
evening, but I thought it was important to see the words that
I want to take for our text in its context. So I want us to
turn again to those opening verses in chapter 37. I'll read verses
1 to 3. that concentrates him more particularly
upon the words of verse 3 in Ezekiel 37 reading verses 1 to
3 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 and caused me to pass by them round about
And behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they
were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man,
can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou
knowest. And I want to take for the theme
of what I'm saying tonight those words in verse three. The question
that the Lord God puts to the prophet, Son of man, can these
bones live? Can these bones live? First of all, to try to say something
with regards to the historical setting, the context in which
God first gave this word as he deals here with his servant
and puts him in this situation and
gives him this message to declare unto the people. He's ministering
of course to those who are in the captivity. That awful calamity
that came upon that kingdom of Judah when they were overrun
by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar and Jerusalem fell. Temple was destroyed and the
people were removed into exile, taken away into Babylon. This
is where this man is ministering and we see that quite clearly
earlier in the book, in chapter 3 and verse 15, he says, And
I came to them of the captivity at Tel-Aviv, that dwelt by the
river of Kebar, and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished
among them seven days. He begins the whole book by speaking
of that situation that the Lord had set him in. The opening words
of chapter 1, Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in
the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among
the captives by the river of Caibar, that the heavens were
opened and I saw visions of God and of course what we have here
in this 37th chapter is but one of those visions the Lord here is the one who
carries him out in the spirits and sets him down in the midst
of the valley full of very dry bones And the vision really is
a representation of the situation that the children of Israel are
in. He was to be the Lord's messenger
to them. It was a message of warning that
he was to give them. Like in that third chapter where
we read just now, that 15th verse, where he comes to those of the
captivity. Verse 17, the Son of Man says,
God, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, therefore
hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me." So
he's there to speak God's Word faithfully and to arouse them,
to warn them, to expose to them their sins, but also he was to
minister words of comfort to them. and even in this 37th chapter. In verse 12, Therefore prophesy
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people,
I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves
and bring you into the land of Israel. God's going to restore
them. And you shall know that I am
the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought
you up out of your graves. They are still the Lord's people.
And the Lord will yet grant restoration. There's a word of encouragement
then as well as a word of warning. And these things surely are meant
to move them to pray. And we read those familiar words
at the end of chapter 36. Verse 37, Thus saith the Lord
God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to
do it for them. I will increase them with men
like a flock, as the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in
her solemn feasts. So shall the way cities be filled
with flocks of men, and they shall know that I am the Lord. God will answer, their prayers
they will not pray in vain he will bring them out of exile
and Jerusalem will be rebuilt the temple itself will stand
again there in the midst of the city and of course these things
did come to pass in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah but what
we have here in this vision is a representation of where they
are it's a great battlefield There's been a great slaughter.
The Jews had fallen in battle. But their bodies were not, of
course, literally left scattered all over the battlefield. God had removed them, living
bodies. He had taken them away from Jerusalem. He moved them into Babylon. There they were languishing in
exile. Well, that's something very briefly
of the historical context in which the words that we are considering
is set. But what is the spiritual significance? We have to remember always, of
course, when we come to Old Testament scriptures, that whatever things
were written before time were written for our learning, as
Paul says in Romans 15. All these things were written
for our learning, says Paul, that we through patience or literally
endurance and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. These things happened unto them
for ensamples, he says in the 10th chapter of 1 Corinthians,
with regards to the history of the children of Israel. They're
ensamples. And what we read is intended
for us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. These words apply to this day
of grace, this gospel dispensation. And we can think of the ministry
of the Lord Jesus himself and those words that he utters in
Romans chapter 5. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God and live. And isn't this then a wonderful
representation of what the Lord God does even in our day, in
this Gospel day, when we consider where men are, what men are,
what was our condition by nature we were as others dead in trespasses
and in sins. But what does the Lord God say
here in verse 3? He said unto me, Son of man,
can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou
know us. Let us take account then of these words
as words that really ultimately can be applied even to ourselves.
And we see it in the very chapter if we'd have read further on
into the chapter. Verse 24. David my servant shall be king
over them and they all shall have one shepherd. they shall
also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them."
Now, who is this David that's being spoken of? Well, he cannot
be that man who was king after Saul. David had been long since
laid in his sepulchre. David was dead. And yet here
is a promise that there will be one David. It's David's greatest
son. but inappropriate then that when
we come to consider the content of the chapter we see it as something
that's relative to ourselves. Yes, it's interesting to look
at the history and the context and so forth, but we can't leave
it there. What does it teach us? Well,
as I say, we come to look at this question, can these bones
live? And I want simply to consider
two things. What it is that Ezekiel saw,
the sight that's presented to him, the vision, and then secondly,
what he says, what is his response to the question that the Lord
has put to him? Can these bones live? I answered, O Lord, God thou
knowest. First of all, what Ezekiel saw. And clearly what this man
saw had a most profound effect upon him. In verse 2, he tells us how God
caused me to pass by them round about. And he says, Behold, there
were very many in the open valley, and lo, or behold, it's really
the same word again, Behold, they were very dry." So we have
the repetition of the word, behold, behold, and the force of that
word. Oh, look at this! What a sight
is this! Consider this thing. Here is
something that is so striking to the eye, something to be gazed
upon, something to be studied. God himself, of course, was the
one who caused him to see. God was the one who caused him
to see these remarkable sights. He says, doesn't he, how it was
the hand of the Lord that was upon him there at the very beginning
of the chapter, 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. Apart from God, he
would and well he could know nothing at all and in fact the
verb that's being used here where God sets him down, where God
puts him there in the midst of the valour. It's a strong verb that's being
used. God sets him down, God causes
me, he says, to pass by them. And it is a strong verb, literally,
to pass by, to pass near, by them. to go round and about amongst
them, to take in all this terrible scene. That's the force of the
language that is being used, is being made to look carefully
and closely at what has happened in this vision. You needed to
be confronted by it really. And what is it that is set before
him? What is the point, the purpose of the vision when we think of
the spiritual significance? Well, is it not in many ways
a sight of what all men are by nature? We might even say it's
a sight of what he is himself by nature. the truths that we have declared
so fully and so faithfully when we come to the New Testament
Scriptures. Words that are so familiar to us, such as the language
that Paul uses there writing in the second chapter of the
epistle to the Ephesians. It reminds those Christian believers
at Eversus what they were when God met with them and brought
life to them. you hath it quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past you walked according
to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of
the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in
the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others." Well, there is the saying then. And he goes on, doesn't
he, to say something more later in chapter 4 and verse 18 concerning
these who were Gentile converts. having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance
that was in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.
Or what were they by nature? That carnal mind, enmity against
God, not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. God causes his people to see
something then, with regards to themselves, and what they
are and where they are by nature. You may have read something of
the experience of the great church historian, Dubinio. He heard the ministry of Robert
Haldane there in Geneva back in the 19th century and In a
sense, at that time, under that ministry, there was a rediscovery
of something of what Geneva had been during the days of John
Calvin. And the Beignet was hearing the
preaching of that Scotsman, Haldane, and he said, as the Lord began
to deal with him, the man was able to show him all his heart. Oh, he saw all his heart. He
was caused as it were. to see the dreadful sight, even
what's described here in the text. The valley that was full
of bones, dry bones. Oh, they were very dry, they
were very dead. And that was the Binye's condition
by nature. It was the beginning of the work
of God, the work of grace in his soul. Doesn't God do that?
They turn this man to destruction and say, return, you children
of men. It's God who must do it. He caused
me to pass by them round about and behold they were very many
in the open valley and lo they were very dry. Really dead, dead
in trespasses and sins. Again we think of the language
of the preacher in scripture. Solomon there in Ecclesiastes
3 and verse 18, I said in my heart concerning the estate of
the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might
see that they themselves are beasts. Oh God has to manifest
to us what we are, show us what we truly are by nature. And it's the experience time
and again of the people of God there in Holy Scripture. Even
in Psalm 88, I am shut up and I cannot come forth. I cannot. I cannot come forth. Before faith
came, I were kept under law, shut up. Shut up to the faith
that would afterward be revealed. Or there must be that communication
then of new life, new life from him we must receive before for
sin we rightly grieve. The Lord God must do it, must
show us what we are. It's interesting I was thinking of the Gospel
Standard Articles, having looked at them again recently, even
those much despised added articles, and in particular, I was thinking
of the last of the articles, Article 35, and how accurate
it really is. It speaks, I know, of growth
in grace. But let me just read it. These
are the articles we profess. Article 35. It's speaking about faith, and degrees
of faith. We believe that there are various
degrees of faith, as little faith and great faith. That when a
man is quickened by the Blessed Spirit, he has faith given to
him to know and feel he is a sinner against God. and that without
a Saviour he must sink in black despair. And we further believe
that such a man will be made to cry for mercy, to mourn over
and on account of his sins, and being made to feel that he has
no righteousness of his own, to hunger and thirst after Christ's
righteousness, being led on by the Spirit until, in the full
assurance of faith, he has the Spirit's witness in his heart
that his sins are forever put away. but that the faith is the same
in nature as is imparted in his first awakenings, though now
grown to the full assurance thereof." And that's the striking statement
in that rather lengthy article, that the faith is the same in
nature as is imparted in his first awakening, though now grown
to the full assurance thereof. And it strikes me because really
it answers erroneous teachings that is put forth by the minister
at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Because he says that a person
is not regenerated till they come to saving faith. So all
the experience that they have previous to that, they're not
in a state of regeneration. And what is this article saying?
It's saying that it's the same faith that is there
when the man is quickened, his initial quickening is by the
Blessed Spirit and now he knows and feels himself to be a sinner
and he's without Christ. If we deny the truth that's stated
in that article, we're really saying that there's no real truth
in the doctrine of total depravity. How can a man know anything of
himself, beyond any sort of sense of conviction of sin, if he's
not quickened by the Spirit of God? We say that men by nature
are dead in trespasses and sins. And here in this portion we see
how the profit is made to see the dreadful scene and sight.
By degrees, of course, there comes quickening. Eventually
he prophesies to the wind and the Spirit enters into these
bones and they stand up. A living army. But throughout
we're seeing the gracious work of the Spirit of God. working
in the midst of all this awful sight that was given to the Prophet. It's the Lord God who causes
him to see these things. But not only to see these things,
but he's also made to feel the very things that he is beholding
with his eyes. God's hand throughout is very
strong upon him. The hand of the Lord, he says,
was upon me. And it's the Lord who carries
him out in the Spirit and sets him there in the midst of the
valley of dry bones. But if we go back to chapter
3, which we referred to earlier, in verse 14, he says, So the Spirit
lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the
heat of my spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.
Then I came to them of the captivity of Tel-Abib, that dwelt by the
river of Caibar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there,
astonished among them." Seven days. God's hand is heavy upon
him. Clearly, this is a deep work. that's taking place in the soul
of this man. And he's astonished. He's astonished
at the things that he is beholding. He felt their sad, their miserable
condition as he's there by the river. Here is doctrine, you see, that's
being learned, really, not only in the head, but it's something
that's also affecting the heart, it's being felt, what this man
sees. Wasn't that the truth with regards
to the preaching of John Bunyan? He says how he could only preach
what he did feel, what he did smartingly feel. And God's word, you see, was
so implanted in his heart as he ministered those truths. And the scene is a sad and a
desperate scene, really, the heart of man, deceitful. Above
all things, desperately wicked. Oh, who can know the heart of
man? I, the Lord, know the heart. I try the right. to give to all
men according to the fruit of their doings. Is it not a truth
that we have to learn every doctrine in our soul's experience, even
that awful doctrine of the total depravity of man, we feel it. And this is how the Lord is continually
dealing with His servant. Those things that He is ministering
are things that He is feeling in Himself. He is minishing out of the fullness
of his own soul's experiences. And he has to behold remarkable
visions. That vision that we have spoken
of in chapter 8, the chambers of imagery, is equally full of strange visions. And here is one in chapter 8,
verse 7 following, He brought me to the door of the courts.
And when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. And He said unto
me, Son of man, dig now in the wall. And when I had digged in
the wall, behold, a door. And He said unto me, Go in, and
behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went
in and saw And behold, every form of creeping things and abominable
beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed upon
the wall round about. And so it goes on. Abominations
is what he's witnessing. In verse 13 he said unto me,
Turn thee again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that
they do. It's one abomination after another. He's seeing something of what's going on
in the hearts of men. The awful condition of what man
is by nature, dead in trespasses and sins. And here you see it's the Lord
who's in all that's transpiring in the life of this Prophet.
He carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in
the midst of the valley which was full of bones. It's God's
doing. It's God's doing. He caused me to pass by them
round about and behold there were very many in the open valley
and lo they were very dry. and he said unto me, son of man,
can these bones live? God, God is active here, it's
the Lord's doing, it's what the Lord is showing the man, what
the Lord is teaching the man. What is Ezekiel's response as
we turn to our second point? What is Ezekiel's reply? What does he say to God? I answer, O Lord God, thou knowest. Now observe the answer or the
way in which he addresses God himself. He calls him Lord God. Lord God. It's the two words
that are used repeatedly in the Old Testament in reference to
God the Halloween, the Mighty God, the Creator of all things,
and it's also the word that he's used in reference to Him who
is the God of the Covenant, Jehovah. It's interesting because normally
we would see LORD in capital letters and GOD with a capital
G and then lowercase o and d. But Lord God here, where God
is in capitals, is the way in which our authorised version
translators have rendered it. But it's those two words. It's Elohim and Jehovah. It's the mighty God, the all-powerful
God. But it's also that one who is
the God of the Covenant. And surely, do we not recognize
that in the Covenant it is God's prerogative to save? It's God's
prerogative. He is the one who is the Savior.
Salvation is of the Lord, in every sense. The question is
really a most searching question when it comes to a man. Can these
bones live? And what do vain men say? Vain
men would say, yes, that's the religion of the natural
man. He thinks, he imagines he can
do something. There's something for him to
do. We're all really Arminians by heart. We imagine that there's
something to do. we can help ourselves surely
but it is God's prerogative and God's prerogative alone to be
the saviour of sinners it is not of him that willeth nor of
him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy says the apostle
and how are they born which were born not of blood nor of the
will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God The man
must be born again, born from a bar. The man can receive nothing
except it be given him from a bar. That's what the scripture teaches
us so clearly. And it comes out in the best
of the hymns that we sing. Think of the language of Samuel
Davis' hymn. Such dire offense is to forgive.
such guilty daring worms to spare, this is thy grand prerogative
and none shall in the honour share. Oh, it's all by the Spirit
of God. He is carried out in the Spirit
of the Lord and set down in the midst of the valley. The Spirit
is the one, of course, who alone can make application of the salvation
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that salvation is of
the Lord in terms of it being of all the persons, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. The eternal election of the Father,
making choice of the people, committing them to the Son. Behold,
I am the children which God hath given me, he says. And though
it is the Son who comes to be the Saviour, when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law to redeem them that were under the law.
Christ is the Redeemer God, but it is the Blessed Spirit who
makes the application. Oh, what a question then, he
says, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, Thou
knowest, only God knows the answer to that question. It's not, in
some ways, unlike the question that's put to Adam and Eve, in
Genesis 3 and verse 9, after they had sinned in the matter
of disobedience, partaking of the forbidden fruit, their eyes
opened. And they know that they're naked
and they're ashamed. And when the Lord God comes in
the cool of the day, they seek to hide themselves. And God says
there in Genesis 3 and 9, where art thou? Where art thou? It was the first scripture that
John Gill says he ever felt when he was but a boy of about 12
or 13 years of age and he heard the minister at the little meeting,
the Baptist meeting there in Kettering in Northamptonshire
preach from the words of Genesis 3.9, Adam where art thou? And
how that word was so much felt by John Gill, it was applied
to him by the Spirit. And he was made to examine where
he was, where he was. Luther, commenting on the word,
says it's the words of the law. Man cannot hide from God. Man
is called to his tribunal, he must give his accounts. and yet
I think there's something of gospel in that question also
because of course the law is the schoolmaster that brings
us to Christ that's the ministry of the law to bring that conviction
into the soul and that certainly was the case in John Bunyan rather
John Gill when he so felt those words, that question well this
question here Can these bones live? The answer that is given
by the prophets. Oh Lord God, thou knowest. Only God knows. And it's God's
prerogative. And God is the one who is able
to save, and able to save to the uttermost. And when we think
in terms of that covenant, what does God go on to say? In verse 4, again He said, Unto
me prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, 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. And I will lay sinews upon you,
and I will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin,
and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know
that I am the Lord. It's all language of the Covenant,
isn't it? God says, I will, ye shall, I will, ye shall, I will,
ye shall, ye shall know that I am the Lord. It's so much the
language of the Covenant just as we see it previously in chapter
16, that long chapter. When we come to the end of the
chapter God says, verse 62, I will establish my covenant with thee,
and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. I will, thou shalt,
says God. Oh, that's the language of covenant,
the sovereign grace of God. He is the one who must do it
and accomplish it. And yet we see here the place
of prayer. The place of prayer because of
course this vision follows immediately
after those words at the end of chapter 36. Thus said the
Lord God I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of
Israel to do it for them. I will increase them with men
like a flock. And then 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." Well, God can do it. And God does it in answer to
the prayers of His people. And that's what we come together
for, of course, Thursday by Thursday, that we might pray, and recognize
that God is able to change the scene. God only can send real
awakening into souls, God only can revive us in the midst of
the years. We plead with Him, we see His
judgments about, and we recognize that He is a just God. And what
does such a wicked nation as this deserve? Only His wrath.
but he is a merciful God and in wrath we plead that he would
remember his mercies and come again and work in many hearts
and work in our hearts and that we might see his name being honoured
and glorified and we say he shall know ye shall know that I am
the Lord. Did it not strike you as we read
through those former verses, why God does these things? And
He tells the children of Israel, it's not for their sakes, it's
for His sake, that His name might be honoured and magnified and
glorified. Oh, we can plead that, that the
Lord would come then and make himself known and get to himself
all honor and glory and do it in the salvation of many sinners. He said unto me, Son of man,
can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou
knowest. May the Lord be pleased to bless
his word. We're going to sing our second
praise. In the hymn 181, the tune Kinsalat,
167. Believers, oh, they are but blind,
they know themselves unwise, but wisdom in the Lord they find,
who opens all their eyes. 181, tune 167.