To the People of Hope-
The prophet Ezekiel had been taken into exile during the first wave of the Babylonian invasion of Judah, though he continued to prophesy through the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. He beheld strange visions of what God had done and would do. Like his contemporary Jeremiah, he saw through the corruption of the priests and prophets who only told the Judahite kings what they wanted to hear, and they failed to listen to God’s warnings. In 37:1-14, the prophet beheld a vision of a battlefield, a valley of dry bones. In dialogue with Ezekiel, God asked the prophet rhetorical questions about whether the dead could live and commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. The bones rose from the earth, with sinews, muscles, and skin, but they were just lifeless bodies. Then God called upon Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath. The Hebrew word for breath is the same as wind and Spirit. The four winds came upon the bones and the bodies came to life with breath. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the people, that God would open up the graves, that God would bring to life what was dead, and that God would put Spirit into their own bodies so they would live on their own land. A prophecy of hope for the exiles, that God would be with them in spirit and they would find new life. Ezekiel 37:1-14 New International Version The Valley of Dry Bones 37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” Even in the face of death, Israel's hope in the future is grounded in the sovereignty of YHWH. Ezekiel 37 is an invitation for hearers to see and hear YHWH. Seeing and hearing YHWH allow hearers to fully encounter YHWH, to experience YHWH's glory, and to know YHWH intimately. As Christians we talk a good deal about hope, but divine hope is so much more than meets the eye. This hope is generated in the heart of our faith, and it's sustained by the divine 'ruah,' the very breath of God. This truth begs the question, am I willing to get to know God intimately? The answer to this question will ground us in the kind and depth of faith we'll experience. Choose wisely... Response? Be blessed, P Jim ♥️⚓️ ♡Special thanks to Rev. Mindi, workingpreacher, Hope for the Broken Hearted and/or Star Bright Angels for their contribution to this effort of Daily Prayer and Study. All scripture is taken from the Revised Common Lectionary and, unless otherwise indicated, from the New International Version of the Bible. The intent of this effort is to inform our faith and grow closer to God, while preparing for next Sunday's Worship. ~James 4:8 <x>< Comments are closed.
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ZOOM WORSHIP SERVICE
SUNDAY @ 11 AM To join by phone, dial (929) 205-6099 and enter the meeting ID and password below: Meeting ID: 876 1875 9099 Password 333 PrayerGracious Loving Lord, please keep all of your children safe in these trying times. Guide us. Open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, our minds to understand and our hearts to know and be your love to others. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Want to support RLUMC and our missions? Donate Today
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September 2023
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