The LORD's power overcame me, and he led me out and set me down in the middle of a church parking lot in a certain neighborhood. The church was full of bones. He led me all around the church; there were very many bones in classrooms, in the sanctuary, in the kitchen and the fellowship hall…and they were very, very dry.
The Lord asked me, "Human one, can these bones live again?"
I said, "LORD God, only you know."
He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them, Dry bones, hear the LORD's word! The Lord God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again. I will put sinews on you, place flesh on you, and cover you with skin. When I put breath in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the LORD."
I told them what the LORD had in mind, just as I was commanded. There was great noise as I was prophesying, then great quaking, and the bones came together, bone by bone. When I looked, suddenly there were sinews on them. The flesh appeared, and then they were covered over with skin.
And then the trouble started.
Wait…you're not one of us. Who put your bones in our church? Bones of your type should be coming together in the church up the street.
Look at this…this skin color is just not right. We planned this church around the lovely colors available to us at its inception…yeah, we know that was 40 years ago, but Sherwin Williams can match colors now, you know. There's no need to start fresh. And, besides, nothing matches. Look at this mess. It's like the LORD just threw together leftover skin from all over the place. Nothing goes together. It doesn't look like it used to. How are we supposed to function if it doesn't look like it used to?
Why couldn't the LORD have put the skin on first, then filled in with the sinew. That's private business. What sinews I have are between me and God, not the business of other folks. Having seen the muscle I've got, now people have all kinds of expectations about what I can do. I was content just coming and worshipping on the back pew. Now people keep asking for participation.The flesh had certainly appeared, and they were covered with skin, but the LORD saw there was no breath in them…and actually, the LORD God clarified…there was plenty of hot air, but no pneuma…no spirit…no breath of life…
The LORD said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, human one! Say to the breath, The LORD God proclaims: Come from the four winds, breath! Breathe into these dead bodies and let them live."
The LORD God was no dummy. Human one, these bones…say "Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely finished."
But the LORD proclaimed: I'm opening your graves! I will raise you up from your graves, my people, and I will bring you to fertile land. Lotta new people in your neighborhood who need to hear your witness of good news! You will know that I am LORD…I will put my breath/spirit in you and you will live!
Will those bones live? God only knows. Certainly we can choose to stay in the graves we have dug. But I can tell you this. I'm listening and breathing as deeply as possible of the breath God is pouring out in all times and places. I want to see the dry bones covered and raised up…dancing and singing and proclaiming that the LORD has done it!
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