Dry Bones - Part 3
The whole house of Israel
26th June 2015
We've been reading in Ezekiel Chapter 37 about the time God told Ezekiel to prophesy to a valley full of dry bones. The bones came to life, and became a vast army (verse 10). Having shown Ezekiel this vision, God explains it to him:
Ezekiel 37v11-14
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.'
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.
Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
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.'"
What the latest version of the NIV translates as "the people of Israel" here, it used to translate as "the whole house of Israel". That's also how the AV, NKJV, RSV as ESV translate it.
We know from Romans 11 that all Christians have been grafted into the house of Israel. So the whole house of Israel includes us.
The whole house of Israel also includes all those whom God has predestined to eternal life, but who haven't found salvation yet. They're dead in their sins (as we read last time in Ephesians 2) but they will come to life - like the dry bones of Ezekiel's vision. God's chosen people include the people He's chosen but who will be saved next week, or next year, or next century. They're chosen, but they don't know it yet. We've been grafted in. They will be grafted in the day they believe.
There are a lot of dry bones in England, who will find Christ and come to life when God sends His Holy Spirit to convince them of the truth. And you and I are called to speak the word of God to them.
Many among the church in England, say, "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off". We spend far too much time bemoaning the spiritual state of our country, and imagining that things are going to get worse and worse here until the church is a tiny speck in our society. We forget that we serve the all-powerful God. He can save whomever He chooses. It is impossible for God's plan to fail. And that plan includes times when a national church shrinks, and times when it grows. It has for 2000 years and it probably will for a lot longer yet.
And revival is coming! God has ordained it. We don't know exactly when, but we know our church will rise again. God is coming. Millions will find faith in Jesus and be born again. It's time for us to speak the word of God to the dry bones of England.