Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ezekiel 37
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Ezekiel 37
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Ezekiel 37
"The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones." — Ezekiel 37:1 (ASV)
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD,
God's servants learn nothing until they have an experience similar to that of Ezekiel. They must be led by the Spirit of the Lord, and they must have their eyes and mouths opened by him, and then they can both see the vision and tell the vision to others.
And set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
Like a huge grave, or charnel-house, or battlefield where the slain had not been buried. No servant of God would go without being sent to such a place, yet it was necessary that Ezekiel should be there so that he could understand and speak the message of God.
"And 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." — Ezekiel 37:2 (ASV)
And caused me to pass by them round about:
He had to make a thorough survey of this grim and ghastly charnel house.
And, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
They had lain there so long that the wind had dried up the juices of the marrow bones, and they were turned to dust.
"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest." — Ezekiel 37:3 (ASV)
God did not ask this question for His own information, but for the prophet's. The Lord wanted him to realize the difficulties of the work to which he was called, that he might be driven the more completely to rely upon God, and not upon himself.
"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah." — Ezekiel 37:3-4 (ASV)
We have heard of a Roman Catholic who had, as a penance from his priest, to go and water a dry stick. Ezekiel's task of preaching to dry bones seemed to be as useless as that; yet, if God commands us to do the same, we need no other justification for doing it. What is foolish in the sight of reason is wisdom in the judgment of faith.
"Thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and 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 Jehovah." — Ezekiel 37:5-6 (ASV)
He had to tell these bones the unconditional purposes and promises of God: "I will," and "you shall;" and this is the way in which God works out his eternal purposes concerning the sons of men. He commands his servants to proclaim his message, and then he fulfills his own purposes and promises.
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