The Valley of Dry Bones
Speaker: Pastor Darin Browne
Ezekiel 37:1-10
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
A PROFOUND MESSAGE
We all go through times of dryness, when life is overwhelming or mundane and God seems distant. At this time of year, with its business and pressures and silliness, it is easy to get a little dry.
This passage was written to Israel in their exile and despair, but it is also a profound message of hope to us today. It shows us that, even if we feel spiritually dead or far from God, God cares, and wants to restore, renew and empower us.
THE VALLEY: A SYMBOL OF HOPELESSNESS
Who among us has not felt dry and barren?
Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Life has a habit of drying up our joy. We get overwhelmed with life, work and people, we do the mundane hour after hour, day after day. Life can get dry!
The passage begins with Ezekiel being brought by the Spirit of God to a valley “full of bones.” These bones aren’t just dry; they’re exceedingly dry, a sign of death that’s been long past, a picture of a situation that is beyond human repair.
This is where many people live, in permanent despair! Sometimes, we are like dead men walking, still functioning in a way, but not thriving, not full of life, just exceedingly dry.
The valley is a place of despair. Imagine being surrounded by that many bones, lifeless and disjointed, with no sign of hope. The Israelites at this time were dry, exiled and oppressed, having lost their sense of identity, purpose, and hope. Maybe you’re feeling that today. The weight of the world, personal struggles, doubts, and unanswered prayers can create valleys of dryness in our hearts. Is your soul feeling like that valley of dry bones today? Maybe you’ve been walking through a season of loss, disappointment, or are just overwhelmed and exhausted.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET DRY?
Joel 1:12
The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
This year has been a hard year for me, in many ways. I don’t love God any less, I am serving Him and honouring Him, but it’s been tough, exhausting and dry. Joyless describes it.
Do you feel like the gladness has dried up? Do you feel like, where there was once real joy in the Lord, the road is much tougher? When you get dry, your joy dries up too. The Bible says, rejoice in the Lord always, but I say, you’re kidding, right? Paul wrote…
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
LIVE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES
Life can get hard under the circumstances, but we need to live above the circumstances. We need to realise that our joy is in Him, in our eternity with God, not in what we endure here and now. This Christmas, with all the hassles and the rush, don’t lose the joy. Not the joy of Christmas, seasonal, transient and often fake, the joy of eternity, of serving the Lord, of blessing others.
If you look at the sky at dusk, you might notice one bright star. A few minutes later you will see several stars, and after that you will see more until you eventually see an infinite number of stars. Truth is, they were all always there, you just could not see them. Everything you need to live a victorious life of joy is within you by the Holy Spirit, but sometimes you just cannot see it.
GOD’S QUESTION
Faced with a valley of dry, disjointed bones, it is God who asks the question…”Can these bones live?” As you look at your life today, God is asking the same question.
This is a strange question, isn’t it? Ezekiel must have thought, “These bones are dead. How can they live? There’s no life here.” So, Ezekiel responds with a very safe response…”O Lord God, You know.”
God isn’t asking Ezekiel because He’s uncertain. He’s asking Ezekiel because He’s inviting him to see beyond what his earthly eyes can see, beyond the apparent reality, to trust in God’s power to transform the seemingly impossible. When we’re faced with impossible situations in our own lives, God often asks us, “Can these bones live?”
Do we believe that God can bring life into the dead places of our hearts? Even when things seem hopeless, God wants us to trust in His power to bring transformation. Can the bones of a relationship live. Can a broken life live again?
Think about that. Whatever you might be facing, God asks you, “Can this situation be redeemed? Can this heart be healed? Can this broken body be made whole?” It’s not about what we think is possible – it’s about what God can do.
Matthew 19:26
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
God specialises in the impossible. He does what we have absolutely no power to do. That’s the way He’s planned it. He is full of surprises. We expect one thing and He does another. You insist on Him doing things your way and He surprises you. We think we need it desperately, and God takes His time. He still asks, can these bones live?
PROPHESY THE WORD OF GOD
Ezekiel 37:4
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Prophecy is the turning point. What is prophecy? Prophecy is simply speaking out the words of God. You don’t have to get all super spiritual about it, just speaking Scripture is prophetic, because Scripture is God’s Word. The power of God’s word brings life where there is none. As Ezekiel speaks the word of the Lord, there’s a rattling sound. The bones begin to come together, bone to bone. Flesh and skin cover them. But there is still no breath in them.
Isaiah 40:7-8
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
This is a key moment. The bones are coming together, but without the breath of God – without the Spirit – the bodies look okay but remain lifeless.
THE BREATH OF GOD
Ezekiel 37:7-8
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
To Israel, the bodies symbolise the physical and political restoration of the nation. This is where Israel is today. But what’s missing is the spiritual restoration.
Many of us are at this place too. We are physically okay, we are functioning, but we are still not truly alive to the Spirit of God. Functioning, but not flourishing.
So, Ezekiel is commanded then to prophesy to the breath, to call on the wind of God’s Spirit to enter the bodies and bring them to life.
A PICTURE OF SPIRITUAL REVIVAL
This scene is not just about physical resurrection – it’s a picture of spiritual revival. The bones coming together signify the restoration of God’s people, but they are incomplete until the breath of God fills them. In the same way, we may experience salvation, the outward forms of revival or even change in our lives, but until the Holy Spirit breathes into us, we remain spiritually dead. Dry and dead.
John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Jesus speaks of the necessity of the Holy Spirit in giving life. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, there’s no true revival. If we’re struggling in our spiritual life, if we are dry and overwhelmed, it’s often a sign that we need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to breathe life into our hearts. Just as the bones came together at Ezekiel’s prophecy, we need God’s Spirit to bring unity, vitality, and restoration to our lives.
RESTORATION OF HOPE
Ezekiel 37:14
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”
God explains the meaning of the vision. The bones represent the people of Israel, who say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” This is a picture of a people who have lost all hope, who believe that they are beyond God’s grace or intervention.
But God promises to open their graves and resurrect them. He assures them that He will put His Spirit in them, and they will live again. This is a message of complete restoration for Israel, one day when Jesus returns. God is not just promising to restore the people physically to their land but to bring spiritual renewal and vitality to their hearts. In the same way, God promises to restore our hope when it feels like everything is lost.
GOD BRINGS LIFE
1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
No matter how dry, barren, or hopeless your situation may seem, God is the God who brings life where there is death. He can breathe new life into your spirit, restore broken dreams, heal wounded hearts, and renew your sense of purpose.
The vision of the valley of dry bones is a profound reminder that no situation is beyond God’s redemptive power. Whether we are dealing with personal struggles, loss, or spiritual dryness, God is able to restore, revive, and breathe life into the dead places within us.
GOD’S PROMISE: I WILL RESTORE
Joel 2:25
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
What are the dry bones in your life? Where do you feel hopeless or spiritually lifeless?
I feel like many of us right now are like the dry bones, running on fumes. We love God, we are His people, but life and the lunacy of this modern world have jaded us. It’s made us dry and barren and overwhelmed. It’s been a tough year for many of us. So, instead of a nice Christmas message, I felt God was calling me to speak the breath of God into your life.
Jeremiah 31:25
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
God is asking you the same question He asked Ezekiel: “Can these bones live?” The answer is yes. With God, there is always hope. His word brings life, and His Spirit revives what was dead. He restores the wasted years.
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
If you are dry right now, don’t go another minute without being refreshed. I need refreshing now, who else needs a touch of God’s refreshing hand today?