Skeletons in the Closet
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Ezekiel 37:3 NASB
Bones live – How is it possible for skeletons to live? Maybe you thought this was just a question about the end times? Maybe you read Ezekiel’s vision as if it were some sort of Messianic prophecy or something. Then ask again, “How is it possible for your dry bones to live?” How is it possible for those ossified remains of your attempts to survive to have new life? How do you deal with all the skeletons in your closet? What will happen so that you restore the loss you experienced when you stripped away the good you wanted to do and settled for the pleasure you could get?
In one sense, we are all dried bones. We have all hungered and thirsted our lives away by choosing what we thought we needed at the moment instead of what we ultimately wanted at the end. What we needed was life—real righteousness, real peace, real fellowship with God and men. But in the midst of our struggle to survive we chose to fill that need with whatever could provide relief now! We were exhausted from the battle. We were discouraged from countless defeats. We didn’t see any actual path out of our depression. And we were familiar with the terrain of our less-than-whole existence. So we chose to stay captive. Some days overcoming once more just seemed to be more than we were capable of doing. Dry bones filled our unspectacular lives, convincing us that were we as good as dead anyway.
That’s why Ezekiel’s vision cannot be about some far off eschatological miracle day of final resurrection. Frankly, we can’t wait that long. If there is going to be any life for us, it must come sooner than some day after tomorrow.
Perhaps it helps a bit to know that the Hebrew word ‘atsemot (bones) is derived from the verb ‘atsom, a word that means, “to be strong, mighty, great.” So bones are not signs of failure or desiccation or dereliction. The fact that there are any bones at all is a portend to power, to something that can become strong again as it once was and as it was intended to be. Dry bones are hope, not defeat. The skeleton needs only the Spirit to live again. Ezekiel’s vision doesn’t look toward Genesis. God is not starting over. God is restoring what has been made dry and lifeless. You thought those skeletons in the closet were worthless weights of shame. God sees them as the foundation of renewed life, the basis for rebuilding. God made you. He is not going to throw you away in order to make someone else. Perhaps the first step in making bones alive is to recognize that they are my bones. My past belongs to me and even if it is far from what God wanted, it is mine to give to Him for restoration. As long as I keep the skeletons in my closet, denying them even a place in the house I occupy, God cannot give me new life. They just keep my house chained to a gravesite.
Topical Index: bones, ‘atsemot, renewal, Ezekiel 37:3
I love this! I think everyone has a past, most of which we may wish we could forget. But the idea of YHVH breathing life over and into those dry bones, restoring me to His purposes, is glorious! The thought that he will not abandon the work of His hands, will not abandon me, is beautiful. It’s not about throwing me away and starting over with something new, but rather restoring me back to Genesis, His purpose and plans and designs. What incredible hope and what amazing love! No matter how tangled my understanding, that I can grasp and hold on to. HalleluYah!
A message I need for today! Thank you Skip. Thank you Amanda.
Chapter 6 Psalms (JPS transliteration)
This is an awe-inspiring prayer for one who is ill, to pray that God heal him, body and soul. An ailing person who offers this prayer devoutly and with a broken heart is assured that God will accept his prayer. “Dont’ you think Adoai heres our prayers but what we can’t speak of and we hide as our innner hate and rejection shame and non ability to feel or shed a tead for our pain or the dead our hour hurts and find our own coping method, it is in his time not Mcdonalds or the line of impatient angry food or coffee people with out graditude for the time we have to feel cry seek the one whom you have issue and not avoide conflict but realove our pride and aggrogance to be the man up front or the one who can just teach something they never do. or refuse to be taught ot the humliation of be broken and asking for help… I see today as I have askied for months mande calls begged have lost and failed but ask for new strength to ask a differnt wayor the favor oh Adonai tfor doctor help never stop asking Adonai for his loving care and to hear our tears for ourself our children or our self or community for healing so we can really heal and help outer. I got an appoint today after montjhs of rejection and petitioning inusrane .. a long way from the goal but togather maybe we can find soultions if we are willing to pray togther and not give up and love and be kind and see our self as everyone elses see us sheep in human close wondering and some dead like the dry ness of there hearts unable tolove or be loved and reject the broken because they are so broekn but refuse to get help or make calls or seek those they have rejected and hurt with words or in anger abuse refusal to love or withhold help because of there pride they know bettter than G_D of course.. TIME IS HERE this is the only place you can seek forgiveness not on your death bed , no one might be there.
to hear what you may want to say … Pray for G_Ds sukkah of peace and our hard brittle hearts and bone be softened by our tears over Israel and our hardness to not love and seek out to ride ourself of our pide of being right ..
.Chapter 6 Psalms (JPS transliteration)
This is an awe-inspiring prayer for one who is ill, to pray that God heal him, body and soul. An ailing person who offers this prayer devoutly and with a broken heart is assured that God will accept his prayer.
1. For the Conductor, with instrumental music for the eight-stringed harp, a psalm by David.
2. Lord, do not punish me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your wrath.
3. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I languish away; heal me, O Lord, for my bones tremble in fear.
4. My soul is panic-stricken; and You, O Lord, how long [before You help]?
5. Relent, O Lord, deliver my soul; save me for the sake of Your kindness.
6. For there is no remembrance of You in death; who will praise You in the grave?
7. I am weary from sighing; each night I drench my bed, I melt my couch with my tears.
8. My eye has grown dim from vexation, worn out by all my oppressors.
9. Depart from me, all you evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
10. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.
11. All my enemies will be shamed and utterly terrified; they will then repent and be shamed for a moment.
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Chapter 7
Do not rejoice if God causes your enemy to suffer—just as the suffering of the righteous is not pleasant. David, therefore, defends himself intensely before God, maintaining that he did not actively harm Saul. In fact, Saul precipitated his own harm, while David’s intentions were only for the good.
1. A shigayon 1 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Kush the Benjaminite.
2. I put my trust in You, Lord, my God; deliver me from all my pursuers and save me.
3. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, crushing me with none to rescue.
4. Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there is wrongdoing in my hands;
5. if I have rewarded my friends with evil or oppressed those who hate me without reason—
6. then let the enemy pursue and overtake my soul, let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my glory in the dust forever.
7. Arise, O Lord, in Your anger, lift Yourself up in fury against my foes. Stir me [to mete out] the retribution which You commanded.
8. When the assembly of nations surrounds You, remove Yourself from it and return to the heavens.
9. The Lord will mete out retribution upon the nations; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity.
10. Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous—O righteous God, Searcher of hearts and minds.
11. [I rely] on God to be my shield, He Who saves the upright of heart.
12. God is the righteous judge, and the Almighty is angered every day.
13. Because he does not repent, He sharpens His sword, bends His bow and makes it ready.
14. He has prepared instruments of death for him; His arrows will be used on the pursuers.
15. Indeed, he conceives iniquity, is pregnant with evil schemes, and gives birth to falsehood.
16. He digs a pit, digs it deep, only to fall into the trap he laid.
17. His mischief will return upon his own head, his violence will come down upon his own skull.
18. I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and sing to the Name of the Lord Most High
Love this ……..beautiful
The death of Lust can get redeemed to love and life …….
Waiting on him to make the move is the hardest part. i don’t want to jump to BE what i used to ‘be’, but see what doors he opens to me.
mostly to walk with him, to live in him and find my hope and my forward motion in him, quietly, without the knowledge or applause of others.
Bless the Lord O my soul.
“That’s why Ezekiel’s vision cannot be about some far off eschatological miracle day of final resurrection”. Indeed, dry bones are tough and strong with hope.
I am thinking about in the appearance of dry bone after the cremation of my parents. They shall have a chance to “yes Lord” before His throne. Yeshua’s heart desires all of us who believe in Him to be with Him. Amen.
There is hope in those dry bones even when it seems hopeless. The problem is that we need to want to be more than just a bunch of dry bones. Once we have the desire, we have to cry out for healing, deliverance, and restoration. We need to move toward the Father and start being obedient. This applies not only to us but our families, friends, acquaintences, and those beyond those circles. As long as we have breath, we have that hope.
Then We Remember
Reboot Redux
Then we remember His words; ~ I AM come that you may have LIFE and have it more abundantly ~
(John 10.10)
” It is the overflowing cup. “Perisson,” He says. Over the top. A direct connection (reminder?) to “My cup runneth over?” Others have come to steal what you have, to seize your life by force and take it away, to destroy you. But the Son of Man has come to give you all that you need and more. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” SURELY goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I will dwell (abide) in the house of the LORD forever!
New life? Absitively, posolutely – “behold, (#stopandstare) I make ALL THINGS new.”
Friend, a “greater than Solomon” is now here. His Name? His Name is Wonderful!
“And the Child shall be called … “Pele-Yoez-El-Gibbor-Abi-Ad-Sar-Shalom”
[How] blessed are those who [continually, at all times] trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
“What we needed was (more so presently!) life—real righteousness, real peace, real fellowship with God and men.” Why is that so difficult?
IF and WHEN we can throw away the masks to speak and act in truth as before YHWH and man. That is surely our cry from the depth of our spirits.
” Dry bones filled our unspectacular lives, convincing us that were we as good as dead anyway”, should we choose to continue living and loving the lies.
“That’s why Ezekiel’s vision cannot be about some far off eschatological miracle day of final resurrection.” Thank you so much, Skip, for bringing forth this perspective. It is the NOW that we desire to be revived in the true sense of the word, to be fully reconciled to His ways and nature/image we were created from the beginning. Shalom.