Title: Resurrection of Dry Bones/Ezekiel 37
Resuscitation of dry bones
Ezekiel 37
1. Resuscitation of dry bones (1-14)
① Israel compared to dry bones (1-6)
② Breathing life into dry bones (7-10)
③ God calls Israel to his homeland (11-14)
The prophet Ezekiel understood Israel's sin as the death of dry bones. This paragraph offers hope for the restoration of Israel through the fact that the dry bones are revived by the breath of God. These contents show confidence in Israel's return, even in a desperate situation.
Summarizing the main points of this paragraph
(1) The condition of dry bones (1-3) God led Ezekiel to a valley. It was full of dry bones. The dryness of the bones here means that these bones are in a state of complete loss of vitality. Going one step further, in the conversation between Jehovah and Ezekiel, the expression ‘Can these bones live?’ shows that the bones are in a desperate situation in which they cannot live on their own. Israel is in a tragic situation that cannot be helped because it is a captive of Babylon.
(2) The restoration of dry bones (4-14) The restoration of dry bones means the restoration of God's people in the age of the Messiah. Because dry bones refer to the whole house of Israel, and to bring them back to the land of Israel is often used in the Old Testament in connection with the eschatological restoration. This is because the breath that revives the dry bones is interpreted as the ‘God of Jehovah’. With his amazing power, God will grant true life to the dead. These prophecies are fulfilled through the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament era.
2. North and South become one (15-28)
① Union of Israel and Judah (15-23)
② Prophecy of the Kingdom of Christ (24-28)
Ezekiel prophesied that Judah and Israel would become one through the parable of the dry bones and the symbolic action of the two sticks.
The content of this paragraph is
(1) the union of the southern and northern kingdoms
If the restoration of God's community is limited to Judah in the south, it cannot be said to be a complete restoration. Only when Judah in the south and Israel in the north are united together will the kingdom of God be completed. Therefore, God is to unite Israel and Judah, bring them back to the promised land, create one nation, and establish one king. God is the one who ultimately completes the kingdom of God.
(2) The reign of the kingdom of God (24,25)
The ruler of the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ, born in the line of David. As the Son of God, the Messiah rules his people according to the will of God. Because of the Messiah's reign, Israel will never again be invaded by Gentiles and will not worship idols. Therefore, the covenant people will enjoy eternal peace. The kingdom of God is entirely established by the Word of God and includes all Gentiles.
⑶ Grounds for the establishment of the kingdom of God (26-28)
The important concepts in the kingdom of God are sovereignty, territory, and people. Among them, the framework that connects the sovereign and the people is the covenant. If you do not keep the covenant based on this covenant, judgment will follow, and if you keep the covenant, blessings will be given. After all, the foundation for the establishment of the kingdom of God is based on the covenant.