Out of The Grave to A New Life

-- Ezekiel 36 - 37

Sermon

October 3rd, 1996

Phil Hopwood

Worldwide Church of God,

Festival '96, Gosford

INTRODUCTION:

1. The book of Ezekiel is probably not the first place we might look to learn about our Christian lives and salvation, about the new life we have through the grace of God, but that is the focus of our service today

2. We are going to be taking a look at Ezekiel chapters 36 & 37

a) Chapter 36 talks about the New Covenant

b) Chapter 37 is the one about the Valley of the Dry Bones

(1) It has some surprising lessons for us, and we are going to see how the message about the dry bones connects with the message of the

SCRIPTURE READING FROM EZEKIEL 36:

Ezekiel 36:16- 38 (New Century Version)

16 The LORD spoke his word to me again, saying: 17 "Human, when the nation of Israel was living in their own land, they made it unclean by their ways and the things they did. Their ways were like a woman's uncleanness in her time of monthly bleeding. 18 So I poured out my anger against them, because they murdered in the land and because they made the land unclean with their idols. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were spread through the countries. I punished them for how they lived and what they did. 20 They dishonored my holy name in the nations where they went. The nations said about them: 'These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave the land which he gave them.' 21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the nation of Israel had dishonored among the nations where they went.

22 "So say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Israel, I am going to act, but not for your sake. I will do something to help my holy name, which you have dishonored among the nations where you went. 23 I will prove the holiness of my great name, which has been dishonored among the nations. You have dishonored it among these nations, but the nations will know that I am the LORD when I prove myself holy before their eyes, says the Lord GOD.

24 " 'I will take you from the nations and gather you out of all the lands and bring you back into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and your idols. 26 Also, I will teach you to respect me completely, and I will put a new way of thinking inside you. I will take out the stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you obedient hearts of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit inside you and help you live by my rules and carefully obey my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 So I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will command the grain to come and grow; I will not allow a time of hunger to hurt you. 30 I will increase the harvest of the field so you will never again suffer shame among the nations because of hunger. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and actions that were not good, and you will hate yourselves because of your sins and your terrible acts that I hate. 32 I want you to know that I am not going to do this for your sake, says the Lord GOD. Be ashamed and embarrassed about your ways, Israel.

33 " 'This is what the Lord GOD says: This is what will happen on the day I cleanse you from all your sins: I will cause the cities to have people living in them again, and the destroyed places will be rebuilt. 34 The empty land will be plowed so it will no longer be a ruin for everyone who passes by to see. 35 They will say, "This land was ruined, but now it has become like the garden of Eden. The cities were destroyed, empty, and ruined, but now they are protected and have people living in them."

36 Then those nations still around you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed and have planted what was empty. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.'

37 "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will let myself be asked by the people of Israel to do this for them again: I will make their people grow in number like a flock. 38 They will be as many as the flocks brought to Jerusalem during her holy feasts. Her ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

Ezekiel 37:1-14

1 I felt the power of the LORD on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. 2 He led me around among the bones, and I saw that there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry. 3 Then he asked me, "Human, can these bones live?"

I answered, "Lord GOD, only you know."

4 He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 This is what the Lord GOD says to the bones: I will cause breath to enter you so you will come to life. 6 I will put muscles on you and flesh on you and cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you so you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. While I prophesied, there was a noise and a rattling. The bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked and saw muscles come on the bones, and flesh grew, and skin covered the bones. But there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the wind. Prophesy, human, and say to the wind, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Wind, come from the four winds, and breathe on these people who were killed so they can come back to life.' " 10 So I prophesied as the LORD commanded me. And the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a very large army.

11 Then he said to me, "Human, these bones are like all the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope has gone. We are destroyed.' 12 So, prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves. Then I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 My people, you will know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and cause you to come up from them. 14 And I will put my Spirit inside you, and you will come to life. Then I will put you in your own land. And you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it, says the LORD.' " (NCV)

A. Although, as we mentioned earlier, The book of Ezekiel IS PROBABLY NOT THE FIRST PLACE WE MIGHT LOOK TO LEARN ABOUT OUR SALVATION -- THE NEW LIFE WE HAVE THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD -- it is where we are going to look today

1. And I hope you will find the same excitement and inspiration from its message as I did when I came across it a few weeks back

I. BACKGROUND:

A. Six hundred years before Jesus was born, King Jehoiachin surrendered Jerusalem to Babylon.

1. He and 10,000 of the nations finest were taken into exile, and among them was a twenty-something year old priest named EzekielAt first God gave Ezekiel some dazzling vision of God brilliance and glory (ch 1), and had Ezekiel tell the people how far short of God's holiness they had fallen

a) This was the basic message of the first part of his ministry, and of the book

2. But ten years into exile, having heard news of the demolition of the temple, God led him to change emphasis, and beginning in ch 36, as we have read, he began to prophesy of the restoration of Israel

B. WE HAVE ALREADY READ SUBSTANTIAL portions of ch 37 & 38;

1. Let's pick up a couple of key sections

Ezekiel 36:24-28

C. Comment:

1. Are there any doubts about this passage alluding to the New Covenant?

a) It is quite plain isn't it!

Now let's look at a section of Ezekiel 37, this very familiar passage about "DEM BONES, DEM DRY BONES"

Ezekiel 37:1-6; 11-14

37 1 I felt the power of the LORD on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. 2 He led me around among the bones, and I saw that there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry. 3 Then he asked me, "Human, can these bones live?"

I answered, "Lord GOD, only you know."

v 11 Then he said to me, "Human, these bones are like all the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope has gone. We are destroyed.' 12 So, prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves. Then I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 My people, you will know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and cause you to come up from them. 14 And I will put my Spirit inside you, and you will come to life. Then I will put you in your own land. And you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it, says the LORD.' " (NCV)

D. Comment

1. Context from earlier in chapter 36 (and in the earlier chapters) is that Israel has sinned, has been condemned by God, and sent into captivity

a) People are despondent, and feeling a great sense of hopelessness

E. Beginning in the passage we read in chapter 36, God begins to give his lost people a message of hope

1. A message of rescue and restoration, of a new life, a new covenant.

2. In both chapters 36 & 37 there is the promise of their being given a new heart through God's Spirit being in them

a) There is the promise of their being cleansed from their sinsAnd that this is being done without any merit on their behalf

Ezekiel 36:22

22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. (NIV)

Ezekiel 36:32

32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel! (NIV)

F. In chapter 37, we read of the dead bones being given life

1. What does this all mean?

a) How is it connected to the condemnation and captivity of the people

b) How is it connected to the promise of the New Covenant in the previous chapter, and also (you can take a look for yourself later, at the end of ch 37 (v26-28) ) ?

G. THE CONNECTION IS THAT WHEN WE DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE VALLEY OF THE DRY BONES (how's that for some dead dry humour), WE COME UP WITH A MESSAGE THAT is VERY MUCH THE SAME AS THAT OF ch 36

1. That is that the people are dead in their sins, without strength, or capacity to gain freedom from captivity

a) They are unable to gain God's favour, or righteousness

2. Their problem is insurmountable -- they are totally without hope -- they are like the dry bones

a) They are at a dead end!

b) They are without hope of redemption, and real life

H. BUT IN BOTH CHAPTERS WE SEE THAT God promises to save them,

1. In Chapter 36 to deliver them from their captivity brought on by their disobedience and sin

2. In Chapter 37 God promises to resurrect them from their “grave situation” -- from their spiritual death

a) To make the connection clear lets re-read

Ezekiel 37:11-14

I. SUMMARY:

1. Israel sinned, they departed from God, and he abandoned them to their enemies

2. God promised a future time of freedom, of salvation

a) That would consist of

b) Freedom from sin and death, to live a new life

(1) Resurrected from death to a new life

(2) Old sinful hearts replaced with new heart

c) Accomplished through God's Spirit being placed within them

(1) Result would be a wonderful new life, peace, safety, true righteousness

(2) They would be truly God's people, walk with him

II. APPLICATION:

A. What does all this mean to you and me?

B.The message from God to Israel through his prophet Ezekiel is one of salvation

1. It is the Gospel

a) Underlying it is the message that God has for all people:

2. That we have rebelled and sinned against God

3. That we deservedly suffer bondage and death because of our sinfulness

4. That completely undeservedly, through his grace and love, and to his glory -- God grants us freedom from sin and death

a) If we accept it in faith, He cleans our hearts and minds, and puts his Spirit in us, giving us a new life as His people

C. This message, the Good News, is the consistent message of both CHAPTER 36 & 37 of the book of Ezekiel;

1. It is the consistent message of both the Old and New Testaments

2. It is the message of hope for all mankind

3.It is the message we are celebrating here at this Festival;

a) We who were in slavery, captive to sin and death, have been made free

b) We who had no spiritual strength or life, who were spiritually just dead dry bones, have been made alive in Jesus Christ

Romans 6:8-11

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (NIV)

D. ROMANS 6 TALKS OF THE VICTORY WE HAVE OVER DEATH, THE NEW LIFE WE HAVE AND ARE TO LIVE IN JESUS CHRIST:

1. We can see the plain parallels between what Paul writes about our spiritual resurrection and new life, and the message of Ezekiel 36 & 37

III. From Ezekiel we learn of 5 things take place after the new life is begun:

I. Repentance

Ezekiel 36:31

31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. (NIV)

Romans 6:11-15

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! (NIV)

II. Forgiveness

Ezekiel 36:33

33 "`This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. (NIV)

Hebrews 9:14-15

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance -- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (NIV)

Romans 6:6-7

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

III. A desire for obedience

Ezekiel 36:27

27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (NIV)

Ezekiel 37:23-24

23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 "`My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. (NIV)

1. So many NT passages that discuss our freedom from sin and death, talk also about living a new life of righteousness

a) All of the passages we read above do;

Hebrews 9:14

Hebrews 10:21-25

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (NIV)

Romans 6:1-12

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

2. Paul also discusses our new life of freedom in Galatians 5:13-15

v 13 My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love. 14 The whole law is made complete in this one command: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (NCV)

IV. Fourth aspect of the new life Ezekiel prophesied is that saved people will have an impact on their friends and neighbours

Ezekiel 36:34-36

34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' (NIV)

A. Our salvation is for God's glory

Ezekiel 36:22

1. We are ambassadors for Christ

2. We are Christ's lights to the world, the salt of the earth

3. We are Jesus' witnesses, his messengers

Philippians 2:14-16

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life -- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (NIV)

V. Fifth aspect of the new life that is mentioned in Ezekiel;

Ezekiel 36: 37 "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will let myself be asked by the people of Israel to do this for them again: I will make their people grow in number like a flock. 38 They will be as many as the flocks brought to Jerusalem during her holy feasts. Her ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

A. As a result of these other four things, God will grant growth to his people

SUMMARY:

I. Let's quickly rehearse the lessons we have learned about SALVATION from Ezekiel:

A. We were all captive to sin, dead because of our disobedience to God

1. Spiritually we had no substance, no flesh on our bones

a) Spiritually, of ourselves, we are just dry bones

B. God has saved us, given us new life through his Spirit

1. He has resurrected us from death

C. We are saved entirely because of God, by a miracle

1. We are saved to the glory of God, no because of any goodness or merit of our own

D. Through the Holy Spirit we have a new mind and heart and are led to repentance, to turn from our old ways

1. Through Jesus Christ we are cleansed from our sins, forgiven completely

2. In place of our old rebellious, carnal spirit, we are given a desire to obey God

3. Through these attributes of our new life, we are lights, we are examples, witnesses of God's love and holiness to the world around us

4. And as a result of these fruits of our new lives, we have the blessing of seeing God perform "dry bones" miracles on more and more people

CONCLUSION:

A. Let's celebrate our being brought back from the dead;

1. Our having had spiritual life and substance added to our spiritually dead and dry bones

B. Let's live our new lives with thankfulness and joy

1. Remembering that God has a wonderful purpose for our new lives in Jesus Christ;-- to walk with him and to be the ones he uses to bring more people out of their personal captivities, their spiritual graves, to know God, and join us in this new life

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