LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “Come, let us sing to the Lord with joy; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” (Ps 95:1)
THE WIND, THE BREATH, AND THE SPIRIT
In Ezekiel 37, three things are related to prophesying: the wind, the breath, and the Spirit. In English, these are three different words; however, in the Hebrew text they are the same word, "ruach". Verse 9 uses the word wind and the word breath, but in the Hebrew text both are the same word, ruach. In verse 14, there is the Spirit, but this is also a translation of ruach. It is difficult for translators to decide how to translate ruach in these verses. The translation is based both on the context and on the translator’s understanding.
If we apply this matter to our spiritual experience, we may say that when God blows upon us, this is the wind; when we breathe in the wind, it is the breath (breathing); and when the breath enters into us, it is the Spirit.
First comes the wind, then the breath, and then the Spirit. When Ezekiel prophesied, God blew the wind, the people received the breath, and the breath became the Spirit, the Spirit who gives life (1 Cor 15:45b).
A NOISE AND A SHAKING
In this chapter, Ezekiel prophesied twice, in verse 7 and again in verse 10. Verse 7 says: “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, a rattling of bones coming together, bone to its bone.” Here we see that when Ezekiel prophesied, there was a noise and a rattling.
Sometimes people complain that our meetings are very noisy. My answer is that if everyone were dry bones, everyone would remain quiet. There would be neither noise nor sound, only stillness. All the bones in the valley in Ezekiel 37 were quiet and motionless. But when Ezekiel came and prophesied, there was a noise and a shaking, and all the bones came together. I cannot explain why this happened.
However, we know that when we are together in the meetings and make a joyful noise (Ps 95:1), we are truly one. Suppose that we all come to the meetings and sit in silence for thirty minutes. Soon we would become critical of one another and, eventually, we would lose our unity.
But when we shout joyfully to the Lord Jesus, praising Him and calling on His name, we are one. It may not sound good to you, but the more we make noise in this way, the more we are one. If we go out of ourselves by calling on the Lord and praising Him, we will be one.
THE BREATH COMES
Ezekiel 37:8 says: “And I looked, and indeed, there were sinews on them, and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.” After the noise, the shaking, and the coming together of the bones, something very special happened. Sinews, flesh, and skin grew upon the bones, covering them and making their appearance much better. Previously, they were only dry bones; now they were a lifeless body with the parts joined, linked, and connected. The body was without life because it had no breath.
The description in verse 8 applies to our experience. The dry bones must first be joined together, and then the breath will enter into them. If we do not come together, we will not have the breath of God. We should not wait until we have the breath of God and then come together. Rather, we must first come together, with “a noise” and “a shaking,” and then the breath of God will be blown upon us.
Verses 9 and 10 continue: “Then He said to me, Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
When Ezekiel prophesied again, God sent the breath to enter into the dead bodies, and then they rose up on their feet and became an “exceedingly great army” to fight for God.
TWO PIECES OF DRY WOOD ARE JOINED
In verses 16 and 17 the Lord said to Ezekiel, “You also, son of man, take for yourself one piece of wood and write on it: For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions; then take another piece of wood and write on it: For Joseph, the piece of wood of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions. Then join them one to another for yourself into one piece, that they may become one in your hand.”
First, Ezekiel dealt with the dry bones, and then with the pieces of dry wood. A rod is something of wood; however, it is lifeless and dry. These two pieces of dead wood symbolize the two kingdoms of Israel, the southern kingdom (Judah) and the northern kingdom (Israel, or Ephraim). These two kingdoms could never be one, and in the Lord’s eyes, they were completely dead and dry.
The Lord has a way to make these dead pieces of wood one, and His way is the way of life. His way is to make these dead pieces of wood live and then to put them together so that they may grow together.
This is very similar to grafting, in which two branches are joined and eventually grow together. In fact, this is what is mentioned here. The two pieces of wood are like two branches. Previously, they had no life, but then they were made alive. Having been made alive, they are now able to grow together and become one.
Whereas the bones are for the formation of the army, the pieces of wood are for the building up of the house of God. The pieces of wood were divided, but now they are one and are the dwelling place of God. Therefore, here we have both the army fighting for God and the house of God as His dwelling place.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: Fullness of the Spirit - "Like the Breath"
https://hinario.org/detail.php?tab=1&mainmp3=admin/Uploaded-mp3-Files/0253.1.voz_piano.mp3&id=318
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