LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath entered into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10)
THE WAY OF LIFE
Christians today speak much about the Body, the church, and the house of God, but most do not see the practical way to have the Body, the church, and the house of God. Ezekiel 37 clearly reveals that the only way, the only manner, is the way of life.
The two dry pieces of wood can grow together, not by gifts or teachings, but by life. The Lord did not tell Ezekiel to exercise certain gifts or to teach. The Lord charged Ezekiel to prophesy, to utter or express some words for God.
When Ezekiel prophesied something to the dead for God, He breathed upon them and they received the breath. When the breath entered into them, it became life to them. Then, by the way of life, the two dry pieces of wood could grow together.
We can become one not by means of gifts or teachings, but by life. Oh, we all need the blowing of the wind! Therefore, we need to receive the breath, and the breath will become in us the life-giving Spirit. Thus, we will be able to grow in life.
Life is wonderful. It solves many problems. Our physical body can overcome many problems simply by being alive. This is an illustration that what we need in the church life is life, not gifts or teachings.
By life, the dead branches can be revived and grow into one another. Then these branches will have the unity that results from growth in life. If we pay attention to gifts or teachings, we will be divided.
We all need something better, something higher, and that something better and higher is life. First comes the blowing of the wind, followed by the breath and the life-giving Spirit. This causes the dry bones to be revived and become one. Eventually, the bones become an army fighting for the Lord. In the same way, the dry branches are revived and grow together. By growth in life, they are one and have no more divisions.
Throughout the years, here in the church in Los Angeles, we have paid attention not to gifts or teachings, but to life. If we had paid attention to gifts and teachings, we would have been divided repeatedly. But because we care for the way of the Lord’s life, we are one.
UNITY BY LIFE
We praise the Lord for the unity in His recovery. Although we come from many different backgrounds, we are one. We are not one by means of gifts or teachings, but by life.
Among us there are many former ministers, pastors, missionaries, and Bible teachers, but all these are now one in life. Because we have life, and are in life, we are one. Now we are an army fighting and we are a dwelling place for the Lord.
When the saints migrate for the spread of the church life, they are an army fighting the battle. We cannot have proper migrations if we do not have unity. It is very good that, in the migrations, the saints come from different parts of the country to be one in a certain city. They come together to be one not in teachings or gifts, but in life. Because we are one in life, we are both the army and the Lord’s dwelling place.
The army is formed with dry bones that have been revived, and the dwelling place with dry branches that have been enlivened and joined. Now no one is dry. Every part of the army and the dwelling place is full of life and is living in unity. This is the Lord’s recovery.
ADDITIONAL JUDGMENT
Following chapter thirty-seven, there are two more chapters that speak of additional judgment. These chapters indicate that if we continue with the Lord in unity as an army and as a dwelling place for the Lord on the earth, He will take care of all our enemies.
We should not think that once we are an army, we will not have enemies. Nor should we think that once we are one as the Lord’s dwelling place, we will not have battles. There is still an enemy, but the Lord will deal with him.
In chapter thirty-five there is Edom, the inward enemy, and in chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine, there is the outward enemy. We must judge Edom, the old man, the enemy within us; however, the Lord will take care of the enemies on the outside.
We can be assured that as long as we are one, the Lord will fight the battle for us. He will deal with our enemy, who is also His enemy. We praise the Lord that we can be in the church life in peace and safety.
As we deal with the inward enemy, the Lord will deal with the outward enemy, and a strong church life will be built up to be “an exceedingly great army” and the Lord’s sanctuary on the earth.
Only when God judges all the enemies will His people be able to dwell peacefully without fear. When the people are in such a peaceful condition, the building up of the Lord’s dwelling place will be completed, and the Lord will have a place of rest among His people.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: Fullness of the Spirit - “Like the Breath”
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