Introduction: The Scriptures Are Bifocal
Brother Rolfe Barnard said to me one time, “Brother Mahan, the Scriptures are bifocal.” I said, what do you mean, bifocal? He said, there's the initial application — these verses in Ezekiel 37 speak of God bringing the Jews back to their land. And Charles Spurgeon preached from this very text in 1865. He said there will one day be a native government in Israel. The Jews will one day return to Palestine — millions of them. One day they will walk upon the mountains of Israel. And this came to pass in 1948, when Israel became a nation again.
But Rolfe Barnard said, you've also got the gospel here, just as clear and simple and plain as anywhere in Scripture. Everywhere you turn in Scripture, whatever it may deal with, it deals with Christ and Him crucified. That's the reason Paul said, I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And that's what I'm preaching tonight — the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest miracle of all: the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for poor, lost sinners.
I. The Valley of Dry Bones: The Fall of Man
There must have been a terrible battle fought in this valley, and many men were killed. Their bones lay scattered about on the ground, blanched by the burning sun — dry as dust, in the sand, no moisture, no marrow. One old preacher said even a dog wouldn't have picked one of them up. And it pictures for us the fall of man. That's our nature. That's us. Dry bones in a dry valley with no moisture and no marrow at all.
Martin Luther said that if a man could get a full view of his sin — if he could really understand his helpless state, his terrible lost condition, like these dry, dead bones in that valley — he would lose his sanity. Paul put it this way: At that time ye were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. That's what happened to us when Adam fell — plunged us into a state of total death and despair.
I was once called to visit a man named Ed in the hospital after an accident at the steel mill. His wife said he was scared and wanted to talk about the Lord. So I walked over to his bed, got out my Bible, and said, “Ed, do you know that you're a sinner? God saves sinners — Christ died for sin.” And he looked at me and said, “I wouldn't say that. I've never stolen anything. But I'm not a sinner.” I closed my Bible. I just said to him, “Ed, I don't have anything for you. The Lord came to seek and to save the lost — and you're not lost. He died for sinners — and you're not a sinner. So really, Ed, I don't have anything for you. But if you decide you want to come hear me preach and find out you're a sinner, I'll talk to you about the Lord.” A man has got to be lost to be found. And that's what we have right here — a valley full of dry, dead bones.
II. Can These Bones Live?
The Lord said to Ezekiel: Son of man, can these bones live? In this condition — these dry, dead, parched, bleached bones, no life, no moisture, nothing — can they live? Well, let me tell you this: that's what this whole book is about. Those bones can live. This is the reason why our Lord came into the world and died on the cross — that these bones might live.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin? No, but God can. Can the leopard change his spots? No, but God can. Can the cursing tongue praise the Lord? No — but God can make it. Can hate be turned to love? Can pride be turned to humility? Can death be swallowed up in victory and life? Can it? Here's the only answer you can give: O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Left up to me, they won't live. Left up to them, they won't live. But You are able to make them live. That's what that leper said when our Lord came down from the mountain: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And the Lord said, I will — be thou clean.
III. Preach to Them — The Power of the Word
The Lord said to Ezekiel: Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Now, I suppose that if I walked into a valley of dry, dead, parched, blanched bones, the very last thing I would think of doing is preach to them. What about you? Preach to them. But my friends, that's God's way.
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. James said, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Peter said, Being born again… by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. This Word is the Word of life.
I knew a man named Larry Woods in Pikeville, Kentucky. He had a heart attack and a preacher came and talked him into a profession of faith — it's not hard to do when a man's dying and scared. But the man in the next bed, Ted Thompson, knew the Lord. He listened to Larry's story and said, “Larry, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'd make it a profession of faith, not salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. God's the one that saves — and if God saves you, you're saved forever.” He handed Larry one of our tapes. He got another one. And another one. To make a long story short, the Lord did save Larry. It's the Word. It's the Word. Feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. My hope and warrant is the Word of God — nothing else is worth believing.
IV. I Will — The Message of Sovereign Grace
The Lord gave Ezekiel this message to preach: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. What is this message? It's the message of sovereign grace. Salvation is of the Lord.
It is not, I will if you will. It's not an appeal to the bones. It's not in the power and persuasion of the preacher. It is a proclamation of what God Almighty will do. Look at verse 6 again: I will… I will… I will… and then, ye shall. I will, and I guarantee you, you shall. I will, and you shall.
And look over at Ezekiel 36, beginning at verse 24, where the Lord describes salvation in the same terms: I will take you from among the heathen… Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean… A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you… And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. Salvation is of the Lord — in His execution, in His application, in His sustaining perfection, in His ultimate glory. It's all of the Lord.
V. The Word and the Breath — Two Situations
So Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded. Something happened — there was a noise, there was a shaking, there was a stirring. The bones came together, bone to his bone, and the sinews and flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them. But there's a problem: there was no breath in them. No life. They had the form, the appearance, all the outward activity — but no breath. I suppose it's a bit like some of these present-day revival meetings — noise, activity, hand-waving, all these things, but no life. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Doctrine, as true as it is, will not give life. Only God can give life.
Our Lord said to Nicodemus: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. They looked like men. They had activity and all these things — but no life.
Then the Lord said, Prophesy unto the wind… Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded — and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. That's what God's done for us. He preached the Word. The Spirit of God came and applied the Word, made it effectual to our hearts. Gave us faith in Christ, love for Christ. Not just activity, not just noise, not just a stirring — but a heartfelt worship of God Almighty.
VI. Five Questions for Those Who Would Have Christ
One of the old timers wrote this — five questions for men and women who would have a saving interest in Christ.
First: Are my desires for Christ sincere? Are they genuine? You can't seek Christ with a divided heart. Ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Second: Are my desires for Christ honoring to Him? God is holy, just, and righteous. I cannot expect to be saved at the expense of His character. God must be holy, must be just and justified. Do my desires for Christ bring Him glory?
Third: Are my desires for Christ permanent? Or is it just an emotion, a passing fancy? Jacob's were permanent. He held on and said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Fourth: Do my desires for Christ lead me to seek Him where He is found? That's what Ezekiel 37 is about. Preach to them. Preach to them. And God Almighty made the Word effectual. Nobody is going to be saved without the Word and the gospel being preached.
Fifth: Will my desires for Christ know no rest until I cease from my own labors and find my rest in Him? Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Charles Spurgeon wrote this when he was sixteen years old: What the hand is to the lute, what breath is to the flute, what fragrance is to the smell, what the spring is to the well — that's Jesus Christ to me. What the mother is to the child, what is ransom to the slave, what is water to the sea — that's Jesus Christ to me. That's salvation.