Read the Text

Ezekiel 37:1–14

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’  Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Introduction Questions

1. Who is someone you are so excited to see in eternity one day?

2. What do you think our resurrected bodies will be like? Describe what being fully alive with Christ forever will be like?

3. Describe what you picture in your head when you read our text for this week? (Ezekiel 37:1-4)

Observation Questions

1.  Why do you think God brought Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones? What was God teaching/showing Ezekiel?

2. What does this text teach us about the Holy Spirit?

3. What was the ultimate goal of this resurrection, according to the text? What is the ultimate goal of our resurrection? For help, look at verse 14.

4. What about Sunday’s sermon stuck out to you or challenged you? What did you learn, love, or were you reminded of?

Personal Reflection Questions

1. Share your story of spiritual resurrection. When and how did God bring you to spiritual life?

2. How has the Lord changed you since your salvation? How do you hope to continue to change? (Name one specific way)

3. Our text teaches us that God’s ultimate goal in resurrection is that we can know the Lord. How has your knowledge of the Lord and relationship with the Lord grown throughout your life post spiritual resurrection?

4. In light of our text this week and our sermon on Sunday, how might we respond in obedience? What do you think God is asking you to do?