19 August 2022

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’
From Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NRSV)

In today’s reading we hear about Ezekiel’s vision in a valley full of bones. In response to God’s direction, Ezekiel brought about the miraculous event of bringing together these dry bones into their original form. Flesh and sinew grew on the bones to return them to human form. But they were not yet alive. The final and crucial moment was the breathing of God’s breath into them. As the breath entered them these bodies came to life again. God then explained to Ezekiel that this vision promised a return to life and renewal for Israel. Like the dry bones in the valley, the people of Israel had become spiritually dead and lost hope. They needed to be brought back to life. God promised that this seemingly lost cause would be redeemed – the people of Israel would be renewed and would return from exile to live in their own land. It is also thought that this breathing of life into what appeared dead is also an early prefiguring of the promise of bodily resurrection that many years later became explicit in Christian teaching.

• • Why do you think that God did not give up on Israel even when they seemed past saving?
  • When have you experienced renewal when all hope seemed lost?

Pray today for those who have lost hope and feel forgotten.