Them Bones, Them Bones, Them Dry Bones

Are you familiar with the song “Them Dry Bones?”  Because you are reading this, you will be spared the agony of actually listening to me sing it, but a very familiar part of the song goes like this:  “Toe bone connected to the foot bone, Foot bone connected to the heel bone; Heel bone connected to the ankle bone…”; Then the song connects the bones all the way to the head and ends with the words “Now hear the word of the Lord”  Do you know the tune?  You can google it if you want and listen to it.  What many people don’t know is that these song is based on the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37.  It was not a song written to help medical students understand how the skeletal structure works!  In Ezekiel chapter 37 God shows Ezekiel a vision of dry bones, representing the sad and horrible state of affairs that the nation of Israel, God’s people, find themselves in.  They are dry both spiritually and politically, scattered all over the landscape.  God shows Ezekiel that one day God will bring those bones back to life, assembling them and breathing life into them.  Most understand this to be  reference to the return of Jesus Christ when God will restore Israel to its land and God’s people will again worship Him.

Let’s make a quick application to ourselves…are your bones “dry”?  Do you feel like you are “dry as a bone”?  If so, there is really only one source of life.  You can try to find that life in this world, chasing after fame or power or wealth to help you put life into your bones but none of those will work.  Look to God for that life, that vitality…let Him breathe life into your “bones” and then you will be able to walk and serve Him.