“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?
And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.”
(Ezekiel 37:3)
Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones presents one of the clearest pictures of human helplessness in all of Scripture. Israel in captivity was not described as weak branches barely hanging onto life, but as dry bones scattered in a valley. This image removes every illusion of human sufficiency. Bones cannot gather themselves or breathe life into themselves. They are powerless and entirely dependent on divine intervention for new life. Ezekiel’s answer to the Lord’s question therefore reflects proper humility: “O Lord GOD, thou knowest.”
Israel’s captivity was a direct result of their sin. The people had polluted themselves with idolatry, profaned the holy name of God, and brought reproach on His covenant. Even in Babylon, they continued in ways that dishonored the Lord. This makes the promise of restoration all the more remarkable for God determined to show mercy to a people who least deserved it and least expected it.[1]
But we must remember that the same God who grants mercy can also remove it. Scripture repeatedly warns that new sins committed after great mercies bring severe consequences.
And yet we often assume that blessings come because they are deserved. We tend to treat deliverances as rewards rather than mercies. We quickly forget the grace that spared us when we are rescued from judgment. These responses indicate that our heart is inclined more toward presumption than gratitude.
Ezekiel reminds us, however, that human wisdom and strength cannot produce spiritual life. Only God can do that; only God can make dry bones live. He alone preserves churches, reforms nations, and restores sinners. Thus, we hope in the Lord who specializes in impossible restorations.
The Lord’s question in this passage, “Can these bones live?” causes us to realize that what is impossible with man is possible with God. He raises the dead, restores the ruined, and revives those who are spiritually lifeless. So let us acknowledge our helplessness, our abuse of such mercy, and trust in His goodness for renewal and restoration.
Contemplations:
- The Humility of Dry Bones. The image of dry bones leaves no room for self-confidence. Spiritual life cannot come from human effort, and Ezekiel’s valley of bones reminds me that without God’s power, there is only helplessness and ruin.
- The Sin of Forgetting Mercy. Great deliverances are often followed by forgetfulness. A sinful heart can treat extraordinary mercies as ordinary events. And what once produced gratitude can become neglected through familiarity, revealing how quickly we can presume upon God’s grace and goodness.
- The Danger of Presumption. Mercy abused becomes an aggravation of guilt. To continue in sin after receiving light and deliverance is not a small matter. The soul that presumes upon grace while remaining careless stores up greater accountability before God.
- The Hope of Sovereign Grace. The impossibility of restoration from a human perspective highlights the greatness of divine power. For what man cannot accomplish, God performs freely by His grace.
Prayer (Confession):
Most holy and sovereign Lord, I come before You confessing my unworthiness and continual dependence on Your mercy. Like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision, I have no life, strength, or righteousness in myself. Every spiritual blessing I possess has come entirely from Your gracious hand.
Lord, I acknowledge the sin of presuming upon Your mercy. You have shown kindness repeatedly, delivering me from dangers seen and unseen, granting gospel light, and preserving me through many failures. Yet instead of being humbled by these mercies, my heart has often grown careless and cold. Forgive me for receiving Your blessings without responding with deeper obedience and gratitude.
I confess that I have treated extraordinary mercies as though they were ordinary rights. What should have stirred worship has often produced little more than familiarity. I have overlooked Your providence, neglected Your goodness, and failed to honor You as the source of every blessing. Forgive this hard-hearted ingratitude.
Lord, I also confess the pride that boasts in human strength rather than in Your sovereign grace. I am quick to trust visible means, personal ability, or outward circumstances, forgetting that all life and preservation come from You alone. Remove from me every confidence rooted in self, and teach me to rest entirely on Your power and mercy.
I acknowledge how quickly my heart drifts back toward sin even after receiving great deliverances. Like Israel of old, I forget Your works and return to spiritual carelessness. Forgive me for abusing mercies that should have led me nearer to You.
Lord, I often underestimate the seriousness of continued sin after receiving gospel light. Every neglected warning, resisted conviction, and delayed repentance increases guilt. Keep me from growing hardened under repeated mercies. And let Your patience toward me produce true repentance rather than greater presumption.
Apart from Your grace, I remain helpless. I cannot revive my own soul, overcome my corruption, or produce genuine holiness by my own effort. So speak life where there is deadness, awaken what has grown dull, and restore what has become weak through sin.
Lord, let remembrance of Your mercy produce humility within me. Teach me to see every blessing as undeserved kindness flowing from Your sovereign grace. Keep me watchful over my heart, thankful for Your goodness, and dependent on You in all things.
Finally, I thank You that there is hope even for dry bones because of Your power. What is impossible for man is possible with God. Look upon me in mercy through Jesus Christ, forgive my sins, and continue the work of renewal in my soul.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Further Scripture References for Ezekiel 37:3:
Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; John 5:21; Romans 4:17
[1] Edmund Calamy, Gods Free Mercy to England Presented as a Precious and Powerful Motive to Humiliation, (London: Printed for Christopher Meredith .., 1642), 3-6.
