Ezekiel 37:1-14 
 
I have a bone to pick with you. In the valley of dry bones, we can learn something about ourselves and our local churches. Let us take a moment to find out what these dry bones can tell us. 
 
Nothing on this earth can bring bones back to life, only God can restore life. Ezekiel came across a valley of bones. The Spirit of the Lord told him to prophesy to these bones, and as he did, the sinews and flesh came on them, and then the skin. Ezekiel was then told to prophesy for the wind to blow, and as he did the wind blew, and the bodies stood up and breathed.
 
This vision delineates the promise made in chapter 36, life renewed and a country reestablished, in physical and spiritual aspects. The dry bones are a portrayal of the Jewish individuals in bondage, dispersed and dead. The outcasts of both Israel and Judah would be discharged from their 'graves' of bondage and one day be regathered in their home country. Ezekiel felt that he was addressing the dead as he lectured the outcasts since they only reacted to his messages occasionally. In any case, look how these bones reacted! As God brought life once again into these dry dead bones, He would bring life once more into the spiritually dead people.

• Psalm 141:7, Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.
• Hosea 13:14, I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
• Joel 2:27, And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
• Revelation 11:11, And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 

 
The dry bones spoke to the individuals' condition of being spiritually dead. Our places of worship may appear to be a load of evaporated issues that remain to be worked out, spiritually dead with no expectation of essentialness. Similarly, as God vowed to reestablish His country, He can reestablish any congregation, regardless of how dry it might be. As opposed to giving up, Christians ought to appeal to God for recharging, for God can reestablish it to life. The expectation and supplication of each congregation ought to be that God will place His Spirit into it (Ezekiel 37:14). God is calling His children back to Himself, bringing new life into dead holy places and dead Christians.

• Isaiah 26:19, Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
• Amos 9:14, And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
• Ezekiel 36:27, And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
• Joel 2:28, And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 

 
This vision was to encourage the Jews. It shows their rebuilding after being in captivity, and their coming together from being exiled. Additionally, it represents the restoration of the dead, and it speaks of God's saving grace. 
 
Types of Bones:

• Wish Bones. They sit around and hope for something.
• Jaw Bones. They are a lot of talk but no action. They are not spreading the Word of God.
• Funny Bones. They are not serious about their Christian work.
• Feet Bones. Is there any movement or are they just standing still.
• Back Bones. They have no courage and are constantly afraid of doing anything.
• Dry Bones. Either intentionally or unintentionally, they are dead and need the Living Water of the Lord. 

 
How many churches of today are like these bones in Ezekiel 37? 
 
The fundamental lesson is when the Spirit of God is present, His people are enabled to live.

Ezekiel 22:1-31 
 
In Chapter 22, we learn why judgment would come to Jerusalem (22:2-16), how it would be approach (22· 17-22), and who would be affected by it (22:23-31). Those actions and sins that occurred back then seem remarkably similar to what is happening in society today (James 3:1). We are living in a period of extraordinary assaults by Satan. It is critical that we maintain prayers for our leaders, and it is fundamental for the leaders to take accountability to assist them with keeping their spiritual and moral integrity.
 
Valuable metals are refined with extreme heat to expel the impurities. When heated, the impurities (dross) ascend to the top of the liquid metal and is skimmed off and discarded. The reason for the attack of Jerusalem was to refine the individuals, however the refining procedure indicated that the individuals, as useless dross, had no good thing in them.
 
The leaders (priests), those whom God chose, were to keep God's worship pure and to teach right living. Unfortunately, they had ignored the Sabbath and caused God to become commonplace in everyone's life. They discontinued performing their duties (Leviticus 10:10-11; Ezekiel 44:23). While we are accomplishing God's work, and it turns into not any more significant than any commonplace assignment, that is showing that we have discontinued giving God the worship He merits. Rather than bringing God down to our level, we should be lifting our hearts and our lives up to His level.
 
The 'hedge' was not a physical wall, but rather faithful people united to resist evil. The hedge had become broken and crumbling because there was not anyone who could guide the people back to God. Feeble attempts to repair through religious rituals and opinionated messages not based on God's Word, were worthless, which is basically like using a band-aid or whitewash to cover the problem instead of getting to the cause of the problem. The people needed spiritual rebuilding.
 
At the point when we give the presence of adoring God without living by His direction, we are concealing sins which could eventually harm our lives farther than can be repaired. We should not utilize religion as a band-aid or whitewash; we need to fix our lives by living by the standards of God's Word. It is then that we can unite with others to 'stand in the gap' and have any kind of effect for God in the world.

• Psalm 106:23, Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
• Ezekiel 13:5, Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.

What Does It Mean To Stand In The Gap?

• To mediate between two groups
• To forge a connection
• To fill a void
• To step up
• To take the initiative

  
Who In The Bible Filled A Gap?

• Moses – for the people
• David – against a giant
• Nehemiah – work to be done
• Esther – for a nation
• Jesus – saved the world

  
How Can We Fill The Gap?
 
Intercessory Prayer:

• 1 Timothy 2:1, I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions. and giving of thanks, be made for all men.
• Ephesians 6:18, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

 
Work:

• 1 Corinthians 3:9, For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
• 2 Timothy 2:15, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 
Witness:

• Matthew 5:16, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
• Acts 1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 
Preach:

• Mark 16:15, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• 1 Corinthians 1:21, For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

 
Spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

• Psalms 96:3, Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
• Matthew 28:19, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.