Ezekiel 37:1-14
“The hand of Yahweh was on me, and he carried me out in the Spirit of Yahweh, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass by them all around: and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord Yahweh, you know.” Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh. Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I saw, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and tell the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Come from the four winds, 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 up 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 completely cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O my people. I will put my Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and have performed it,’ says Yahweh.””
The prophet Ezekiel received this vision while exiled in Babylonia, likely in the early 6th century BCE. He was speaking to fellow exiles who had lost all hope, seeing themselves as dead and cut off from their homeland and God. This passage offers them a powerful image of God's capacity for impossible restoration.
What areas of life, personal or communal, feel like a 'valley of dry bones' where a vision of renewal seems impossible?