The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—
“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.
“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.”
—From Ezekiel 37 (NKJV)

“There is no power in bones, but there is power in ru’ah, translated breath or spirit.”

— The Joy of Advent

Reflection

What do you expect from God? Many of us have often unspoken expectations for God—his will, his work, his answers to prayers. The Pharisees missed the Messiah because they couldn’t comprehend a God so full of surprises, so full of grace. Are you willing to let your expectations be challenged or changed? Reflect today on how your expectations might be limiting your understanding of God and his work in your life.

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Witness God’s power to reanimate and bring life from death, explore the Jesse Tree symbol of dry bones, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about the impossible.

Today’s Jesse Tree Symbol:
**Dry Bones** remind us of God’s promised resurrection.

Inspiration

Valley of Dry Bones

Gustave Dore, 1866. Dry, old, yet returning to life before Ezekiel’s eyes.

Music

The Cherry Tree Carol is an Appalachian song. Notice that Jesus’s birthday is the 6th of January—Epiphany! [Play Video]

Enjoy Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming. “Isaiah ’twas foretold it, The Rose I have in mind; With Mary we behold it, The virgin mother kind.” [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Resources

Watch a stunning rock performance of The Cherry Tree Song.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of the Prophet Ezekiel.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

Recent Resources from Joy of Advent