the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Grace for Today
Ezekiel 37:3
‘Can these bones live?’
Read Ezekiel 33:1-11
Death is a terrible picture of our natural condition before God, but it is by no means an exaggeration. The whole world lies before us as a valley of dry bones, according to Ezekiel’s vision; and if ever these dry bones are to live, it will not be through. some innate energy in the bones themselves, or through the influence of the most zealous prophet. Education cannot develop life out of death. Persuasion cannot excite a dead man to life. And reason cannot instill life in a corpse. The arm of the Lord must be revealed, or the case is beyond hope. Let men do all they can: weep, plead, preach and prophesy all will be vain. Unless the Lord himself breathes life, the dry bones cannot live.
No, Ezekiel could not make the dry bones live, but he could prophesy to them. God commanded him to do so and God gave him the ability to do so. Therefore Ezekiel was responsible to prophesy unto the dry bones. Spurgeon said, ‘We cannot turn the dry bones into living men, but we can prophesy upon them, and, blessed be God, we can also prophesy to the four winds, and by our means the dead may live.’ Even so, we cannot give dead sinners life. Eternal life and faith in Christ are gifts of divine grace created in the hearts of men by the sovereign power of God. But there are some things we can and must do for the souls of men. We can preach the gospel of Christ unto men. We can make known the way of life unto men. We can instruct men in gospel truth. And that which we can do, we must do. ‘Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.’ If I know that a man is perishing under the wrath of God and I know the way of eternal life by faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ, and if God gives me the ability and the opportunity to preach the gospel to that perishing sinner, it becomes my responsibility to do it. I preach the gospel because I love Christ, I love his gospel and I love the souls of men. I do it willingly and cheerfully. Yet I am under constraint to fulfill my responsibility. God says, ‘His blood will I require at thine hand!’
