MEN OF VALOUR: THE RISING OF A VAST ARMY – PART 3

Part 3 – God’s Army in the Valley of Dry Bones

“So, I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army” (Ezekiel 37:10)

 It was clear from the creation story that man was an effective army in the beginning. He was put in an enviable position. But this privilege and honour was short lived. It was not long man found himself in the valley void of the life of God and became as dry as the bone in Ezekiel’s revelation. Man got to this state because of disobedience. He ate of the fruit God has forbidden (Gen. 3). The immediate consequence of this act was the evacuation of God’s breath that actually positioned him as the army of God. 

Man, immediately became dry because the death sentence became active on him. He fell from grace to grass. He descended immediately from the mountain of honor and wealth to the valley of shame and dryness. Man fell short of God’s glory thereby loosing his abundance, treasure, splendor, brightness, dignity, and majesty.

 Now in the valley, man began to partner with dis-ease, dis-order, dis-ability, dis-tress, dis-comfort, dis-aster, dis-couragement, dis-harmony, and dis-integration. Man, who once exercised God’s authority in battle thereby bringing salvation to the captives now found himself in exile at the mercy of the captor. No man in this state of life could ever be used for any work of great impact or lasting result. Something must of a necessity happen to such individual.

Reading the Ezekiel’s passage, within the context of our discussion, shows that it was an act of disobedience that made the vast army of God (Israelites) lost their dignity and became an object of ridicule to all nations. Ezekiel was amazed that though the bones were very many, yet they were at the same time very dry. By implication, these are men with great potential, but without power; great methods but without life-giving Spirit to make it work.

This is actually what characterized our days. There are many churches scattered all over the places but with weak members. There are “revival” programs everywhere and every time but with little impact. Why? There is no life in the bone.