Breathing Life reminds us that the Lord is fully able to bring forth life even when all hope seems gone, so instead cling to hope and be steadfast in faith that the One who is the giver of all life is able to bring healing and restoration in ways that are overwhelmingly and beautifully miraculous.
- Ezekiel 37:3-6 (VOICE) [beginning with Voice’s Commentary] [This oracle may be one of the best known in Ezekiel’s prophecy. God’s promise of a new heart and a new spirit echoes Jeremiah’s new covenant prophecy (Jeremiah 31:31-34). What God’s people need more than anything is for God to do a work of grace within them. Like other prophets of his day, Ezekiel is convinced that heaven must intervene in order to fix what is wrong on earth. It is not enough for people to try harder and do better. This work of grace begins with God cleansing His people with fresh water. Idolatry and various sins have made them impure and unclean, so before they can be restored, they must be made pure by the washing of water. Then, once God gives them a new heart, His people will become willing covenant partners; they will give up on their rebellious, hurtful ways and embrace God’s designs for their lives. With a new spirit—which seems to be nothing other than God’s Spirit living in and among them—they will have the desire and ability to live out God’s reasonable demands on them. God insists that all He intends to do to save and redeem His people is not for their good; He is working to restore His good name. God’s covenant people have given Him a bad reputation among the nations, so God must act in His own interest to make sure His name is given the honor it is due.] Eternal One (to Ezekiel): Son of man, do you think these bones can live? Ezekiel: Eternal Lord, certainly You know the answer better than I do. Eternal One: Actually, I do. Prophesy to these bones. Tell them to listen to what the Eternal Lord says to them: “Dry bones, I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. I will attach muscles and tendons to you, cause flesh to grow over them, and cover you with skin. I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. After this happens, you will know that I am the Eternal.”
- Isaiah 35:1-8 (VOICE) Imagine the wilderness whooping for joy, the desert’s unbridled happiness with its spring flowers. It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming, singing and celebrating with sheer delight. The glory of Lebanon’s cedars and the majesty of Carmel and Sharon will spill over to the deserts. The glory of the Eternal One will be on full display there, and they will revel in the majestic splendor of our God. So, with confidence and hope in this message, strengthen those with feeble hands, shore up the weak-kneed and weary. Tell those who worry, the anxious and fearful, “Take strength; have courage! There’s nothing to fear. Look, here—your God! Right here is your God! The balance is shifting; God will right all wrongs. None other than God will give you success. He is coming to make you safe.” Then, such healing, such repair: the eyes of the blind will be opened; the ears of the deaf will be clear. The lame will leap like deer excited; they will run and jump tirelessly and gracefully . The stutterer, the stammerer, and the tongue of the mute will sing out loud and clear in joyful song. Waters will pour through the deserts; streams will flow in godforsaken lands. Burning sands and hardened wastelands will become pools, shimmering with life; the thirsty ground will drink deep from refreshing springs. Abandoned villages where predators once lurked will become grassy playgrounds. Dry, arid land will turn lush and green. And the road to this happy renovation will be clearly signed. People will declare the way itself to be holy—the route, “sacred.” Only those who are right with God will be able to walk its pleasant path…
