Fallen Empires

Ezekiel was the prophet known by his vivid visions. In Ezekiel 37: 1-14 we hear Ezekiel describing a vision he had about the “resurrection” of his beloved Israel.

“The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then 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: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.‘ ” (Ezekiel 37:1–14, NRSV)

We know that throughout history greations, even empires, have been born and then died. And those that didn't become extinct survive to this day, but they are different than when they were young and vital.

Some interpreters have argued that this passage from Ezekiel is about personal resurrection; that it is a vision ehiovh teaches how God brings new life after death to believers. But at the time Ezekiel had this vision the people didn’t understand personal resurrection. They did, however, believe that their God would not abandon them forever. They believed that in time God would bless Israel again and bring the nation a new life.
 

So, the dry bones are a vision of Israel dried out and deteriorating in a foreign land, Babylon. Away from Jerusalem, with the temple destroyed, and living in captivity in Babylon they felt like dried bones baking in the desert sun.

Then, Ezekiel had his vision of dry bones. God breathes new life into the bones. They begin to come together, bone to bone. They grow new sinew and muscle and flesh. Israel lives again!

Like others, I have been closely watching the developements among the nations of Northern Africa. We have been seeing the transformation of whole nations right before our eyes. And then I began to think about our own nation.

Although we are not in open rebellion, we are troubled. Our economy has been shaken to its very foundations. And I watched this past week as our national leaders argued about how to cut billions upon billions of dollars from our current budget. And again I thought of Ezekiel and his vision of dry bones.

We are not dead as a nation, but we are struggling. And I honestly believe that our leaders are trying to give us new strength. But, without the Spirit of God, without God breathing new life into us their efforts will likely fail, or at least fall short.

As a nation we need to pray, not so much for God to give us prosperity, or power, or authority. What we need to pray for is God’s spirit to breathe on us and give us new life. The Hebrew language calls it nefesh—the spirit of life and vitality, wholeness. So, let us pray together for God to revive us, to breathe into us, and give us new life.

The "P" Word (Patience)

“From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:1–7, NRSV)

I am an impatient person. On a recent visit to a retreat center (St. Benedict’s), it was time for me to check out. But no one was on duty at the front desk and I needed to return my key.

Then, I noticed a bell on the front desk. A sign next to the bell said, “If you need help, ring the bell.” So, I did. And then I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, I tapped the bell again, respectfully, not aggressively. After all, I was in a place of retreat and worship. But when I tapped the bell the second time an old priest sitting nearby came to the desk and said, “Patience, brother, patience.” I was, I guess showing my impatience.

But I think impatience is universal in our society. We don’t know how to wait for anything. We have a hard time waiting for one another. We get impatient with our leaders, and we quarrel among ourselves. But we have an even harder time waiting on God.

When we pray we expect an immediate favorable answer from God. When we don’t get what we want or need we quickly grow impatient. Some may even begin to doubt that God is listening at all and we may begin to lose faith. It’s hard not to be impatient.

The good news is that God does want to bless us—at the right time and in the right way. God wants to bless us abundantly like he did Moses and his people with the manna from heaven and the water from a rock. But we have to be patient. We need to learn patience.

Fear not, in God’s time and in God’s way blessings will flow to us like the water that gushed from the rock in the desert.

The Testimony of Creation

Lent is a time for reflection and prayer. It is a time when we examine ourselves and come face to face with our humanity and all the ways we fall short of God’s glory and expectations. But Sundays during Lent remind us of God’s love and infinite grace. Sundays in Lent are a time revel in the glory of God and one way we experience God’s glory is in the created world around us. Just watching the world reawaken reminds us we, too, can reawaken to God’s plan for salvation. The Psalm for today is a testimony and celebration of God’s glory and righteousness in all the world. Listen for a Word from God in Psalm 19:


“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19, NRSV)

John Calvin said that there is no reason anyone can claim that they never heard of God’s glory and saving grace. Why? It is because all of creation is a testimony to the One living God. Every passing cloud, each drop of rain, from dandelion to rose, and from singing bird to the rustle of dry leaves, God’s glory is proclaimed in all creation. All any of us have to do is open our eyes, or feel the coolness of the morning air, or hear the gentle purr of a kitten to know that God is real and alive. The testimony is all around us and fills every day. Even if there were no words, nature itself proclaims God’s presence and goodness.

So, it should humble us while at the same time fill us with joy that the creator of all all worlds should desire a relationship with us–call us his children–and extend to us his grace. And in extending his grace to us, God offered up his own son. And the Lord sealed our relationship and fills us with the very Spirit of his holiness. Not that we, ourselves, are holy but, God is holy for us.

We may not be able to understand God’s plan for salvation, but we can accept the gift of salvation God offers us in Christ Jesus his son. In just calling on his name–even in a whisper–we become one with him. And then, like all the created world around us, we begin to make God’s presence, grace, and glory known in the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.