Three things severely tested the prophet's faith (in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37): the bones were very many; the bones were very dry, and the prophet was told to do a very impractical thing; he was told to preach to the dry bones.

The bones were very many: the valley was white with them. To reach them all by personal effort was impossible. And yet, the multitude of bones didn't cause the faith of the prophet to fail. And we, as we survey the world situation today with millions yet unreached, are tempted to be appalled, but the eye of faith may see God still equal to the situation. No difficulty can surpass His resources.

The bones were very dry. There was no sign of life. Their dryness was positive proof of death. If Ezekiel had kept looking at the very great number of very dry bones, he might have said, "There's no use trying to raise them to life." But instead, he was like Abraham, "who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20-21). While we must be willing to face the fact of the dryness of the bones, we must not look to them for encouragement to our faith. Our eyes must be always upon the God of the miraculous.

The prophet was told to do a very impractical thing: he was told to preach to the dry bones! If Ezekiel hadn't faith, he certainly wouldn't have preached to dry bones; they made a wretched congregation. If preaching isn't a supernatural exercise, it's a useless procedure. Our prophesying must be an act of faith. Preaching has always been the great agency of God for the ingathering of souls. It's by the "foolishness of preaching" that men are to be saved (I Cor. 1:18). Every gospel preacher must be willing to appear a fool in the eyes of worldly men.

The prophet wasn't told to tickle the bones. Oh, how many today are trying this experiment. Tickling bones to make them laugh on their way to hell is a tragedy. When the forerunner, John, was baffled and perplexed, he sent his disciples to the Savior, "Art Thou He that should come?" You remember the Redeemer's reply: "Go and show John again those things which ye do see and hear: the blind receive their sight; and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:3-5). There was no suggestion in this list which says, "And the careless are amused, and the perishing are provided with innocent recreation."

There was no change of method adopted by the Lord during His course of ministry, no learning by experience of a better plan. As we study the four Gospels carefully, we find no suggestion that at any time during His ministry He turned aside from His preaching to entertain in order to attract the people. He was in awful earnestness, and His ministry was like Himself. In vain will the Epistles of the New Testament be searched to find any trace of "tickling dry bones."

Ezekiel spoke directly to the dry bones. He prophesied as he was commanded (v. 6). He called them by their right names: "O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord." Our ministry is not to flatter but to thunder forth the message of God.

He preached about the great essentials. If you read his sermon, you'll see he talked about life. Ezekiel didn't waste his time talking about a number of things that couldn't possibly concern dry bones. He saw death; he preached life. He saw ruin: he preached remedy. Ye Ezekiels in the valley of death, when you preach, cleave to the grand essentials of the gospel message!

He preached the truth. He preached well. What was the result? Exactly the same as will be the result of all our work unless the Spirit of God applies the Word. There was a noise; then there was a shaking; then there was a coming together, followed by an improvement in appearance. First, "there was a noise." Many valleys of dry bones could do with some noise. Noise is to be preferred to the stillness of death. However, noise isn't always the evidence that God is working. There may be noise and no power.

The Lord wasn't in the earthquake that rent the rocks.

Along with the noise, there was a coming together. The bones all came bone to bone. He would be an unusual servant who didn't feel a sense of excitement in seeing a vast multitude gathered around him to hear the Word. We thank God for these crowds who come together, because often-times this is the first step toward their salvation. But let us remember, large congregations don't necessarily prove the presence of God. We may have crowds of people coming together and yet have no permanent spiritual results.

This is copyrighted material from James Stewart's book Come O Breath, available from Revival Literature, PO Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816.